�A duple murder investigation that has remained unsolved for nigh a decade could be provided new impetus following a forensic breakthrough at the University of Leicester.
A leading detective from America is visiting forensic scientists at the University of Leicester and Northamptonshire Police in a bid to shed new light on the investigation.
He will meet with Dr John Bond a forensic research scientist at the University of Leicester and scientific bread and butter manager at Northamptonshire Police. Dr Bond and colleagues from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Leicester are investigating a new technique to identify fingerprints on metallic element casing- including bullets and bombs.
The discovery in crime detection could lead to hundreds of cold cases being reopened. The method enables scientists to 'visualise fingerprints' even after the print itself has been removed. They conducted a study into the way fingerprints can buoy corrode metallic element surfaces. The technique canful enhance - after firing - a fingerprint that has been deposited on a small calibre metal cartridge case before it is fired.
Detective Christopher King, of Kingsland Police Department, Georgia, is the lead investigator working on a 'cold case' - a double homicide - which has departed unsolved for a number of geezerhood. Detective King is a veteran officeholder with all over 20 years' experience as a sworn law enforcement officer in both California and Georgia.
Detective King was given the task of reviewing the previous investigators file to bring a " fresh " prospective and new ideas to the case.
Detective King aforementioned: "In December 2007 I was offered the military position of Investigator to focal point on an unsolved two-fold homicide from 1999. The suspect(s) in this case entered a business district business in the early afternoon on 12/01/1999, nip and killed the two employees and stole a small amount of cash. Four discharged shell casings ejected from the suspect's pistol were recovered at the picture and make been processed for latent fingerprints exploitation traditional methods of dusting and fuming with negative results.
"Our Chief of Police, Darryl Griffis, read an internet article about Dr Bond's work out at the University of Leicester and Northamptonshire Police in development latent prints on dismissed casings and it was decided that we should attempt to have our casings tested. We checked with various of the larger offence labs and learned that everyone was interested in the treat, but none were quick to hear it out.
"We contacted Dr Bond and were invited to play the evidence to Northampton for processing in the hope that that, with the Leicester process, a latent fingerprint might be located on the actual casing(s) itself which would help to play more evidence against a possible mistrust. While we understand that there is no warrant of positive results, every possibility must be explored to bring the suspects to judge and closure to the victims' families.
"This will be my first-class honours degree visit to the U.K. and I look ahead to group meeting with Dr Bond, his staff and the members of the Northamptonshire Police."
Spokesperson for the Kingsland Police Department, Lieutenant Todd C. Tetterton, aforementioned: "Your process was one of many avenues set on the internet which showed promise towards assisting us on this case."
Dr Bond aforesaid: "We are hopeful that we crataegus oxycantha be able to assist colleagues in the Kingsland Police Department, Georgia with the techniques we have developed latterly. We have already had some success at enhancing partial fingerprints on plate casings for other law forces where the cases were some years honest-to-god and conventional fingerprinting techniques had been tried and failed".
Detective King is at the University of Leicester/Northamptonshire Police between 28 August and 31 August.
Dr John W Bond
Scientific Support Manager, Protective Services Command, Northamptonshire Police, Wootton Hall, Northampton, NN4 0JQ
Honorary Research Fellow, University of Leicester, Forensic Research Centre, 106 New Walk, Leicester LE1 7EA
Lieutenant Todd C. Tetterton
Kingsland Police Department, Office of Professional Standards, 111 South Seaboard Street, Kingsland, Georgia 31548.
Source: Dr. John W. Bond
University of Leicester
More info
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)