METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION

ATTY. MALAYA M. CAPULONG, MD, FPAFP, MMHA

Legal Medicine
Year Level 3
School Year 2020-21
Medico-Legal Aspects of Identification

1. Prosecution of offenses identity of both offender &

victim must be established
2. In disasters with considerable casualties to resolve
the anxiety of next of kin and to settle the estate
3. Identification of persons missing or presumed dead
to aid in the settlement of the estate/inheritance
4. In cases of accidents with unidentified victims
5. Paternity and filiation
Methods of Identification

1.Bertillonage/Anthropometry
2.Portrait Parle
3.Fingerprinting
4.Forensic Odontology
5.Blood Typing/Grouping
6.DNA
ANTHROPOMETRY

Anthropometry – Bertillon system

An identification system based on
physical measurements
Developed by Alphonse Bertillon, in
1800’s
ANTHROPOMETRY

Anthropometry – Bertillon system

The person was identified by
body measurement of the head
and body, individual markings -
tattoos, scars - and personality
characteristics
ANTHROPOMETRY
Measured bony portions of the body
 skull width
 foot length
 Cubit
 Trunk
 left middle finger.
Hair and eye color and front and side
view photographs
Recorded on cardboard forms.
ANTHROPOMETRY

Upon arrest, a
criminal was
measured, described
and photographed.
The completed card
was indexed and
placed in the
appropriate category.
ANTHROPOMETRY

Bertillon Card - Each card

measures 3"x5"; full-face
and profile photographs
appear on one side and
the criminal's name,
Bertillon measurements
and other information Luigi Giorrado, arrested for
felonious assault on October 30,
(nativity, age, crime) 1908. Bertillon photograph no.
201
appear on the reverse.
PORTRAIT PARLE

A verbal, accurate and picturesque

description of the person identified.
A sketch artist/investigative illustrator may
translate the description into a drawing.
Composite kits, catalogs and computer
systems
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

Fingerprint identification or palmprint

identification is the process of comparing
questioned and known friction skin ridge
impressions from fingers or palms to determine
if the impressions are from the same finger or
palm
Dactyloscopy
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

Dactylography – art and study of

recording fingerprints as a means of
identification.

Poroscopy – study of pores found on the

papillary or friction ridges of the skin
for purposes of idetification.
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

Qin to Han Dynasty (221BC-220AD)

 “The Volume of Crime Scene Investigation—Burglary”

 Bamboo documents were sealed with clay stamped with

name of author and fingerprint

After 105 AD – all contracts in China were signed with impression

of palm or finger print

Japan (702 AD) – husband affixed impression of index finger in

documents written for him.
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

 Dr. Nehemiah Grew(1684) – described friction ridges

 JCA Mayer (1788) – friction ridge skin is unique

 Sir William James Herschel –

 British Administrator for the East India Company
 Used handprints on the back of documents as signature
 Recorded friction ridge skin as a method of individualization
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

 Henry Faulds –
 Collected friction ridge impressions of humans and monkeys
 Nature (1880), proposed using friction ridges at crime scenes
 Friction ridges were unique, classifiable and permanent
 Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1883)
 The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

 Argentina (1892)–
 Francisca Rojas’ 2 children were killed, Rojas had a
wound in the throat
 Bloody thumbprint found in the scene
 The Rojas murder case is considered to be the first
homicide solved by fingerprint evidence,
 Argentina became the first country to rely solely on
fingerprints as a method of individualization
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

Fingerprinting –
1. No two identical fingerprints

2.Fingerprints are not changeable

FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

Fingerprinting –

                   
                   
Loop
                   
 
Arch
                 

Arch Whirl
(Right Loop) (Tented Arch)
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION
Fingerprints –
1. Real impression
2. Chance impression
a. Visible Prints (Patent Prints)
b. Plastic prints –
 Finger us pressed into soft material, creating a negative
ridge impression
c. Latent Prints –
 Chance or accidental impressions
 Not visible w/o treatment
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

 Patent Prints – visible prints, wholly visible to the

unaided eye
 Latent Print – hidden or unseen
 Undetectable until brought out with physical or
chemical process designed to enhance latent print
residue
 Plastic Print – created when the substrate is pliable
enough at the time of contact to record the 3-
dimensional aspects of the friction ridge skin.
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

 Porous substrate – absorbent materials

 Fingerprint is absorbed into the substrate & is somewhat durable
 Paper, cardboard, wood, cellulose

 Non-porous Substrate – repel moisture & appear polished

 Glass, metal, plastics, lacquered & painte wood

 Textured substrate – porous or non-porous

 Incomplete contact with friction ridge skin
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

 Latent Print Residue

 Mixture of some or all of the secretions from the 3
glands
 Water soluble – eccrine gland secretions

 Water insoluble -
 Large H20 insoluble molecules – proteins
 Non-polar lipids – fatty acids
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

 Latent Print Development

 Latent Print Powders – physically adheres to the
aqueous & oily components on non-porous
substrates
 Ninhydrin & Analogues – most popular method for
fingerprint detection on paper & other porous
substrates
 Cyanocrylate fuming – development technique on
non-porous surfaces, specially on rough or textured
substrates
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION

ACE V
A – Analysis - is the assessment of a print as
it appears on the substrate.
C – Comparison - direct or side-by-side
comparison of friction ridge details to
determine whether the details in two prints are
in agreement
ACE V
E – Evaluation - the examiner makes the final
determination as to whether a finding of
individualization, or same source of origin, can
be made.
V – Verification - Verification is the
independent examination by another qualified
examiner resulting in the same conclusion
ODONTOLOGY

Forensic Odontology or Forensic

dentistry - the proper handling,
examination and evaluation of
dental evidence
ODONTOLOGY

Forensic Odontology or Forensic dentistry -

1. Dentition is relatively unique
2. Enamel in the teeth survives
putrefaction
ODONTOLOGY

Forensic Odontology
Main areas of practice:
1.Identification of found human remains
2.Identification in mass fatalities
3.Assessment of bite mark injuries
4.Assessment of cases of abuse
5.Civil cases involving malpractice
6.Age estimation
ODONTOLOGY

Forensic Odontology
The evidence that may be derived from
teeth, is the age and identification of the
person to whom the teeth belong using
dental records or ante-mortem
photographs.
ODONTOLOGY

The other type of evidence is that of

bite marks, left on either the victim
(by the attacker), the perpetrator
(from the victim of an attack), or on
an object found at the crime scene.
HANDWRITING ANALYSIS

Bibliotics – science of handwriting

analysis.
- study of documents and writing
materials to determine its genuineness
or authorship.
HANDWRITING ANALYSIS

Handwriting Analysis
Graphology – study of handwriting
for the purpose of determining the
writer’s personality, character and
aptitude.
HANDWRITING ANALYSIS

Handwriting Analysis
Bibliotics – science of handwriting
analysis.
- study of documents and writing
materials to determine its genuineness or
authorship.
HANDWRITING ANALYSIS

Handwriting Analysis
 Detection of forgery
 Deeds of conveyance
 Checks
 Documents
 Source of letters/document
 Suicide notes
 Ransom letters
 Anonymous threats
Identification of Skeletons

1. Of human origin 1. Age

2. Single person 2. Length of interment
3. Height 3. Timing of injuries
4. Sex 4. Deformities
5. Race
IDENTIFICATION OF SKELETONS

Difference between sexes

PELVIS MALE FEMALE
Construction Heavier Lighter
Height Greater Height Less height
Pubic Arch Narrow & less round Wider and rounder
Diameter of True Pelvis Less Greater Diameter
Greater Sciatic Notch Narrow Wide
Obturator Foramen Egg-shaped Triangular
IDENTIFICATION OF SKELETONS

Difference between sexes

1. Pelvis
2. Sternum
3. Femur
4. Humerus
5. Cranium
BLOOD TYPE/GROUPING

 A blood type (also called a blood group)

is a classification of blood based on the
presence or absence of inherited antigenic
substances on the surface of red blood
cells (RBCs).
BLOOD TYPE/GROUPING

Blood types are inherited and represent

contributions from both parents
We each inherit one blood type allele
from our biological mother and one from
our biological father.
BLOOD TYPE/GROUPING
DNA TESTING

DNA evidence has become the foremost

forensic technique for identifying
perpetrators, and eliminating suspects, when
biological tissues such as saliva, skin, blood,
hair, or semen are left at a crime scene.
DNA TESTING

Uses of DNA testing –

 Murder, Rape and other criminal cases
 Determining paternity
 Resolving inheritance disputes
 Babies switched in maternity wards
 Determining recent or historical claims on ancestry
or lineage
 Identification of human remains
DNA TESTING

Uses short tandem repeats (STRs) to match

a DNA sample to a suspect or a database
Autosomal DNA is primarily used in
criminal investigations because, with the
exception of identical twins, no two people
have the same autosomal DNA
DNA TESTING

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited from

the biological mother
mtDNA is present in much higher quantities
than nuclear DNA and doesn’t degrade as
quickly as autosomal DNA
mtDNA is useful for identifying missing
persons or unidentified remains.
DNA TESTING

Forensic DNA Testing

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
(RFLP) based testing
Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) based testing
DNA TESTING

General Procedure of DNA Testing:

1) the isolation of the DNA from an evidence sample
containing DNA of unknown origin and the isolation of
DNA from a sample from a known individual;
2) the processing of the DNA so that test results may
be obtained;
3) the determination of the DNA test results from
specific regions of the DNA;
4) the comparison and interpretation of the test results
from the unknown and known samples
DNA TESTING

RULE ON DNA EVIDENCE

A.M. No. 06-11-5-SC (2 October 2007)

Purpose of DNA testing –

1. Direct identification - originates from the
same person.
2. Kinship analysis - if the biological
samples originate from related persons.
DNA TESTING

RULE ON DNA EVIDENCE

A.M. No. 06-11-5-SC (2 October 2007)
Confidentiality –
1. Person from whom the sample was taken;
2. Person from whom the sample was taken;
3. Lawyers of private complainants in a criminal action;
4. Duly authorized law enforcement agencies
5. Other persons as determined by the court.
DNA TESTING

DNA Phenotyping -
 The prediction of an unknown person’s
biogeographic ancestry and/or physical traits
from Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) data.
 SNP - actual changes in the DNA sequence at a
particular site. These types of sequence
differences between individuals can affect the
functioning or expression of proteins
DNA TESTING

Potential uses of DNA Phenotyping -

Facilitate the identification of
missing persons,
 Help to solve investigations with no
witnesses or leads,
Enhance the likelihood that “cold”
cases will be solved
DNA TESTING
• Hair color (black ~90%; brown & red ~80%)
• Eye (iris) color (blue, 91%; brown, 93%)
• Freckling;
• Dimpling;
• Cleft lip and/or palate;
• Chronological age;
• Earlobe attachment;
• Adult height
• Male pattern baldness;
• Dominant handedness;
• Scalp hair-whorl number and direction
GENOTYPING vs PHENOTYPING

DNA Genotyping DNA Phenotyping

Selects non-coding (“junk?”) Selects strongly-coding segments of
segments of DNA DNA
Selects segments prone to Is not concerned with variability of
maximum variability in numbers of repeats –focus is on coding
tandem repeats robustness
Requires a known to compare Requires no known if goal is to
against assess characteristics of shed sample
If result is robust enough, can be Will probably be relegated to
admissible in court investigative use only
GENOTYPING vs PHENOTYPING
DNA Genotyping
RFLP, PCR-STR, y-STR,
mitochondrial
Through selection of highly
variable areas, can often yield
extremely high probabilities by
product rule
Recognized science, admissible
in court –Daubert& Frye-
approved
DNA Phenotyping
SNPs, Single Nucleotide
Polymorphisms
Can identify likelihoods,
predispositions, propensities, but
certainly not astronomically high
certainty
Cutting edge –forensic scientists
will be slow to embrace –not
fully recognized yet