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SOUTHERN MINDANAO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Brgy. Buenaflor, National Highway, Tacurong City

Criminology Department

(A.Y. 2020-2021)

MODULE IN PERSONAL
IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUE

DATE: January 25, 2021

PREPARED BY:

MARK JAYSON P. MUYCO, R. CRIM.

Instructor
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PREFACE

This module wishes to provide essential and vital knowledge and information regarding personal
identification techniques, in relation to the course bachelor of science in criminology. In
accordance to CHED Memorandum Order No. 5 series of 2018, this reading material is within
the bounds of the said CMO.

This module is prepared and made to totally understand the basic principle in personal
identification technique. The topics were also comprise of different textbooks, handouts and
reading materials regarding personal identification techniques in relation to R.A. 11131 or an act
regulating the practice of criminology profession in the Philippines, and appropriating funds
therefor, repealing for the purpose of R.A. 6506 otherwise known as “an act creating the board
of examiners for criminologist in the Philippines”.

This material is especially designed for criminology students for them to easily understand the
essential and fundamental matters regarding the history of fingerprinting, notable personalities
in the development of finger printing and the legal aspects of fingerprinting. However, students
were highly encouraged to read and research further about this subject matter to fully enhance
their knowledge.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

FRONTPAGE 1

PREFACE 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

ESSENTIAL TERMS AND DOGMATIC PRINCIPLE 4

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT IN FINGERPRINTING 5

LEGALITY OF FINGERPRINTS 10

REFERENCES 12
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CHAPTER I
LESSON 1

ESSENTIAL TERMS IN FINGERPRINT EXAMINATION AND DOGMATIC PRINCIPLE OF

FINGERPRINT

OBJECTIVES: at the end of the lesson, the student shall be able to:

 Identify the essential terms in fingerprint examination and dogmatic principle of

fingerprint
 Discuss the essential terms in fingerprint examination, and dogmatic principle of
fingerprint

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

FINGERPRINT – An impression of the friction ridges of all or any part of the finger. A friction
ridge is a raised portion of the epidermis on the palmar (palm and fingers) or plantar (sole
and toes) skin, consisting of one or more connected ridge units of friction ridge skin. These
ridges are sometimes known as "dermal ridges" or "dermal papillae".
FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION – is the process of comparing questioned and known
friction skin ridge impressions, from fingers, palms, and toes to determine if the impressions
are from the same finger (or palm, toes and etc.).
FORENSIC - came from the Latin term forensis meaning in open court or public, the term
was derived from the old Latin term forum which means market place.

CRIMINALISTICS - it refers to the application of the principles of various sciences in solving

problems in connection with the administration of justice.

HUA CHI – Chinese term for fingerprint.

DR. HANS GROSS – he is an Australian magistrate to described “Search for Truth” as the
goal of all investigative and detective works. He is known as the Father of Modern
Criminalistics.

Fingerprints - It is an impression design by the first joint of the fingers and thumb on
smooth surface through the media of ink, sweat or any substance capable of producing
visibility.

Phalange - is the skeletal finger covered with friction skin. It is made up of three bones.
a. Basal or proximal phalange – it is located at the base of the finger nearest the
palm.
b. Middle phalange - the next and above the basal done.
c. Terminal phalange - the bone covered with friction skin, having all the different
types of fingerprint patterns and it is located near the tip of the finger.

Friction Skin – is an epidermal hairless skin found on the ventral or lower surface of the
hands and feet covered with ridges and furrows. It is also called as papillary skin.
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Components of the Friction Skin

1. Ridge surface
a. Ridge – the elevated or hill like structure/ the black lines with tiny white dots.
b. Furrow – the depressed or canal like structure/ the white space between ridges.
2. Sweat pores – the tiny opening/ the tiny white dots.
3. Sweat duct – the hose like structure that serves as the sweat passage way.
4. Sweat glands – the producers of sweat.

Fundamental Layers of the Friction Skin

1. Epidermis – the outermost layer
a. Stratum Corneum,
b. Stratum mucosum
2. Dermis – the inner layer containing the blood vessel, dermal papillae, various glands and
nerves.

Various Conditions of the finger:

a. Polydactyl - born with more than 10 fingers.
b. Macrodactyl - having enlarged finger.
c. Microdactyl - having small finger.
d. Ectodactyl - born with missing finger
e. Syndactyl - side fusion of the fingers.

Dactyloscopy – (derived from the Latin words Dactyl = finger and Skopien – to study or
examine) is the practical application of the science of fingerprints. (classification &
identification)
Dactylography – is the scientific study of fingerprint as a means of identification.
Dactylomancy – is the scientific study of fingerprint for purposes of personality interpretation.
Dermatoglyphics = is the science which deals with the study of skin pattern. It is derived from
two Greek words, Derma which means Skin and Glype which means Carve.
Palmar – pertaining or corresponding to palm of the hand.
Plantar – pertaining to the sole of the foot.

Related Sciences to the Study of Fingerprint:

1. Chiroscopy – (Greek word “ Cheir” – a hand, “Skopien” –to examine) is the science which
deals with the study of the prints of the palms of the hand.
2. Podoscopy – (Greek word “Podo” – the foot, and Skopien – to examine) is the science
which deals with the study of the footprints.
3. Poroscopy – (Greek word “poros” – a pare, and “Skopien” – to examine) is the scientific
study of the arrangement of the sweat pores. (Edmond Locard- Father of Poroscopy)
Edgeoscopy - study of the sides of the friction ridges.
Ridgeoscopy - study of ridges.

Means of Personal Identification

 Tattoo
 Scar
 Photograph
 Fingerprint
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 DNA
Law of Multiplicity of Evidence - The greater number of similarities or dissimilarities; the
greater is the probability for the conclusion to be correct.

Alphonse Bertillion- Father of Personal Identification. The first to devise a scientific method
of identification called Anthropometry. He is also known to be the father of “Mug shot”
photography.

Anthropometry - is the first scientific method of personal identification which is done by

measuring the various bony structure of the human body.

West case:

In 1903, Will West have arrived at the US Penetentiary at the Leavenworth,

kansas. While West was being processed in through identification, a staff member said that
there was already a photograph and Bertillon measurement for him on the file. But a
comparison on fingerprints showed that despite identical appearances and nearly identical
Bertillon measurements, the identification card on file belonged to a William West, who had
been in Leavenworth since 1901.

IAFIS – (Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System), is a computerized system

maintained by the FBI since 1999. It is a national automated fingerprint identification and
criminal history system.

DOGMATIC PRINCIPLE OF FINGERPRINT

1. Principle of Individuality – no two fingerprints are exactly alike
2. Principle of Permanency – configuration and details of individual ridges remain constant
and unchanging.

- That the friction ridge once fully developed its arrangement will remain the same
throughout man’s life.

Ridge Formation – (Ridges starts to form in the fingers and thumb during the 3rd to 4th
months of the fetus life.)

Dermal Papillae - are irregular pegs composed of delicate connective tissue protruding
and forming the ridges of the skin on the fingers, palms, toes and soles of the feet.

3. Principle of Infallibility – fingerprint is the most reliable means of identification.

- That fingerprint is a positive and reliable means of identification. It cannot be forged
easily.
 John Dellinger – known U.S. public enemy number one who attempt to destroy his own
prints using corrosive acids.
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 Robert James Pitts – works on Surgery to forge his own fingerprints and was named
“Man without fingerprint”.
Ridge Destruction – destruction of the friction skin can either be temporary or permanent.
Generally, temporary destruction occurs when only the epidermis layer of the friction skin
has been damage, while permanent damage can be injected to the friction skin due to
damage to the dermis layer.

General Rules on Ridge Destruction

a. Destruction of the Epidermis – temporary, dermis – permanent damage.
b. Cut - a depth of more than 1 mm will constitute permanent scar.

FINGERPRINTS IN OTHER SPECIES

The Koala is one of the few mammals (other than primates) that have fingerprints. In
fact, koala fingerprints are remarkably similar to human fingerprints; even with an electron
microscope, it can be quite difficult to distinguish between the two.(c,d,e,f,)

LESSON 2

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF FINGERPRINTING

OBJECTIVES: at the end of the lesson, the students shall be able to:

 Identify the history and development of fingerprinting

 Discuss the history and development of fingerprinting

A. PRIMITIVE KNOWLEDGE

1. Egypt – The earliest evidence of ridge detail on the hands and feet of humans was seen in
the 4,000 year old mummies of ancient Egypt. The hands and feet of mummies have been
examined on numerous occasions and they confirmed the presence of ridge detail on the
mummies’ digits.

2. China – It was a common practice for the Chinese to use ink fingerprints on official
documents, land scales, contracts, loans and acknowledgements of debt. Finger seals
for sealing documents to prove its authenticity. Early in the 12th century, in the novel, “The
Story of the River Bank,” fingerprint found itself already in the criminal procedure of China;
and in the 16th century, a custom prevailed in connection with the sale of children. Palm and
sole impressions were stamped of sale to prevent impersonation.

3. Japan – A Japanese Historian, Kamagusu Minakata further commented about blood

stamping. Apparently, contracts were accompanied by a written oath confirmed with a
blood stamp. The blood stamp was a print of the ring finger in blood drawn from that digit.
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4. France – The most famous ancient stone carvings is found in the L’lle de Gavrinis of the
coast of France. Here a burial chamber, or dolman, was discovered dating back to Neolithis
times. Its inner walls are covered with incised designs- systems of horse-shoe form, more
or less circular concentric figures, spiral, arching lines sinuous and straight lines and
other markings occurring in various combinations. Many anthropologists interpret these
lines as representing finger or palm print patterns.

5. Nova Scotia – An outline of a hand was scratched into slate rock beside Kejiomkujil Lake
by an aboriginal Indian. The carving is an outline of a hand and fingers. Within the outline
the flexion creases of the palm and fingers are depicted. This carving has considerable
historical significance. Although it does not demonstrate knowledge of the individuality of
friction ridges or palmar flexion creases, it clearly illustrates an early awareness of
the presence of those formations.

6. Babylonia - References by ancient historians have been found describing how finger seals
were used on legal contracts from 1855-1913 B.C. This practice identified the author and
protected against forgery.

7. Palestine – William Frederick Bade, Director of the Palestine Institute of Archeology,

conducted excavations at various sites in Palestine and at one place found finger imprints
on many pieces of broken pottery. These “identifications” permitted the confuse debris to
dated accurately to the fourth century A.D. Commenting on his case, Fingerprint magazine
(1973) stated that “these impression were obviously intentional and no doubt, represented
the workman’s individual trade mark.”

8. Holland and Ancient China – Identification of individuals was by means of branding,

tattooing, mutilation and also manifested by wearing of cloths of different designs.

B. PERSONALITIES

1. Constantinople - In treaty ratification, the sultan soaked his hand in a sheep’s blood and
impressed in on the document as his seal.

2. Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) – A British author, naturalist and engraver became England’s
finest engraver who made fingerprint stamps. He made wooden engravings of
fingerprints and published their images in his books where he used an engraving of his
fingerprints as a signature. The engravings demonstrate familiarity with the construction of
skin ridge. In two of the books he added “Thomas Bewick, his mark” under the impressions.

3. Sir William J. Herschel – Credited as being the first European to recognize the value of
friction ridge points and to actually use them for identification purposes.
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4. Dr. J.C.A. Mayer (1788) of Germany – He published the following statements in his
anatomical atlas; although the arrangement of skin ridges is never duplicated in two
persons, nevertheless the similarities are closer among some individuals. In others the
differences are marked, yet in spite of their peculiarities of arrangement all have a certain
likeness.” This deduction was published 100 years before the Konai contract.

5. Dr. Henry Faulds (1843-1930) – In 1875 Faulds had opened a missionary hospital and a
year later started a medical school in Japan where he may have been exposed to
fingerprints. He wrote a letter to Charles Darwin telling him of his studies and requesting
assistance. He mentioned that fingerprints can be classified easily and that ridge
detail is unique. He pointed out the value of fingerprints of being in “medico legal
studies” and commented that photographs of people change over the years but rugae
(friction ridges) never change.

6. Thomas Taylor (1877) - A microscopist of the Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC

who also suggested that fingerprints could be used to solve crime.

7. Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914)– He devised the first truly scientific method of criminal
identification in Paris France called anthropometry or Bertillonage. He conceived the idea
of using anatomical measurements to distinguish one criminal from another. He decided to
use various body measurements such as head length, head breadth, length of left middle
finger, length of the left cubit (forearm)/ length of left foot, body height, face breadth, face
height and other descriptions including features such as scars and hair and eye color to
distinguish criminals.

8. Dr. Henry P. De Forrest - He utilized the first official municipal use of fingerprints for
non-criminal registration on December 19, 1902 in the Municipal Civil Service
Commission in the City of New York. He required civil service applicants to be fingerprinted
to prevent them from having better qualified persons take test for them and put the system
into practice.

9. Capt. James I. Parke – He advocated the first state and penal use of fingerprint which
was officially adopted in Sing-sing prison on June 5, 1903 and later at Auburn, Napanoch
and Clinton Penitentiaries.

10. Sgt. Kenneth Perrier – An Englishman and first fingerprint instructor at the St. Luis Police
Department, Missouri. He was one of the pupils of Sir. Edward Richard Henry and through
personal contact during the Worlds Fair Exposition held in St. Luis, a fingerprint bureau
was established on April 12, 1904.

11. Mary K. Holland – She was the first American Instructor in Dactyloscopy.
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12. Harry Mayers II – In 1925, he installed the first official foot and fingerprint system for
infants at the Jewish Maternity Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and the first
system in the state.

13. Juan (Ivan) Vucetich (1855-1925) – The fast face of the advancement of fingerprinting in
England was due to the ingenuity of Juan Vucetich, who was employed as a statistician with
the Central Police Department at La Planta, Argentina. In July 1891, the Chief of Police
assigned Vucetich to set up a bureau of Anthropometric Identification.

14. Sir Edward Richard Henry (1850-1931) – At the same time that Vucetich was
experimenting with fingerprinting in Argentina, another classification system was being
developed in India. This system was called “The Henry Classification System.” The
Father of Fingerprints.

15. Sir Francis Galton is a British Anthropologist and Biologist who published his study
on classification and filing system using all the ten (10) fingers. He assigned the
patterns in to three (3) general types: Arches, Loops and Whorls. He said that the
possibility of two prints being alike was 1:65,000,000,000.

FINGERPRINTING IN NORTH AMERICA (1877-1900)

16. Isaiah West Taber (1880) – In 1880, a photographer in San Francisco who suggested that
fingerprinting be adopted for the registration of Chinese immigrant laborers.

17. Gilbert Thompson (1882) – He used his thumbprint to ensure that the amounts were not
changed or altered on payroll cheques. When issuing a payroll cheque, he would put an
inked thumbprint over the amount. This is to prevent fraudulent cheque alterations.

18. Mark Twain (1894) – An American author and lecturer, Twain enhanced the position of
fingerprints when he included their use in the plot of a novel entitled Pudd’n Head Wilson. In
the novel, a bloody fingerprint is found in the murder weapon and Pudd’n Head, the
defense attorney, has the whole town fingerprinted. He lectured the court and jury on
the basics of fingerprinting, how fingerprints are immutable, and that two fingerprints
will never be found to be the same. He also commented on how identical twins can be
indistinguishable in appearance, at times even by their parents, but their fingerprints
will always be different.

FINGERPRINTING IN CANADA (1904-1920)

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19. Edward Foster (1863-1956) – Foster, Canadian constable of the Dominion Police attended
the world’s Fair to guard a display of gold. He attended Ferrier’s presentation at the
convention and intrigued by the possibilities that fingerprinting had to offer, he felt that a
bureau would be effective than an anthropometry bureau. He also felt that a national
organization in Canada, similar to the International Association of Chief’s of Police, would
encourage cooperation among Canadian police departments and be an ideal body to
promote a national interest in fingerprinting.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS

20. Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712) – Grew, English botanist, physician and micropist. In 1684 he
published a paper in the philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London
describing his observations of the “Innumerable little ridges of equal bigness on the
ends of the first joints of the fingers.” He described sweat pores, epidermal ridges,
and their various arrangements. Included in his paper was a drawing of the configurations
of the hand displaying the ridge flow on the fingers and palms.

21. Govard Bidloo (1685) – Bidloo, anatomist in Amsterdam, Holland, published a book on
human anatomy illustrating friction ridges and pore structure on the underside of the
fingers. His comments were morphological in nature and he did not refer to or mentioned
the individuality of friction ridges.

22. Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694) – A professor in 1685 at the University of Bologna, Italy,
published the results of his examination of the friction skin with the newly invented
microscope. He has been credited with being the first to use a microscope in medical
studies. His paper dealt mainly with the function, form, and structure of the friction skin
as a tactile organ, and its use in the enhancement of traction for walking and grasping.

He was known as the ‘Grandfather of Dactyloscopy” according to Dr. Edmond Locard,

the “Father of Poroscopy.” He originated the terms “loops and spirals.”

23. JCA Mayer (1788) – A German doctor and anatomist whose paper on fingerprint clearly
addressed the individuality of the friction ridges.

24. Johannes (Jean) Evangelist Purkinje (1787-1869) – A professor at the University of

Breslau, Germany, published a thesis that contained his studies on the eye, fingerprints
and other skin features entitled, “Commentatio de Examine Phisiologico Organi Visus et
Systematis.” He classified nine principal configuration groups of fingerprints and assigned
each a name he was known as the “Father of Dactyloscopy.”
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25. Arthur Kollman (1883) – The first researcher to address the formation of friction ridges in
embryos and the topographical physical stressors that may have been part of their growth.
He identified the presence and locations of the valor pads of the human hand and foot.

26. H. Klaatsch (1888) – From Germany who examined the walking pads and eminences of
several pentadactylous of five fingered mammals. He was credited being the first
researcher to examine the walking surface of other mammals. He also referred to the
arrangement of the fundamental limits of the friction ridges as the reason why all ridge
formation are different.

27. David Hepburn (1895) – He is connected with the University of Edinburgh, Scotland,
published a paper on the similarity in appearance of the eminences or walking surfaces
of primates entitled, “The Papilliary Ridges on the Hands and feet of monkeys and men.”
He was the first to recognized that ridges assist gripping by creating friction and that
they had a function other increasing tactile stimulus.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – PHILIPPINE SETTING

28. Mr. Jones was the first to teach fingerprints in the Philippine Constabulary sometime in the
year 1900. The Bureau of Prisons in the year 1918, records show that the fingerprints
already existed in the “carpetas”.

29. L. Asa N. Darby, under his management during the re-occupation of the Philippines by the
American Forces, a modern and complete Fingerprint File has been established in the
Philippine Commonwealth.

30. Mr. Genoroso Reyes was the first Filipino Fingerprint Technician employed by the
Philippine Constabulary.

31. Isabela Bernales – first Filipina Fingerprint Technician.

32. Capt. Thomas Dugan of New York City Police Department and Mr. Flaviano G. Guerrero
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, gave the first examinations for
fingerprint in 1937.

Plaridel Educational Institution (PEI), now the Philippine College of Criminology (PCCr),
Manila is the first governmental recognized school to teach the science of fingerprints and other
police sciences.

LESSON 3

LEGALITY OF FINGERPRINTS
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OBJECTIVES: at the end of the lesson, the students shall be able to:

 Identify the legality of fingerprints

 Discuss the legality of fingerprints

1. People vs. Jennings [252 III. 534, 96 NE 1077 (1911)] pass upon the admissibility of
fingerprint evidence. Fingerprint evidence was admitted as a means of identification. It was
also held that persons experienced in the matter of fingerprint identification may give their
opinions as to whether the fingerprints found at the scene of the crime correspond with
those of the accused. The court’s conclusion were based on a comparison of the
photographs of such prints with the impressions made by the accused, there being no
questions as to the accuracy or authenticity of the photographs. It was stated that the weight
to be given to the testimony of experts in the fingerprint identification as a question for the
jury.

2. New Jersey State vs. Cerciello, in which fingerprint evidence was permitted to be
introduced. The defendant argued that it was an error to allow the testimony by experts
explaining the comparison of fingerprints obtained from the defendant voluntarily with those
fingerprints found upon a hatchet near the body of the deceased when the body was
discovered. The New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals held, “in principle, its admission as
legal evidence is based upon the theory that the evolution in practical affairs of fife, whereby
the progressive and scientific tenderness of the age are manifested in every other
department of human endeavor, cannot be ignored in legal procedure. But, that the law it its
effort to enforce justice by demonstrating a fact in issue, will allow evidence of those
scientific processes which are the work of educated and skillful men in their various
departments, and apply them to the demonstrations of fact, leaving the weight and effect to
be given to the effort and its results entirely to the consideration of the jury”.

3. In the case of State Vs. Conners [87 N.T.L. 419, 94 Atl.812 (1915)] it was held competent
to show by a photograph the fingerprints upon the balcony post of a house entered, without
producing that post in court, and to show by expert testimony that the fingerprints found on
the post were similar to the fingerprints of the defendant.

4. Lamble vs. State [Lamble v. State, 96 N.T.L. 231; 114 ATL. (N.J) 346 (1921)] which
involved the discovery of fingerprints on the door of an automobile, the court was of the
opinion that it was not necessary to produce the door as evidence. The court stated that a
photograph of the fingerprints noted on the door should be sufficient along with the
identification of the fingerprints by an expert to show these of the defendant. The court
referred to the previous decided case of States v. Conners.

5. Commonwealth v. Albright, [101 Pa. Sup. C.L.317 (1931)] - a fingerprint expert testified
that the fingerprint on a piece of glass, established to be from a pane in a door that had
been broken to effect entrance to the house was the same as the impression of the
defendant’s left index finger and he explained in detail the points of identity which led him to
that judgment. In the Albright case, the court stated, “it is well settled that the papillary lines
and marks on the fingers of every man, woman and child posses an individual character
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different from those of any other person and that the chances that the fingerprints of two
different persons may be identified are infinitesimally remote.

6. People v. Corral [224 cal. 2d 300 (1964)] - it is completely settled law that fingerprints are
the strongest evidence of the identity of a person”. This Doctrine was reasserted in another
California case, People v. Riser [47 cal. 2d. 566 (1956)] in which the court stated,
“fingerprint evidence is the strongest evidence of identity and is ordinarily sufficient alone to
identify the defendant”.

7. Schmerber v California [Schmerber v. California,384 us,757,767(1966)] - The

introduction into evidence of fingerprint impressions taken without consent of the defendant
was not an infringement of the constitutional privileged against self-incrimination. The high
court held that it is constitutional to obtain real or physical evidence even if the suspect is
compelled to give blood in a hospital environment, submit to fingerprinting, photographing or
measurement, write or speak for identification, appears in court, stand or walk, assume a
stance or make a particular gesture, put on cloth that fits him, or exhibit his body as
evidence when it is material. The Schmerber case points out the fact that the privilege
against self-incrimination is related primarily to “TESTIMONIAL COMPULSION”.

IN THE PHILIPPINES:

8. In the BILANGAWA v. AMADOR case, (Court of Appeals No.37320-b) a fingerprint expert

and constabulary sergeant testified and successfully defended fingerprint evidence based
on eight identical ridge points.

9. People of the Philippines vs. Medina, 59, Phil. 330 of December 23, 1933 were the first
conviction based on fingerprint and led to the judicial decision in the Philippine
jurisprudence.

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E-N-D

PRELIM EXAMINATIONS

REFERENCES: