● Those who have died recently, in which cases the task is relatively simple.
● Those dead for a longer period, in which cases difficulty is experienced due to pronounced stiffening of the fingers, the early stages of decomposition, or both.
● Those cases in which extreme difficulty is encountered because of maceration, desiccation, or advanced decay of the skin.
These problems will be considered separately.
1. Fingerprinting the Newly Dead.
When the fingers are flexible it is often possible to secure inked fingerprint impressions of a deceased person through the regular inking process on a standard fingerprint card. Experience has proved that this task can be made easier if the deceased is laid face down and palms down on a table (fig. 388).
[Fig. 388]
In all cases where inked impressions are to be made, care should be exercised to see that the fingers are clean and dry before inking. If necessary, wash the digits with soap and water and dry thoroughly.
In the event difficulty is encountered in trying to procure fingerprints by the regular method, it may prove more convenient to cut the 10 "squares" numbered for the rolled impressions from a fingerprint card. After the finger is inked, the square is rolled around the finger without letting it slip. Extreme caution should be exercised to see that each square bears the correct fingerprint impression. After all the inked impressions are properly taken, the ten squares bearing the impressions are pasted or stapled to a standard fingerprint card in their proper positions, i.e., right thumb, right index, right middle, etc. Whenever possible the "plain" or "simultaneous" impressions should also be taken.