When a body which has been severely burned is located, the problems of identification should be anticipated. Accordingly, before the body is removed, a careful examination of the fingers should be made in order to determine if the removal would, in any way, cause damage to the fingers. Should it be felt that because of the condition of the body removal would cause injury to the ridge detail, securing of fingerprints at the scene, or possibly the cutting off of the hands or fingers to avoid destruction of the skin, should be considered. An examination of the fingers may disclose that the outer skin is hardened and is partially loosened from the flesh. It is sometimes possible, by twisting back and forth, to remove this outer skin intact. If this is done, the operator may place the skin on his own finger, ink and print in the usual way.
If the skin is intact on the finger and is not wrinkled, of course there is no problem and the usual method is employed to secure impressions.
Should wrinkles be present and the skin pliable, tissue builder is injected into the bulbs, which are then inked and printed.
In the event the wrinkles cannot be removed in this fashion, the pattern area is cut off and the excess flesh scraped out as before. While the scraping and cutting are being accomplished, the skin should be soaked and massaged in xylene to soften. The skin is then placed on the operator's finger, inked and printed. Should prints made in this manner be unsatisfactory, the next recourse is photography.
In some instances the fingers of burned bodies will be charred. Such cases require very careful handling as there is a probability of destroying or disturbing the ridge detail through mistreatment. In these instances the procedure is determined by the degree of charring. In extreme cases the only method of recording is by photographing, using side lighting to secure the proper contrast of ridges and depressions. Obviously, no attempt should be made to ink and roll as the pressure necessary to secure the prints would cause the skin to crumble.
In instances where the charring has not reached the extreme stage the procedures previously set forth should be applied; that is, treatment of the skin by cleaning, softening, inking and printing, or, finally, by photographing (fig. 400).
[Fig. 400]
Water-soaked fingers
The third and final type of case which may confront the identification officer concerns the problem of maceration, that is, long immersion of the fingers in water.