Footwear Impression Evidence: Detection, Recovery and Examination, SECOND EDITION

by Bodziak; William J.

• ISBN13: 9780849310454
• ISBN10: 0849310458
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-09-17
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

Sherlock Holmes makes it sound easy, but retired US Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Bodziak says that until a few years ago, footprints were rarely used and then usually poorly. He describes the methods used worldwide to detect and retrieve footwear impressions at the crime scene, to photograph and enhance the impressions, and to evaluate the evidence being examined. He also explains pertinent elements of footwear manufacture. He draws from seminars and classes at the FBI Academy and those hosted by other forensic laboratories. To the first edition (no date noted) the second adds three chapters on barefoot evidence, some actual case applications, and efforts and conclusions from the O.J. Simpson criminal and civil cases.

Author Biography

William J. Bodziak retired in December 1998, after serving with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 29 years. He continues to work as a forensic consultant

Table of Contents

1 Awareness, Detection, and Treatment of Footwear Impression Evidence	1	(26)
General Information Regarding Footwear Impression Evidence	1	(6)
Formation of Footwear Impressions	7	(10)
Finding Footwear Impressions at the Scene of the Crime	17	(7)
General Treatment of Impressions	24	(3)
2 Photography of Footwear Impressions	27	(32)
General Crime Scene Photography	27	(3)
Examination Quality Photography	30	(27)
Checklist for Examination Quality Photography	57	(2)
3 Casting Three-Dimensional Footwear Impressions	59	(40)
Introduction to Casting	59	(6)
Casting Materials	65	(7)
Methods of Casting with Dental Stone	72	(9)
After the Cast is Poured	81	(3)
Casting Footwear Impressions in Snow	84	(12)
The Importance of Casting all Three-Dimensional Impressions	96	(3)
4 Treatment of Two-Dimensional Footwear Impressions	99	(36)
Lifting Two-Dimensional Footwear Impressions	99	(3)
Lifting Impressions Electrostatically	102	(14)
Gelatin and Adhesive Lifting	116	(6)
Other Lifting Materials and Choices	122	(2)
Impressions that are Difficult to Lift	124	(2)
Powdering Impressions	126	(1)
Selection of Proper Lifting Materials	126	(1)
Deformable Impressions	127	(8)
5 The Enhancement Of Footwear Impressions	135	(44)
Specialized Lighting and Forensic Photographic Methods	135	(5)
Physical Methods	140	(5)
Chemical Enhancement	145	(1)
Chemical Methods for Enhancement of Residue Impressions	145	(15)
Chemical Methods for Enhancement of Footwear Impressions in Blood	160	(14)
Sequencing of Enhancement Techniques	174	(1)
Three-Dimensional Impression Enhancement	175	(1)
Use of Computers	176	(3)
6 Footwear Sizing	179	(18)
Shoe Sizing and Shoe Sizing Systems	179	(5)
Forensic Considerations	184	(13)
7 Manufacturing Processes of Synthetic Soled Shoes	197	(82)
The Footwear Industry	197	(1)
The Molding Process	198	(12)
Molding Processes	210	(27)
The Cut Processes	237	(40)
Recognition of Manufacturing Methods	277	(1)
Some Reasons for Shoes of One Size and Design Varying	277	(2)
8 Known Shoes of Suspects and the Preparation of Known Impressions	279	(28)
Obtaining the Known Shoes, from the Suspect	279	(5)
Footwear Databases	284	(1)
Test Impressions of Known Shoes	285	(21)
Summary	306	(1)
9 Wear characteristics	307	(22)
Defining Wear Characteristics	307	(1)
Factors Influencing the Wear of Shoe Outsoles	307	(12)
Considerations of Wear Characteristics During Examination	319	(10)
10 Class and Identifying Characteristics	329	(28)
Class Characteristics	329	(6)
Identifying Characteristics	335	(12)
Characteristics Required for Positive Identification	347	(6)
Changes in Identifying Characteristics as Shoe Wear Continues	353	(4)
11 Comparison of the Questioned Impression with Known Shoes	357	(18)
Treatment of the Evidence	357	(5)
Variation and Distortion	362	(3)
Examination of the Questioned Impression	365	(7)
Results	372	(3)
12 The Footwear Impression Examiner in Court	375	(6)
What Constitutes an Expert Witness?	375	(1)
What Qualifies a Footwear Impression Examiner as an Expert?	375	(2)
Pretrial Conferences	377	(1)
Presentation of Examination Results in Court	377	(2)
Last Minute Examinations	379	(2)
13 Impressions of the Foot	381	(32)
Introduction	381	(1)
Individuality of the Feet	382	(10)
Known Standards of the Feet	392	(5)
The Examination Process	397	(11)
Case Examples	408	(5)
14 Some Case Applications	413	(18)
St. Croix Homicide Case	413	(3)
The New York Gap Homicide	416	(2)
Denver Multiple Homicide Case	418	(4)
The Naperville Case	422	(3)
A New York Serial Robbery/Homicide Case	425	(2)
A South Carolina Homicide	427	(4)
15 The Footwear Impression Evidence in the O. J. Simpson Trial	431	(28)
References	459	(16)
Glossary	475	(8)
Appendix	483	(4)
Index	487