Enhancement of footwear impressions using photographic, physical, chemical and digital methods are discussed with a case study

1. ENHANCEMENT OF FOOTWEAR/FOOTPRINT
IMPRESSIONS
Presented by Nazla Khalid

2.  Forensic podiatry- “the application of sound and researched podiatry knowledge and experience in
forensic investigations, to show the association of an individual with a scene of crime, or to answer any
other legal question concerned with the foot or footwear that requires knowledge of the functioning
foot.”
*Footprints
*Gait Analysis (on video footage)
*Footwear
 Footprints/shoeprints can be found on countertops, chairs, or even on victims themselves, both on their
clothing or in the form of bruises.
 To make it visible, investigators may need to examine surfaces with oblique lighting with the crime
scene darkened or may need to use chemicals, such as amido black, or an electrostatic detector device.
 Footprint images obtained from crime scenes are poor in quality. So, to retrieve the original image, the
noise in the image must be reduced.
Methods of enhancement divided into 4
Photographic methods physical methods chemical methods digital methods

3. Forensic Photographic Methods
 Non destructive -a good first method of enhancement
 Involve Specialized lighting and photographic techniques - provide increased contrast and
visibility of the impressions
 Use of oblique light, high contrast, ultraviolet, infrared,and other special photographic
methods, as well as equipment, such as alternate light sources
 Higher-resolution films have been introduced that show more impression detail.it decreased
the use of casting of impressions.
PHYSICAL METHODS
1. methods of physically transferring the impression from one surface to another, such as
electrostatic lifting, gelatin lifting, adhesive lifting;
2. powdering an impression with fingerprint powders,
3. detecting physical indentations with the Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA) or an
Indentation Materializer (IM)- Vacuum Box
DIGITAL METHODS
 photographed or scanned can be digitally enhanced with compute software like Adobe
Photoshop
 Enhance impressions that have already been enhanced with other 3 methods.
 Increase contrast and brightness and can improve the visualization of the impressions.
latent footwear
impressions enhanced
with 8-
hydroxyquinoline and
illuminated by UV.

4. CHEMICAL METHODS
 Used in both bloody and non bloody impressions
 Some of the Reagents used to enhance blood impressions: leuco crystalviolet, amido 10 black,
diaminobenzidine, luminol, fuchsin acid
 Some reagents commonly used to enhance residue impressions: physical developer(PD) and
potassium thiocyanate
 Enhanced impressions and/or substrates may experience additional color changes over time. It is
recommended that the impression be photographed both before and immediately after
processing.
AMIDO BLACK
Staining can be water/ methanol based. Act on porous and non porous surfaces.
Application : by dipping the specimen(s) in a container filled with the solution, or by covering the
stained area with a paper towel(s) and using a squirt bottle filled with the solution to saturate the
stained area.
Completely cover the target area and allow to develop for a minimum of thirty (30) seconds. Three
(3) to five (5) minutes are preferred for maximum enhancement. The specimen(s) should be rinsed
with tap water and allowed to air dry.
Result : Successful staining of the impression will result in a blue-black colored impression.
Partial footwear
print enhanced
using amidoblack

5. LCV – Leucocrystal Violet
Application: by spraying the item to be enhanced with an aerosol sprayer, applying the liquid with a squeeze bottle, or
immersing the item in a container filled with the LCV solution. The color reaction should occur within 30 seconds. The
enhanced impression should be rinsed with tap water after enhancement and allowed to dry.
Result : Successful staining of the impression will result in a violet colored impression
DAB – Diaminobenzidine
Application: by dipping the specimen(s) in a container filled with the solutions or by covering the stained area with a paper
towel(s) and using a squirt bottle filled with the solutions to saturate the towel(s). Completely cover the targeted area
Remove the saturated paper towel(s) and apply a fresh one at each step in the procedure
Immerse or saturate the stained area in Fixative (Solution A) for approximately 4 minutes. Remove and rinse well with
distilled water. Immerse or saturate the stained area in the Working Solution and allow the color to develop for approximately
3 to 5 minutes or as long as the impression continues to darken. Remove and rinse in distilled water. Allow to air dry.
Result: Successful staining of the impression will result in a dark brown colored impression.
Acid Fuchsin (Hungarian Red)
Application: by dipping the specimen in a container filled with the solution or by using a squirt bottle filled with the solution to
saturate the stained area. Completely cover the target area and allow to develop for approximately one minute. The specimen(s)
should be rinsed with tap water and allowed to air dry
Result: Successful staining of the impression will result in a deep magenta colored impression.

6. Luminol
this reagent is best used only on multi-colored or dark surfaces where other reagents will not
produce an impression with sufficient contrast.
Application: spraying to locate footwear impressions should be done with a very fine mist and
as lightly as possible and should be discontinued as soon as the impressions are first detected.
It must be applied in total darkness. This chemical does not have a fixative in it and the blood
may run with continuous spraying.
Reaction: A positive reaction will produce a blue white chemiluminescence which appears
almost immediately and fades rapidly. Special photographic procedures using black and white
film with long exposure times must be used to record the reaction at the instant that it
luminesces.
Luminol enhanced
footwear impression
METHODS TO DEVELOP RESIDUAL IMPRESSIONS
POTASSIUM THIOCYANATE
• commonly used to enhance muddy footwear impressions on
• Improve contrast where any impressions containing ferric iron (Fe3+) produce a reddish brown colour
soil/mud/residue impressions. This process works for wet residue and muddy impressions on all surfaces.

7. PHYSICAL DEVELOPERS:
Aqueous , silver-based reagent that is used to develop prints on porous (mostly paper) and semi-porous items.
Preferred when paper item has been wet or a long time in a high humidity environment.
Process involves an oxidation–reduction couple whereby a solution of an iron salt reduces aqueous silver nitrate to finely divide
metallic silver.
Time consuming, expensive, destructive, short self life – used as final processing technique
Due to the reversible nature of this reaction, the chances are that iron(III) ions may re-oxidize metallic silver to silver(I) ions. T
overcome this problem, citric acid is added to the fingerprint composition.
Reaction: black coloured impression is formed, following development treated with sodium hypochlorite as a result of which
lightens the background color of the surface in question, increasing the contrast.

8. CASE STUDY -DEATH OF ROBERT J. KASUN (2013)
 ROBERT.J.KASUN was found dead in a room at the Mount Morris Hotel, N3745 State
Road 152, in the town of Mount Morris on March 6, 2013.
 According to court documents, Kasun died from blunt force trauma that included a
fractured skull, 10 broken rib bones and a severed aorta, which resulted in internal
bleeding and Kasun's death. The forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy
determined Kasun's death was consistent with a stomping or kneeing force to his upper
body and head.
 Residents of the hotel had reported hearing loud voices and arguing coming from
Kasun's room on March 5. Petersen, who lived in the room next door to Kasun, told
authorities he had been drinking beer with Kasun in Kasun's room that day, but he left at
3:30 p.m. when he received a phone call.
 During the investigation, authorities found blood in Kasun's room on the kitchen floor,
in the living area and on the furnishings. They also found bloody footprints. Investigators
also found bloody footprints in Petersen's room.
 Crown Point podiatrist Dr. Michael Nirenberg was consulted to assist in analysis of foot
print. Evidence included luminescent photos of bloody footprints found in Kasun's room.
It was enhanced using luminol.

9.  He compared these enhanced footprints to sock-clad footprints created by the suspect,
Travis Petersen, while walking and standing and provided expert testimony in court
linking one of the bloody footprints from the motel room to Petersen’s footprint.
 To compare the prints, Nirenberg looks for similarities and differences in the shape of
the print, the position of the toes and the shape of the heals and arches. He said he also
looked at linear measurements to compare the footprints.
 Nirenberg said he prepared a presentation to explain to the jury how he compared a
footprint left at the crime scene with footprints taken by He examined the measurements
of the footprints, paying close attention to the shape of the toes. Nirenberg said the
footprints showed the second and third toe had a dark ridge pattern, which was out of
the norm for typical toe prints. Thus, photographs showed the footprints in Kasun's
room were consistent with those found in Petersen's room.
 Further investigation determined the blood in Petersen's room belonged to Kasun and
he beat Kausun to death.
 Waushara County jury found Travis Petersen, 44, guilty of first-degree intentional
homicide in connection to the death of Robert J. Kasun, 50. He was immediately
sentenced to life in prison without parole.

10. References:
1. https://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/guide-for-the-chemical-enhancement-of-bloody-footwear-and-tire-impression-evidence.html
2. Stuart H. James & Jon J. Nordby - Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques, Chapter 16: Forensic Footwear
Evidence -William J. Bodziak (pg no 297-310)
3. https://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/guide-for-the-chemical-enhancement-of-bloody-footwear-and-tire-impression-evidence.html
4. Sungwook Hong, Yeounjeung Kim, Jihye Park and Hoseon Lee - Development of dry-origin latent footwear impression on non-porous and semi-
porous surfaces using a 5-methylthioninhydrin and L-alanine complex, (2017), Analytical Science & Technology, VOL 30,
5. Max M. Houck & Jay A. Siegel- Fundamentals of Forensic Science, edition 2, chapter 22 (page no 560-562)
6. https://www.bvda.com/en/physical-developer
7. Physical developer method for detection of latent fingerprints: A review
8. G.S.Sodhi &JasjeetKaur - Physical developer method for detection of latent fingerprints: A review (2015), Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences,
Volume 6, Issue 2, June 2016, Pages 44-47
9. Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory- Footwaer Manual
10. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/local-doctor-helps-net-wisconsin-murder-conviction/article_36dffda2-92c1-5b2b-9f99-
4c07175f7c1e.html#tracking-source=article-related-bottom
11. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/crown-point-doctor-using-expertise-to-help-solve-crimes/article_1dad885a-e958-5054-9b8a-
fc91f93c97b2.html
12. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/local-doctor-helps-net-wisconsin-murder-conviction/article_36dffda2-92c1-5b2b-9f99-
4c07175f7c1e.html#tracking-source=article-related-bottom
13. https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/local/2015/01/13/life-sentence-waushara-county-homicide/21714779/
14. https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/gait-footprints-and-footwear-how-forensic-podiatry-can-identify-criminals/#2