1. Chapter 15 Cast and Impressions By the end of this chapter you will be able to:
distinguish between patient, latent, and plastic impressions
describe how to make foot, shoe, and tire impressions
use track width and wheel base information to identify vehicles
prepare dental impressions and match them with bite marks
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Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

2. Introduction
People, vehicles, and objects leave evidence of their presence at an accident or crime scene.
Patient impressions are two-dimensional.
Latent impressions are hidden to the eye.
Plastic impressions are three-dimensional.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

3. Shoe Impressions
The size of a shoeprint can tell the size of foot of the person.
The depth of a foot or shoe impression can tell something of the person’s weight.
The type of shoe can tell something of the person’s job or personality.
Databases contain the names of specific manufactures and tread patterns used to identify different types of shoes.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

4. Shoe Wear Patterns
Some factors that personalize a person’s footwear include:
Body weight.
The way a person walks.
The surface on which the person usually walks.
Debris that became embedded in the tread or unique holes and cuts in the tread.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

5. Collection of Shoe Impression Evidence
Why would the following steps be important?
Take photos as soon as possible.
Take multiple photos of the impression from at least two different orientations.
Place an identifying label and a ruler in position with the impression for the photo.
Use oblique lighting when possible.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

6. Lifting Latent Impressions
Different methods to make latent prints visible include:
Luminol will make bloody footprints visible.
Dusting the latent print reveals an impression.
Electrostatic lifting and gel lifting (impression shown above) techniques also can capture hidden impressions.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

7. Electrostatic Dusting and Lifting
Electrostatic dusting can reveal dust left with each step and create an impression.
Electrostatic charges can lift impressions from paper, carpeting, wood surfaces, linoleum, asphalt, and concrete.
Other methods to recover latent impressions include gel lifters.
These methods can provide information about the person who left the shoe print.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

8. Tire Treads and Impressions
To channel water away and provide traction, a tire’s tread is divided into ridges and grooves.
Tires can leave patent, latent, or plastic tread patterns.
Tire evidence usually indicates the type of vehicle that left the mark, may be used to link a suspect or victim to a crime scene, and can reveal the events that took place.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

9. Recording Tread Impressions
Ridges and grooves of discovered tire impressions are counted across the entire width.
Unique characteristics such as wear or pebbles embedded in the grooves are noted.
A print of a suspect’s tire impressions (through one revolution) is taken.
Comparison with impressions from the crime scene, then, can be made.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

10. Identifying a Vehicle
Identifying tread patterns may not be enough to link a suspect with a crime scene. Other things can help with this:
Front and rear track widths.
Wheelbase measurement.
Turning diameter.
Databases can be checked to find the vehicle with these specifications.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

11. Accident Reconstruction
Drivers may not recall the exact series of events before, during, and after an accident.
People, vehicles, and objects, however, can leave evidence of their actions at the scene of an accident.
Debris patterns and tire marks, for example, can be clues to speed, direction, and vehicle identification.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

12. Dental Impressions
Occasionally a perpetrator will leave behind a bite mark.
Differences in the size of teeth and jaws, position, fillings, crowns, caps, breakage, and crowding make bite marks individual evidence.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

13. Dental Patterns in Forensics
The investigation consists of recognizing, docu-menting, collecting, and analyzing evidence.
What are the two basic ways dental patterns can be used in forensic investigations?
Up to 76 points of comparison can be used when comparing a suspect’s dental patterns with bite marks left at a crime scene.
What is the common method used to reveal whether there is a match?
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15

14. Summary
Impression evidence—whether patent, latent, or plastic—will be considered class evidence unless it has individualizing features.
Debris patterns and tire marks can be clues to speed, direction, and vehicle identification.
Differences in dental patterns can connect a person to a crime scene.
Documentation (including photos early on) is extremely important in an investigation.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 15