 |
| Lucille Johnson |
 |
| John Sansing |
The Deltas, Ridges, Dots, and Bifurcations enabled investigators to pinpoint specific parts of the fingerprint. Knowing that each fingerprint is specific to an individual, Sansing easily pleaded guilty to the charges against him. The case was closed and even though the family of Mrs. Johnson may never be the same, fingerprinting and DNA analysis enabled her family to have closure on the murderer of the family.
In this case presented, Latent Prints are taken. Latent prints are fingerprints collected from the scene of the crime that cannot be seen directly from the human eye. The prints removed from the Lego pieces are taken from a taping method which is common for all types of prints. The examination process isn't necessarily the longest part but one of the most crucial. If a wrong match is made, it is basically guaranteed that whoever made the call will be fired and most likely will never be hired anywhere again due to lack of credibility. Forensics is a very difficult and risky field to get into, a lot of research and preparation is needed to keep your job. That is why the longest part of the process of fingerprinting would be the research behind the sample taken and the readiness of being prepared for a court case.
In today's society it is almost impossible for a case to go unsolved due to the expanded technological advances. Most crime shows today may cause someone to believe that whatever they see is actually how things are in real life. From a scientist's point of view I can tell you that is wrong, especially in fingerprinting. The image of the fingerprint itself, doesn't put a criminal away. What puts the criminal away are the small characteristics found within a strong microscope. Fingerprints can almost be taken from any object imaginable. For example, if an intruder breaks into the house and accidentally touches a bar of soap, and investigator can remove the prints using a lifting method after placing a tape-like object on the soap. The impressions made can be taken out and brought in for investigation. This is known as 3D/Plastic Printing.
Curry, C. Lego Fingerprints Helped Solve Cold Case Murder. Retrieved November 15, 2014. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/lego-fingerprints-helped-solve-cold-case-murder-authorities/story?id=25178331>.
http://www.waunakeepubliclibrary.org/sites/www.waunakeepubliclibrary.org/files/images/events/Picture2.png
http://localtvkstu.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/john-sansing-ariz-dept-of-corrections.jpg
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/HT_cold_case_2_sk_140829_4x3t_384.jpg
Great job finding an article where the fingerprint was really the key to prosecution and the closure needed for the Johnson family. I don't know much about fingerprinting or how exactly crime is solved because like you mentioned I watch a lot of crime tv like CSI and NCIS but I do have a question. In this case there were fingerprints already found on the legos in 1991. Why did this case become a cold case if they already had fingerprints and could associate the fingerprints to the killer? Are fingerprints only used after there is reason to find someone suspect or can they be used to find a match?
ReplyDeleteJen I don't know if this is right and let Vijay correct me if I am wrong, but I think the reason the case was closed was because they lacked DNA testing sites and technology to actually test the fingerprints. The blog notes this technology was not widely available until the 2000s.
DeleteThanks Randy, that makes a lot more sense!
DeleteVijay, I will start by saying that guy looks like a scumbag. I love seeing people like this brought to justice. As Jennifer said, it is great to see the Johnson family getting closure for the death of one of their loved ones. Cool to see things like this applied and solving big cases like this. I like how you point out the flaws in some commonly seen TV shows. Many people think these are realistic, but they are highly dramatized. That is sad he used his child to gain access. I am curious on the motive of the crime though? Did they say why he did it?
ReplyDeleteHi Vijay,
ReplyDeleteAs have Jen said, its great that you found an article where DNA and fingerprinting were the main reason's the case was solved. I love watching shows, like Cold Case for example, where justice is brought to a case that was closed years ago. This made your blog post much more enjoyable to read. You also added great pictures that helped support your article and post. The part of the post where you added how fingerprinting alone can not solve a case entirely was very informative. The idea of 3D printing was also interesting to read, I wasn't sure how far technology had gotten from the dusting and imprinting of fingerprints seen in movies and books.
Vijay,
ReplyDeleteGreat topic to choose to relate to your topic. I was intrigued by your post from beginning to end. Not only did you provide a great story relating to the murder of Mrs. Johnson, but you also gave insight on the process of analyzing fingerprints and how it is for someone in forensics. You've definitely piqued my interest and I might even go on my own to research about fingerprints. I might even go watch some TV shows on crimes now.
Hey Vijay,
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed that it took almost 25 years to catch that criminal but regardless I'm glad he was caught and brought to justice. Especially for the family.
I really like how you presented your current event. It was interesting, eye catching and I really couldn't stop reading. The pictures really helped because when I read about the poor woman Lucille Johnson the first question that came to my head was "I wonder what she looked like?" I think that I speak for all readers when I say that the pictures help a lot when someone is reading any story. Also, I like how you explained how the criminal was brought to justice. I learned a few things from your blog post (again), specifically what latent prints were and what the process was to find a fingerprint match. That sure is a crucial process.
I really enjoy watching investigation television, such as ID, and when cold cases are solved I think its a true testament to hard work and the pursuit to use new technology, or incorporate technology to help solve cases. The fingerprints on the legos, leading to the conclusion that the child was used to gain entry is very chilling, but also shows that the killer was very disturbed to use his son. On the fingerprint and DNA analysis aspect, I think its amazing how forensics has become so important in solving criminal cases. The defensive attacks by Johnson, scratching in an attempt to save her life, gathered enough DNA from the attackers skin, and was preserved long enough to be source of conviction. This is just an amazing tool.
ReplyDeleteVijay,
ReplyDeleteI liked your post and it was filled with informative information from beginning to end. I really liked the fact you went out and researched an example of a prosecution where DNA along with fingerprinting helped to categorize information. This technology will continue to shape and improve the many flaws we have in our justice system. I feel like many people in today’s society don’t know exactly how prosecutions work or the process that occurs when cases go to trial. However, they listen to the news or read blogs that are other person’s opinions on the internet and assume they are correct. Many controversial cases over the last two years can be used as examples with the Casey Anthony trial, George Zimmerman, and even recently with Mike Brown. Great blog man.
I think this is absolutely amazing and incredible that we have the technology to be able to do this. It gives families of cold cases solace that the perpetrators have been brought to justice, as I'm sure it did with Lucille's family. This kind of technology has come such a long way, and I'm sure it will progress even further to improve convictions from crime scenes.
ReplyDeleteI did find it unfortunate when you said if someone wrongly identifies a fingerprint, that person would ultimately be fired. I think that is unfair - it's not like the person has to visually make the match, doesn't a computer program do that for you? Anyway, overall, great information and awesome topic!
What an interesting article Vijay! I love how you were able to connect your original post about fingerprints to an actual cold case that was able to be solved with modern technology. I’ve always been hooked on crime mysteries and this really had me interested. Also, the pictures presented helped by giving an idea of the incident, rather than just plain text. Your field of fingerprinting has given us a better chance of true justice and almost makes those crime tv dramas seem like a reality. Your blog topic is definitely a very interesting topic, keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing article. I really like the images that you used. It made me think how can all of them be related. I can believe how technology has improve and as you say it is almost impossible that we can not find out what happen on a crime scene. I got a huge surprise when you mentioned that if someone wrongly identified a fingerprint, that person will be fired right away. I do not think that is fair because we are human beings and we all made mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for technology! It is comforting to know that if something horrible were to happen that the likelihood the case will be solved is high. I hope this information deters potential criminals. Your article is well written and the images work well. The data is presented clearly and understandable. I am a big Law and Order fan. I am hoping a little bit of what they do on the show is true!
ReplyDeleteTOTO® Titanium Flash Mica - Trivous
ReplyDeleteTOTO® Titanium Flash titanium uses Mica features an where can i buy titanium trim intricate structure that will ensure your exact balance and durability. Made titanium trim reviews for high quality steel, gold titanium the TOTO® Titanium flash $39.99 · In stock titanium dab nail