ED
Ectodermal dysplasia.
EFPWG
European Fingerprint Working Group.
ELMA
Enhance Latent Matching Algorithm for the NEC AFIS system.
ENFSI
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes.
ESSO
An AFIS term meaning Enhanced Sending Search to Other, referring to searching another AFIS
system from your system.
Eccrine Gland
Any of the numerous small sweat glands distributed over the body’s surface that produce a clear
aqueous secretion devoid of cytoplasmic constituents and important in regulating body
temperature
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=eccrine%20gland 02-27-03
Sweat glands that open on all surfaces of the skin.
SWGFAST, Glossary – Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Eccrine Sweat
The secretion of the eccrine gland. Composed of 99% water, amino acids, sodium chloride and
trace amounts of other organic and inorganic elements.
Ectoderm
The outermost of the three primary germ layers of an embryo, from which the epidermis, nervous
tissue, and, in vertebrates, sense organs develop.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ectoderm
Ectodermal Dysplasia (ED)
Ectodermal dysplasia is a large group of inherited disorders characterised by a primary defect in
hair, teeth, nails or sweat gland function, in addition to another abnormality in a tissue of
ectodermal origin, e.g. ears, eyes, lips, mucous membranes of the mouth or nose, central
nervous system.
The ectoderm is the outermost layer of cells in embryonic development and contributes to the
formation of many parts of the body including all those described above. Ectodermal dysplasia
occurs when the ectoderm of certain areas fails to develop normally. All ectodermal dysplasias
are present from birth and are non-progressive.
http://www.dermnetnz.org/hair-nails-sweat/ectodermal-dysplasia.html 01-28-2007
Ectrodactyly
Congenital absence of all or part of a digit(s).
SWGFAST, Glossary – Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
Edgeoscopy
Edgeoscopy was established by Sri Salil Kumar Chatterjee of India in 1962.
1. Study of the morphological characteristics of friction ridges.
2. Contour or shape of the edges of friction ridges.
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
Elasticity
The ability of skin to recover from stretching, compression, or distortion.
SWGFAST, Glossary – Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
Elimination Prints
Exemplar prints of those known to have legitimate access to an item or location.
Embryology
A branch of biology that deals with the formation and development of embryos.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Eminence
A prominence, projection, or elevation.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Empirical
Relying on or derived from observation or experiment: empirical results that supported the
hypothesis. Verifiable or provable by means of observation or experiment: empirical laws
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=empirical 02-27-03
Relating to or based upon direct experience or observation.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Empirical Probability
Estimating the probability based on long run observations.
See Classical Probability and Subjective Probability.
Enclosure
A single friction ridge that bifurcates and rejoins after a short course and continues as a single
friction ridge.
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
Ending Ridge
A single friction ridge that terminates within the friction ridge structure.
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
Epidermal Ridges
1. Ridges on the skin, aka friction ridges.
2. Ridges on the bottom of the epidermis corresponding to the surface friction ridges and surface
furrows. They are the root system of the surface ridges and furrows. The epidermal ridges that
correspond to the friction ridges are referred to as primary ridges and the epidermal ridges that
correspond to the surface furrows are referred to as secondary ridges.
3. Epidermal ridges are sometimes referred to as papillary ridges.
Epidermis
The outer layer of the skin.
SWGFAST, Glossary – Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
Cuticle or outer layer of the skin.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
The outer layer of skin. Consisting of up to five layers: Stratum Corneum, Stratum Lucidum,
Stratum Granulosum, Stratum Spinosum and Stratum Basale (aka Stratum Mucosum, Stratum
Malpighi, or Stratum germinatavum). The epidermis is formed from the ectoderm in an embryo.
Epithelial Cells
The millions of cells that line and protect the external and internal surfaces of the body. Epithelial
cells form epithelial tissues such as skin and mucous membranes.
American Dietetic Association, Interactive Glossary. Copyright 2003 Jones and Bartlett
Publishers.
http://nutrition.jbpub.com/discovering/interactive_glossary_showterm.cfm?term=Epithelial%20cell
s 02-27-03
All epithelial tissues have the same properties, no blood vessels, frequent cell division, cells are
close to each other, and there are cells with nuclei and a basement layer linking it to connective
tissue.
Epithelial Tissue
Four kinds of tissue. Simple, stratified, pseudostratified, and transitional. Skin on the fingers is
considered stratified epithelium.
Erroneous Exclusion
In logic, an erroneous exclusion is an exclusion without valid justification to support the
conclusion.
The incorrect determination that two areas of friction ridge impressions did not originate from the
same source.
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
Erroneous Exclusions No-Values, and Inconclusives, known cases of:
James Earl Nolley (suspect) – May 17, 2016
James Earl Nolley served 18 years in prison for homicide. The original fingerprint
conclusion could not identify or exclude Nolley as leaving a bloody print at the scene. In
2016, an expert excluded Nolley and the victim from leaving the fingerprint impression
indicating that another person was at the scene. Nolley was released from the Texas
prison.
Michael Seri (suspect) – Dec. 2015
Michael Seri served 6 months in jail and had to register as a sex offender after being
convicted of a 2001 public indecency charge in a library. The original fingerprint
conclusion could not identify or exclude (could not rule out) Seri as leaving fingerprints
where the victim said the man was standing. Later, the fingerprints were identified to a
known sex offender. In Dec. 2015, Seri was compensated by the state of Connecticut.
George Allen (suspect) – Nov. 3, 2012
“Almost 30 years after George Allen was sentenced to 95 years in prison for the rapemurder of a woman in her St. Louis home, a judge has reversed the convictions, saying
police withheld critical evidence favoring his innocence.”
“… the judge relied upon several factors:
-Test results showed that semen found on Bell’s robe could not have belonged to Allen,
nor her live-in boyfriend, nor her estranged husband.
-Internal police memos indicated that detectives knew of those results, used them to
exclude other suspects, but persisted in pursuit of Allen and got him to confess.
-A police fingerprint technician erroneously testified that seven key fingerprints “were of
no value.”
-A drawing of the crime scene Allen made for police did not accurately depict the layout
of Bell’s apartment.
-A key witness, whose testimony helped corroborate Allen’s confession, had been
hypnotized prior to making her statements.”
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/judge-overturns-conviction-in-stlouis-rape-murder/article_e7494fad-4b5d-5877-b8ac-312bfff81aad.html 3-5-2013
Willie Grimes (suspect) – Oct. 2012
Willie Grimes served 24 years in prison for a North Carolina rape and kidnapping. Grimes
was convicted based on hair analysis evidence. In 2003, a fingerprint left at the scene
was identified to identified to a known sex offender, Albert Turner. In Oct. 2012, Grimes
was exonerated and released from prison.
Mark Miller (suspect) – 2009
Mark Miller was suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend Helen Bianks on Oct. 31, 2001
in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. His fingerprint had been identified on a gun thought to
be the murder weapon. Two retired FBI fingerprint experts, Ivan Futrell and George
Wynn, determined that the fingerprints did not match Mr. Miller. In Oct. 2007, Miller pled
guilty to third degree murder. In June 2009, the International Association of Identification
announced the suspension of certification of the retired FBI examiners for one year, due
to a Technical Error. The suspension is being appealed.
Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State – Feb. 2007
In Feb. 2007, LPE M. Frantzen compared a patent print left in blood at a homicide scene.
After comparing the latent print to the suspect and the victim, Ms. Frantzen reported
her conclusion as negative. The prosecutor in the case made an inquiry with Ms.
Frantzen’s supervisor, Ken Christensen, on whether this meant a third person had made
the impression. Mr. Christensen reviewed the case and made a tentative identification to
the suspect but requested clearer exemplars to make a final conclusion. A latent print
examiner from Washington State Patrol verified Mr. Christensen’s conclusions and
testified to this identification at a subsequent trial. This information was received through
a public disclosure request.
Sutherland (suspect) – 2006
On May 26, 2006 “The Scotsman” reported an erroneous identification by the Glasgow
Bureau of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO). A palm print from a burglary was
determined to be erroneous by Allan Bayle and confirmed by John MacLeod and Gary
Dempster. Gary Dempster reversed his opinion almost immediately after a more in-depth
investigation. The accused was cleared when the prosecution accepted his not guilty
plea. The “BBC News” reported the case had been dropped because of reasons other
than fingerprint evidence and indicated the original identification was done in February of 2006.
“The Scotsman” reported the SCRO stands by its identification.
In June 2006, it was determined that the SCRO identification was correct. Allan Bayle
agreed his conclusion was wrong (considered to be an erroneous exclusion). As of July
2007 this case is still being investigated and all of the facts of this case may not be
known. The name of the suspect, Sutherland, was published in Strabismus 2007.
Jeremy Bryan Jones (suspect)
Jeremy Bryan Jones was using the name John Paul Chapman. Between October 2003
and June 2004, Jones was arrested 3 times and his fingerprints were sent to the FBI lab
in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The FBI’s computer failed to match his prints to his real
name.
“Had a match been made, authorities would have known Chapman was Jones and he
was wanted in Oklahoma for jumping bail in 2000, where he was charged with two counts
of rape and two counts of sodomy.”
http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/jeremyjones.htm 05-26-2006
Elmer Lee Smith (fingerprint expert)
In February 1994 Elmer Lee Smith, a past president of SCAFO, had his life membership
of SCAFO revoked after it was found that he had testified to erroneous exclusions in four
separate cases.
http://www.scafo.org/library/100304.html
John Orr (suspect)
In the 1980’s a series of arsons swept California. In 1987, another arson took place near
an arson investigators conference. A latent print was found but was not identified. In
1989 another arson occurred near another arson investigators conference. The
Department of Justice compared the latent print against 10 people who attended both
conferences and found the latent did not originate from any of these people. In 1991,
another fingerprint expert enlarged the print and ran it through an AFIS computer. AFIS
produced a possible candidate who had attended both conferences and was one of the
previous people the latent was compared to. The latent print was subsequently identified
to renowned Fire Captain John Orr. Orr pled guilty to 20 arsons and was also convicted
of murder for the 4 people who died in the fires.
Robert Wesley Cowan – 1984
In Nov. 1984, two latent prints from the homicide scene of Clifford and Alma Merck were
erroneously excluded as being deposited by Robert Wesley Cowan, by a Kern County,
California examiner. The prints were re-examined and correctly identified in 1994 by
Examiner Sharon Pierce. The identifications were verified by her supervisor Thomas
Jones and CalDOJ Supervisor Martin Collins, leading to the arrest and conviction of
Cowan.
Dr. Vassilis C. Morfopoulos (defense expert)
In 1968, Dr. Morfopoulos testified for the defense in People v. Kent. He testified that
even though the prints had 12 (some articles say 14) similarities in common, the two
prints did not match. Due to this testimony, Richard Stanley Kent was found not guilty of
murder. In 1970, the IAI and the FBI refuted Dr. Morfopoulos’s claims.
Erroneous Identification
In logic, an erroneous identification is an identification without valid justification to support the
conclusion.
The incorrect determination that two areas of friction ridge impressions originated from the same
source.
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
Error
1.Inaccurate conclusion when measured against the ground truth or a stated criterion. For
pattern evidence conclusions, this type of error can only be measured in research studies or
ground truth testing.
2. Inappropriate or deficient logic or reasoning to support a conclusion. For pattern evidence
conclusions, the accuracy of a conclusion cannot be determined, only the appropriateness or
acceptability of the conclusion.
3. Inappropriate decision: an error in judgment in interpreting the weight of the data used to arrive
at a conclusion (unaccepted tolerance levels), as determined by general consensus.
Error Rate
The rate at which errors occur.
The error rate of fingerprint conclusions will vary depending on the method and QA measures
used.
Error Rate Studies
-Peterson and Markham (1995) – “Crime Laboratory Proficiency Test Results”
-Dror, Peron, Hind, and Charlton (2005) – “When emotions get the better of us: The effect of
contextual top-down processing on matching fingerprints”
-Dror, Charlton, and Peron (2006) – “Contextual information renders experts vulnerable to making
erroneous identifications”
-Wertheim, Langenburg, and Moenssens (2006) – “A Report of Latent Print Examiner Accuracy
During Comparison Training Exercises”
-Black Box Study (2011) – “Accuracy and reliability of forensic latent fingerprint decisions”
Errors: go to ‘Errors: ID’s’ icon
Also see Erroneous Exclusions
Also see Fabricated Latent Prints
Errors (causes of)
Errors in conclusions are caused by misinterpretation of data or caused by using an insufficient
amount of data to arrive at a conclusion. Errors have not been attributed to duplicated
configurations of fingerprint characteristics between two portions of friction skin.
See Accuracy (factors of)
Errors (types of)
a) Erroneous Individualization, aka a false positive or type 1 error.
b) False negative, aka false exclusion or a type 2 error.
c) Erroneous Verification.
d) Clerical Errors.
e) Missed Individualization.
Etched Print
The result of a chemical reaction between fingerprint residue and a substrate. The acids in
fingerprint residue deteriorate the substrate that was touched leaving an impression of friction
ridge detail. This usually occurs with metals and leathers.
Ethanol
Solvent used in preparation of reagents, dye stains and rinses (ethyl alcohol).
SWGFAST, Glossary – Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
Ethyl Acetate
Solvent used in the preparation of reagents and dye stains.
SWGFAST, Glossary – Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes.
Informally started in March of 1993 and formally founded in Oct. 1995, the ENFSI is the European
equivalent of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD).
Evaluation
The third step of the ACE-V method wherein an examiner assesses the value of the details
observed during the analysis and the comparison steps and reaches a conclusion.
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
The process of examining a system or system component to determine the extent to which
specified properties are present.
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2004 Denis Howe
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=evaluation 01-05-2005
Evans, Edward A.
Son of Captain Michael Evans. One of Ferrier’s nine fingerprint students taught in 1904 during
the World’s Fair. Superintendent of the National Bureau of Identification.
Evans, Captain Emmett A. (?-Dec. 23, 1953)
Son of Captain Michael Evans. One of Ferrier’s nine fingerprint students taught in 1904 during
the World’s Fair. Chief Identification Inspector for the Chicago Police Department.
Evans, Captain Michael P. (?-Oct. 7, 1931)
Implemented the Bertillon system in 1888 at the Chicago Police Department and implemented the
fingerprint system in 1905 while he was the Chief of the Identity Bureau. Testified in “People vs.
Jennings”.
Evans, William M.
Son of Captain Michael Evans. Testified in “People vs. Jennings”. Head of the Chicago Police
Department Bureau of Identification.
Evans, Captain William K.
In 1916, as a retired Captain of the U.S. Army Intelligence Service, Capt. Evans along with T.G.
Cooke founded the first home study course in fingerprint identification. Located in Chicago,
Illinois and originally named “Evans University”, the name was changed one year later to the
“University of Applied Science”. Around 1929 the name was again changed to the “Institute of
Applied Science”. Evans connection with the school only lasted one year. In 1917, Evans was
called back to active duty to serve in World War I.
Evans University
See Institute of Applied Science.
Evett – Williams Study
In 1989 (published in 1996) I. W. Evett and R.L. Williams did a review of the 16 point standard
used in England and Wales (the 16-point standard was abandoned by England and Wales in
2001). Their review included the historical aspects, statistical aspects, visits to different agencies,
and a review of practitioners comparisons (practitioners conducted 10 comparisons). By the end
of their review they determined there was no need for the 16 point standard.
While conducting their study they found that examiners had a high variation in how many points
they stated were in common while conducting comparisons. Evett and Williams concluded that
“….decision making in relation to individual points of comparison is highly subjective.”
The variation in the results may have been due to how the questions were phrased. On the
answer sheet of this study practitioners were asked to count ‘ridge characteristics in agreement’
and in another part of the study they asked for “..the number of points of similarity” (pg 16 of the
study results). There seems to be a wide variation between how practitioners view ‘points’ and
‘characteristics’. The term ‘points’ generally refers to bifurcations and ending ridges while the
term ‘characteristics’ can refer to large pores, incipient ridges, dots, scars, etc. It’s possible that
the variation between practitioners in this study was due to a lack of clarity in the directions.
Evidence-Centric
A term coined by David H. Kaye. Evidence-centric statements assess the strength of the evidence as opposed to asserting a conclusion (e.g., Identification and Exclusion are conclusions and therefore conclusion-centric). Evidence-centric statements may be numerically or non-numerically based (e.g., weak or strong).
Exact Science
Historically, this expression comes from Aristotle. He used the phrase to describe sciences that
demonstrate precise conclusions from known principles; philosophy, arithmetic, geometry,
astronomy, and harmonics. Ptolemy argued that philosophy was less precise and was not based
from known principles. In the 17th century, the meaning of this expression began to change.
Mathematics no longer appeared to be a science, but the language of or an assistant to science.
Physics is now regarded as an exact science.
Exchange Principle
See Locard’s Principle of Exchange.
Exclusion
The conclusion that a person was not the source of a latent print, may be arrived at with a
physical comparison, or by logical deduction when the latent was identified to another source.
The accuracy of a deductive exclusion is dependent on the accuracy of the identification.
Three factors must apply in order to accurately exclude a person as the source of a latent print
when performing a physical comparison: know (not assume) the area of the hand the latent was
deposited from, know (not assume) the direction of the latent print, and have a clear and reliable
target group of Galton features to compare. Although an ID may stem from features that are
transient (e.g., incipient ridges, creases or scars), an exclusion cannot be based on a lack of
transient features due to the fact that transient features may only be present in some
impressions.
The determination by an examiner that there is sufficient quality and quantity of detail in
disagreement to conclude that two areas of friction ridge impressions did not originate from the
same source.
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
Exclusion to All Others
Conclusions have historically been stated to be to the exclusion of all others. A physical exclusion
to all others may not be possible however a theoretical exclusion to all others may be possible by
logical deduction.
‘Exclusion to all others’ may indicate those that were considered by using logical deduction (an
acceptable scientific method for arriving at conclusions), or may suggest an identification is
absolutely accurate. Implying an accuracy rate is misleading if there is no means of measuring
the accuracy.
Exemplar
The prints of an individual, associated with a known or claimed identity, and deliberately recorded
electronically, by ink, or by another medium (also known as known prints).
SWGFAST, Standard Terminology of Friction Ridge Examination 3-23-11 ver. 3.0
Aka Known Print or Standards.
Expert
Person with much skill who knows a great deal about some special thing; has an in-depth
understanding of a subject.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
A person with great knowledge, skill or experience in a specific subject.
Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary, Office Edition. Houghton Mifflin Publishing Co. Copyright
1984, Berkley Addition.
Explainable Differences (in friction ridge identifications)
Differences in appearance that do not interfere with the identification process. These differences
can include such things as size, thickness of ridges, distortion and level 3 characteristics being
absent in one impression. Typically these differences are a result of one of the “Latent Print
Recovery Conditions”.
Extrusion Marks
Marks that are made when casting metals or plastics. These marks can resemble friction ridge
detail by replication ridges with bifurcations and ending ridges. These marks typically appear with
a wavy motion and have no signs of pores or ridge edges. These marks have been called sprue
marks and/or false ridge detail.