Fingerprint Analysis

The most impactful technique used in this case was fingerprint analysis, and not just because it helped link the murderer to the crime but because it changed history.

Prior to this case finger print evidence had never been used as evidence for the judgement of a crime, thus this case set the precedent for what we today understand as fingerprint examination.

Why is it possible that we are able to pinpoint a person to a crime with their fingerprint? Well according to government organizations there have never been two fingerprints found that have the exact same features, even with identical twins. In this case the railing outside of the house had been freshly painting and was still wet. The suspect used this railing to climb into the house of the Hillers, leaving four of his fingerprints behind in the fresh paint. A photographer then took pictures of them and enlarged them so the jury could compare the patterns in the samples fingerprints with the patterns in Thomas Jennings fingerprints. The plaintiff also brought in expert whitnesses who had experience with fingerprints including two Chicago police officers who have had experience with fingerprints, an inspector from Canada, and a government investigator who had trained at Schotland Yard which happened to be the first police force to use fingerprint analysis. These four people agreed that the fingerprints belonged to jennings as they pointed out the whorls, loops, and arches (common descriptions of patterns fingerprints) were all the same.

Technique Highlighted:

Fingerprint Analysis