Footwear Impression Evidence: Detection, Recovery and Examination

AWARENESS, DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF FOOTWEAR IMPRESSION EVIDENCE General Information Regarding Footwear Impression Evidence Formation of Footwear Impression Finding Footwear Impressions at the Scene of the Crime General Treatment of Impressions PHOTOGRAPHY OF FOOTWEAR IMPRESSIONS General Crime Scene Photography Examination Quality Photography Checklist for Examination Quality Photography CASTING THREE-DIMENSIONAL FOOTWEAR IMPRESSIONS Introduction to Casting Casting Materials Methods of Casting with Dental Stone After the Cast is Poured Casting Footwear Impressions in Snow The Importance of Casting All Three-Dimensional Impressions TREATMENT OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL FOOTWEAR IMPRESSIONS Lifting Two-Dimensional Footwear Impressions Lifting Impressions Electrostatically Gelatin and Adhesive Lifting Other Lifting Materials and Choices Impressions That are Difficult to Lift Powdering Impressions Selection of Proper Lifting Materials Deformable Impressions THE ENHANCEMENT OF FOOTWEAR IMPRESSIONS Specialized Lighting and Forensic Photographic Methods Physical Methods Chemical Enhancement Chemical Methods for Enhancement of Residue Impressions Chemical Methods for Enhancement of Footwear Impressions in Blood Sequencing of Enhancement Techniques Three-Dimensional Impression Enhancement Use of Computers FOOTWEAR SIZING Shoe Sizing and Shoe Sizing Systems Forensic Considerations MANUFACTURING PROCESSES OF SYNTHETIC SOLED SHOES The Footwear Industry The Molding Process Molding Processes The Cut Processes Recognition of Manufacturing Methods Some Reasons for Shoes of One Size and Design Varying KNOWN SHOES OF SUSPECTS AND THE PREPARATION OF KNOWN IMPRESSIONS Obtaining the Known Shoes From the Suspect Footwear Databases Test Impressions of Known Shoes Summary WEAR CHARACTERISTICS Defining Wear Characteristics Factors Influencing the Wear of Shoe Outsoles Considerations of Wear Characteristics During Examination CLASS AND IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS Class Characteristics Identifying Characteristics Characteristics Required for Positive Identification Changes in Identifying Characteristics as Shoe Wear Continues COMPARISON OF THE QUESTIONED IMPRESSION WITH KNOWN SHOES Treatment of the Evidence Variation and Distortion Examination of the Questioned Impression Results THE FOOTWEAR IMPRESSION EXAMINER IN COURT What Constitutes an Expert Witness? What Qualifies a Footwear Impression Examiner as an Expert? PreTrial Conferences Presentation of Examination Results in Court Last Minute Examinations IMPRESSIONS OF THE FOOT Introduction Individuality of the Feet Known Standards of the Feet The Examination Process Case Examples SOME CASE APPLICATIONS St. Croix Homicide Case The New York Gap Homicide Denver Multiple Homicide Case The Naperville Case A New York Serial Robbery/Homicide Case A South Carolina Homicide THE FOOTWEAR IMPRESSION EVIDENCE IN THE O. J. SIMPSON TRIAL References Glossary Appendix Index