Forensic Fact of the Day

The Henry system for the classification of fingerprints introduced in the early years of the 20th century has been used successfully for over a hundred years in virtually every county in the world. Despite this, it has one important limitation: it can be applied only when the pattern types for all ten digits are known. A single finger identification system, perhaps the most successful system, was invented by fingerprint expert Superintendent FREDERICK CHERRILL of Scotland Yard, and introduced in 1930. Perhaps anecdotal, but it is cited that Cherrill, head of Scotland Yard's Fingerprint Department from 1938 to 1953, solved more murders than any other detective of his era in his 39 years with the Yard. Apparently, he could glance at an inked pattern of ridges and whorls and tell from memory the owner of the prints.