Fingerprints still critical evidence against criminals

DELAND -- The burglars were careful not to leave fingerprints on the door handles, steering wheel and gear shift of the sport utility vehicle stolen from the garage of an Ormond Beach home.

But the driver's love for rap music and lime soda provided clues, Volusia County sheriff's investigator Richard Fortin said..

Fortin, a crime scene technician, dusted the recently recovered SUV at a Holly Hill impound lot. The black-powdered brush whirled and twirled in Fortin's hand, making smudges appear that had been invisible to the naked eye.

"The CD envelope and the 16-ounce drink bottle had absolutely excellent prints," Fortin said. "It will be just a matter of time before we can match it."

In an age where DNA technology seems to get all the glory as the latest crime-fighting tool, investigators and attorneys agree fingerprinting remains the "old reliable" for crime scene detection.

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