Fingerprinting the deceased: traditional and new techniques

Abstract

Identification of the deceased is an important task in medicolegal investigations. Fingerprints rank as the most widely used identification method, although obtaining the prints from the cadaver is not always easily accomplished. Various techniques for fingerprinting decomposed, mummified and burn victims have been suggested in the literature. In the present review, the diverse fingerprinting procedures implemented for cadavers in various conditions, with an emphasis on mummified fingers, are presented.