Fingerprints

[Holly Goodhead]

There is no point in trying to find out as it matters not a jot.

Portugal definitely did not have a fingerprint database that routinely included the fingerprints of police officers.  The officers on the case had to have their fingerprints taken before those samples could be compared against the fingerprint on the patio door, as proved by Irene Trovão's statement.

Quite why this thread is hacking over this point when the facts are crystal clear is beyond me.

What is clear to one is not always crystal clear to others.

Are you referring to Irene Trovao's written communication where her printed name and signature are a completely different shade of ink to the body of text?

[Holly Goodhead]

What is clear to one is not always crystal clear to others.

Are you referring to Irene Trovao's written communication where her printed name and signature are a completely different shade of ink to the body of text?

Attached.

[The General]

Does anyone know why so few fingerprints, useful or not, were harvested? Were there hundreds, but then whittled down by process of elimination to a few salient ones?
Surely there would be dozens all over the gaff from numerous people? Or was that part of the method, only concentrating on the likely surfaces our 'abductor' would touch?
What was the deal with the fingerprints?

[please insert random 'it was Amaral's fault' below']

[Holly Goodhead]

Does anyone know why so few fingerprints, useful or not, were harvested? Were there hundreds, but then whittled down by process of elimination to a few salient ones?
Surely there would be dozens all over the gaff from numerous people? Or was that part of the method, only concentrating on the likely surfaces our 'abductor' would touch?
What was the deal with the fingerprints?

[please insert random 'it was Amaral's fault' below']

I know from research on the Bamber case and contact with forensic scientists that fingerprints are difficult to recover from many surfaces eg chemical coatings, textured and uneven surfaces.  As you might know fingerprints are made up of body fluids and these also vary from person to person in terms of amount produced.  Also the skin on the fingertip plays a part too.  So its not a case of everything touched will leave an indelible print. 

I guess investigators examined the areas any abductor must have had some contact with ie doors, window, shutter. 

I haven't read about any sweepings taken from the floors. 

[The General]

I know from research on the Bamber case and contact with forensic scientists that fingerprints are difficult to recover from many surfaces eg chemical coatings, textured and uneven surfaces.  As you might know fingerprints are made up of body fluids and these also vary from person to person in terms of amount produced.  Also the skin on the fingertip plays a part too.  So its not a case of everything touched will leave an indelible print. 

I guess investigators examined the areas any abductor must have had some contact with ie doors, window, shutter. 

I haven't read about any sweepings taken from the floors.

Is there a definitive instead of a guess? (not being rude or owt). Who requested SOCO and when and what was the remit? To have a single, partial print from an entire holiday apartment seems......not right.

[Holly Goodhead]

Is there a definitive instead of a guess? (not being rude or owt). Who requested SOCO and when and what was the remit? To have a single, partial print from an entire holiday apartment seems......not right.

Afaik all that's available re fingerprints is within the file posted in the OP. 

The fingerprint attributed to the GNR officer was a complete print afaik not a partial?  KM's fingerprints were found on the shutter. 

The fingerprint technician recovered some prints during the night 3rd/4th May and then returned during daylight hours to recover others. 

https://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/FINGERPRINTS.htm

[Holly Goodhead]

The sun, weathering in general, may have damaged some of the fingerprints on the outside of doors. 

[Robittybob1]

Do you read the posts on this forum... It's been discussed many many times and is an established fact.  If you wish to remove a post containing a very important fact please remove hollys claim that it does to. Sil has posted the details many times... As has gunit

I understood it as that Portugal didn't have a DNA database.

[jassi]

The sun, weathering in general, may have damaged some of the fingerprints on the outside of doors.

Somehow that smacks of desperation to prove whatever it is that you r point is - IMO

[Holly Goodhead]

Somehow that smacks of desperation to prove whatever it is that you r point is - IMO

It might smack of desperation to those who haven't researched the matter but I can assure you its true. 

https://www.forensicmag.com/article/2014/11/fingerprinting-adverse-conditions

[G-Unit]

The sun, weathering in general, may have damaged some of the fingerprints on the outside of doors.

Including those made a couple of hours earlier?

[Holly Goodhead]

Including those made a couple of hours earlier?

Why not?

[The General]

Why not?

So what about the intervening hours; from the first alert to the prints being taken? Looooaaadds of randoms knocking about, making butties, looking for tennis bags, hiding medication, etc.

[Holly Goodhead]

So what about the intervening hours; from the first alert to the prints being taken? Looooaaadds of randoms knocking about, making butties, looking for tennis bags, hiding medication, etc.

The first prints were collected during the night of 3rd May/early morning 4th May.  This was limited to the inside of MM's bedroom window due to light conditions.

Further prints were then collected 4th May circa 11am:

- 8 inadequate from outside of one patio door
- 1 inadequate from outside other patio door
- 1 adequate from side of patio door
- 3 inadequate from outside external blinds

So it seems to me those that were preserved were somewhat protected from the elements ie they were all internal as opposed to external.

It doesn't seem as though the front door was fingerprinted.   

The report refers to a blind so assuming the blind and shutter are one and the same this might not have yielded prints due to the coating.

[jassi]

The first prints were collected during the night of 3rd May/early morning 4th May.  This was limited to the inside of MM's bedroom window due to light conditions.

Further prints were then collected 4th May circa 11am:

- 8 inadequate from outside of one patio door
- 1 inadequate from outside other patio door
- 1 adequate from side of patio door
- 3 inadequate from outside external blinds

So it seems to me those that were preserved were somewhat protected from the elements ie they were all internal as opposed to external.

It doesn't seem as though the front door was fingerprinted.   

The report refers to a blind so assuming the blind and shutter are one and the same this might not have yielded prints due to the coating.

What elements did you have in mind?