Forensic Science International 155 (2005) 185187 www.elsevier.

com/locate/forsciint

Luminous lip-prints as criminal evidence

Ana Castello1, Mercedes Alvarez-Segu1, Fernando Verdu*
Department of Legal Medicine, College of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia E.G., 46010 Valencia, Spain Received 17 May 2004; received in revised form 2 December 2004; accepted 2 December 2004 Available online 19 January 2005

Abstract Luminescence is specially a useful property for the search of invisible evidences at the scene of a crime. In the latent ngerprints particular case, there are at ones disposal uorescent reagents for their localization. The study of latent lip prints (that is lip prints from protective lipstick, or permanent or long-lasting lipstick that do not leave any visible marks) is more recent than ngerprints study. Because of the different composition of both types of prints, different reagents have been tried out on their developing. Although, lysochromes are particularly useful reagents to obtain latent lip prints, it may occur on coloured or multicoloured surfaces, the developing is not perceived due to contrast problems between the reagent and the surface where the print is searched. Again, luminescence offers the possibility to solve this problem. Nile Red is being studied as a potential developer for latent lip prints. The results on very old prints (over 1 year) indicate that this reagent is highly efcient to get latent lip prints. # 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Luminescence; Criminalistics; Latent prints; Nile Red

1. Introduction Luminescence is specially a useful property for the search of invisible evidences at the scene of a crime. The forensic lights make it possible localizing both biological and non-biological uid stains, which are invisible to the naked eye [1]. There are also at ones disposal uorescent reagents for the localization of latent ngerprints [2]. Since, the technique requires to get and study minimal DNA samples, the search of latent evidences is more and more important and it must be exhaustive. In the prints particular case, it must talk about their double identication power. On the one hand, the margin
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 9 63864165/6864820; fax: +34 9 63864165. E-mail addresses: ana.castello@uv.es (A. Castello), mercedes.alvarez@uv.es (M. Alvarez-Segu), fernando.verdu@uv.es (F. Verdu). 1 Tel.: +34 9 63864165; fax: +34 9 63864165.

settings techniques allow their study by eliminating the interferences because of the support, so that basic facts for identication can be got. On the other hand, the possibility of getting DNA from a print increases this indication importance [3]. Although they are less investigated, this double ability for identication is also on lip prints [46]. The study of latent lip prints (that is lip prints from protective lipstick, or permanent or long-lasting lipstick that do not leave any visible marks) is more recent than ngerprints study. Because of the different composition of both types of prints, different reagents have been tried out on their developing. Although lysochromes are particularly useful reagents to obtain latent lip prints [7], it may occur that, on coloured or multicoloured surfaces, the developing is not perceived due to contrast problems between the reagent and the surface where the lip print is searched. Again, luminescence offers the possibility to solve this problem. Fluorescent reagents that are been used for ngerprints development were tested in the latent lip prints developing. Results show that it could

0379-0738/$ see front matter # 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.12.005

186

A. Castello et al. / Forensic Science International 155 (2005) 185187

Table 1 Results after developing old latent prints produced by protective lipstick or permanent lipstick on different porous surfaces Surface Lipstick Developing time (days) 430 370 580 580 370 370 410 410 Nile Red (powder) BL + + + + + + + + UV + + + + + + + + Nile Red (solution) BL + + + + + + + + UV + + + + + + + +

Napkin (blue) Napkin (blue) Napkin (red) Napkin (red) Cotton cloth (black) Satin cloth (black) Satin cloth (red) Satin cloth (red)

Permanent lipstick Protective lipstick Permanent lipstick Protective lipstick Protective lipstick Protective lipstick Permanent lipstick Protective lipstick

obtain a medium quality developing for latent lip prints up to 60-day-old [8]. The investigation continued with the goal of search for specic reagents for this type of prints (lip prints), and also that they make possible the development of older prints. Nile Red is being studied as a potential developer for latent lip prints. This reagent has been used for the study of lipids in histopathology [9] and also for the quantifying lipids on thin-layer chromatograms [10]. To value its possible usefulness for developing latent lip prints on multicoloured porous surfaces, some previous tests were made, according to the following experimental procedure.

2.2.2. Reagent preparation So as to prepare, the reagent in solution are taken as a reference concentration levels as seen at the bibliography [9,10]. For this work concentrations were calculated in preliminary tests (results show that Nile Red is effective with low concentrations): Nile Red solution (1 mg/ml) for 100 ml, dissolve 0.1 mg Nile Red in 100 ml ethanol. 2.2.3. Developing The developing was tried with the reagent in powder and as a solution with ethanol (concentration 1 mg/ml). The developing procedure is very simple. By using a brush or a piece of cotton (for reagent in solution), apply carefully the reagent on the surface where the attempt is being made to locate the latent lip print. For visualizing the print, were used UV-light and an alternate light source (BluemaxxTM).

2. Materials and methods 2.1. Materials - Supports for ngerprints impressions: colour paper napkins, coloured cotton and satin cloths. - Standard protective lipstick. - Long-lasting lipstick (Lipnity, Max Factor1 no. 19). - Dark storage bottles, brushes, fuming chamber, glassware, dark chamber, UV protective glasses. - Ultraviolet light that works between 320 and 400 nm. - BluemaxxTM (alternate light source that works between 390 and 520 nm). 2.2. Methods 2.2.1. Sample preparation They used latent lip prints (from protective lipstick and permanent lipstick) that were available at the laboratory, which had not been used in previous trials (odds and ends). That is, prints over 1-year-old that were formed on porous surfaces particularly difcult to develop, specically colour paper napkins and coloured cotton and satin cloths. These prints were made applying the lipstick (protective or permanent) on volunteers. The manufacturers recommended time (5 min) for xation was waited and lip impressions were made on the supports, using sustained pressure for 3 s. These prints had been left on a table without any kind of protection.

3. Results The results are shown on Table 1 (BL, BluemaxxTM light; UV, ultraviolet light; (+), good development; (), bad development) and they have been very promising. For all the prints has been obtained with a good quality development (a good quality development means that can notice the shape and the outline, as well as the lips lines and wrinkles) and therefore, useful for identication. This result comes out with reagent in powder and also in solution, and the prints can be seen with both types of light. These results on very old prints (over 1 year) indicate that this reagent is highly efcient to get latent lip prints.

4. Conclusion Considering the results obtained, it is already possible to afrm that Nile Red is a very efcient way for searching and developing this kind of traces. The authors plan to continue this investigation in a more detailed fashion, studying a larger quantity of prints and more variation of surfaces and developing times. Also the possibility of using these reagents on ngerprints and latent

 A. Castello et al. / Forensic Science International 155 (2005) 185187

187

lip prints produced without lipsticks (normal lipmarks) should be studied. References
[1] Stoilovic, Milutin, Detection of semen and blood stains using Polilight as a light source, Forens. Sci. Int. 51 (1991) 289296. [2] H.E. Lee, R.E. Gaensslen, Advances in Fingerprint Technology, second ed. CRC Press, London, 2001. [3] R.A.H. Van Ooschot, M.K. Jones, DNA ngerprints from ngerprints, Nature 387 (1997) 767. [4] M.A. Segu, M.M. Feucht, A.C. Ponce, F.A.V. Pascual, Persistent lipsticks and their lip prints: new hidden evidence at the crime scene, Forens. Sci. Int. 112 (2000) 4147. [5] D. Meuwly, P.A. Margot, Institut de Police Scientique et Criminologie. Fingermarks, shoesole and footprint impression, [6] [7]

[8] [9]

[10]

tire impressions, eart impressions, toolmarks, lipmarks and bitemarks: a review (September 1998August 2001), in: Thirteenth INTERPOL Forensic Science Symposium, Lyon, France, October 1619, 2001. A. Castello, M. Alvarez, F. Verdu, Just lip prints? No: there could be something else, FASEB J. 18 (2004) 615616. A. Castello, M. Alvarez, M. Miquel, F. Verdu, Long-lasting lipsticks and latent prints, Forens. Sci. Commun. 4 (2) (2002) 14, http://www.fbi.gov/programs/lab/fsc/past/verdu.htm. A. Castello, M. Alvarez, F. Verdu, A. Castello, M. Alvarez, F. Verdu, Cuadernos de Med. Forens. 34 (2003) 4347. E. Bonilla, A. Prelle, Application of Nile Blue and Nile Red, two uorescent probes, for detection of lipid droplets in human skeletal muscle, J. Histochem. Cytochem. 35 (1987) 619621. S.D. Fowler, W.J. Brown, J. Warfel, P. Greenspan, Use of Nile Red for the rapid in situ quantitation of lipids on thin-layer chromatograms, J. Lipid Res. 28 (1987) 12251232.