Shoeprints, sometimes inaccurately reffered to as "footprint" are found at scenes of crimes with great regularity. For this reason they have long been studied by police and crime laboratory personnel. There is no doubt that a comparison of a shoe trace found at the scene of crime obtained from a defendant can be a valuable ink associating the defendant with a crime.

The question that is more difficult to answer is whether a particular shoe trace can be positively identified as having been made by a specifific item of footwear. Even though there is no recognized "science" of footwear comparisons, it has been widely accepted by law enforcement as well as by the courts that this kind of identifications can be made when adequate evidence is available. The science of footwear investigations is evolving now, since more research groups are working on shoeprints.

A-Z in Forensics

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Manner of Death: An explanation of the way in which death is caused. Medicolegal manners of death are: homicide, suicide, accidental, natural, and undetermined.

Place the sand or soil into the plastic container. Make an imprint of your shoe, foot or hand in the damp sand. Mix up some plaster of Paris - read the pack for instructions until it's got the consistency of thickened cream. Pour the plaster mixture into the footprint impression.

Leave the plaster for about an hour and a half to dry. It’s best to leave it for this amount of time, because although the outside may appear dry and hard, the underside may still be wet and soft.Once the plaster is dry, remove the cast from the sand. Gently brush off any excess sand.

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