Abstract
At present, the footprint identification is conducted by the number of distinguishing characteristics point in the footprint. Life size footprints photos were usually used and magnified footprints photos were seldom used.
If these characteristics parts were magnified and showed minute distinguishing marks more evidential values could be added to them.
The method developed in this paper was to take pictures of magnified characteristic parts of both footprints retrieved at a crime scene and ones taken from shoes themselves in the same magnifying power, followed by enlarging photos from the negatives and comparing the minute distinguishing marks by superimposition.
This method enables us to make magnified footprints photos of about 5 to 30 magnifications easily in a short time.
By inspecting the magnified footprint photos, it was proved that one part which was simply evaluated as one characteristic in the present method actually had many distinguishing marks.
