Determination of stature from fingerprints in Malaysian Malays by regression analysis

Abstract

Determination of human stature is an important parameter in person identification. Fingerprints form a valuable physical evidence in crime investigation. The pressure of fingers produced impression on the objects and thus producing fingerprint impression that can be used for person identification. The fingerprints provide useful clue towards narrowing the pool of potentially matching identities. No criminal history record is created for non-offenders and first-time offenders who are out of police view and it is cumbersome to identify them through fingerprint records and hence investigators search for suspects. If the height of the offender is known through fingerprint, it is easy to narrow down the suspects. The arrest is the event that triggers the creation of a criminal history record for a particular case. Literature review shows that very limited studies were conducted in estimating stature from fingerprints and currently there are no population specific standards to determine stature from fingerprints in a Malaysian Malay population. Hence the present study is aimed to derive population specific regression equations to determine the stature in this population.