US murder case helped by police
A production crew from America's Most Wanted – the US equivalent of Crimewatch – will come to Northampton this weekend to film a pioneering fingerprint scientist in the hope of cracking a high profile case.
Dr John Bond, Northamptonshire Police's scientific support manager, created a new technique which has allowed forensic investigators to spot fingerprint marks on metal bullets, even after they have been washed clean or fired from a gun.
The film crew will come to force headquarters at Wootton Hall on Sunday to film Dr Bond demonstrating the technique, which has already found evidence on a bullet used to kill an American pensioner two years ago.
Dr Bond, who worked with colleagues at the University of Leicester to develop the method, said: "We are very pleased that this new technique to enhance fingerprints on shell casings, by means of visualising fingerprint sweat corrosion of the metal, has been able to assist a number of police forces.
"The interest being shown by America's Most Wanted and its presenter, John Walsh, is a reflection of how this technology will affect the recovery of forensic evidence from shell casings in the future.
"We are very pleased to be a part of AMW's feature and hope that the increased publicity may assist in detecting the North Richland Hills, Texas, murder that we have recovered fingerprint evidence for."
The investigation revolves around the case of Marianne Wilkinson, a 68-year-old who was killed on her doorstep in North Richland Hills at 7.30am on December 9, 2007. Police in Texas believe it may have been a case of mistaken identity.
Last year, Det Tony Roten, of North Richland Hills Police Dept, visited the county to deliver bullet casings to Dr Bond for analysis, which resulted in potentially vital evidence being recovered.
A spokesman for AMW said: "Dr Bond was able to produce a very good fingerprint from the shell casing. The only problem is, police haven't yet found a match to the print. But this revolutionary technology may have put them one step closer to solving Marianne Wilkinson's murder."
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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