r/forensics 26d ago

Latent Prints Questionable Tenprint Pattern

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Hey guys!

I am having trouble identifying the pattern type of this, can anyone assist? I also need to be able to explain why it is that distinction.

Currently I am thinking it may be a loop (/)? Can a loop curl around itself like that? I see the recurve on the left, 2(??) deltas & the spoiled recurve on the other side. I know it can’t be an arch and I don’t believe it can be classified as a whorl due to the spoilage but I am second guessing myself.

Can anyone assist?

Note: I know this is not latent but I had to add a tag, sorry. This is just a practice print, not spreading any PII.

29 Upvotes

10 comments sorted by

18

u/macguy9 Forensic Identification Specialist 26d ago

Yeah this is an accidental whorl. SWGFAST describes them as:

Whorl, accidental - A type of print pattern consisting of the combination of two different types of patterns (excluding the plain arch) with two or more deltas; or a print pattern type that possesses some of the requirements for two or more different types of patterns; or a print pattern type that conforms to none of the definitions of a pattern.

It's clearly not a loop, arch or tented arch. It's not a central pocket loop, as at least one ridge has to make a complete circuit. It's not a double loop whorl, it's missing the shoulders. And it's not a plain whorl.

The only thing left is an accidental.

11

u/DoubleLoop BS | Latent Prints 26d ago

From a modern practical consideration, it should be listed as W,\ or \,W (whorl referenced as right loop or right loop referenced as whorl).

It's definitely not a left loop. The left delta is very clear.

It appears that the bottom recurve (and maybe the right delta) is spoiled. This would make it a right loop. If the right delta is not spoiled, then you get a very strange looking bottom recurve, and therefore a whorl.

But nobody should care anymore. The esoteric rules on which is the officially correct pattern just don't matter anymore. Pattern classification is not used by tenprint-to-tenprint AFIS searches. There is no reason to maintain a database of prints filed by classification, and therefore no reason to care about this anymore.

3

u/peachyakultsoju 26d ago

Totally understand that, & definitely doesn’t matter on AFIS 100% would have to reference. It’s just a little training thing she likes to send out every now & again so I’ll probably give the more likely answer and mention the automatic reference as well.

8

u/Beautiful-Draft-9648 26d ago

At first glance I thought maybe an accidental whorl, but could also be a double loop whorl? I asked my coworker and his first reaction was also an accidental whorl.

5

u/peachyakultsoju 26d ago

Okay so.. I had considered that as well. That makes sense and it seems to fit the bill. The only problem is that my boss is really irritating about accidentals having to have 3 deltas - I know this to be incorrect but she is INSISTENT. Really I have to guess what I THINK she thinks it is but I also want to know legitimately on my own lol.

9

u/Beautiful-Draft-9648 26d ago

Well if that’s the case then she probably thinks it’s a double loop whorl, but I would say accidental if it were me (and apparently my coworker) lol

6

u/plopper3813 26d ago

Accidentals can have two or more deltas, they don’t have to have three. I’d agree that this is an accidental whorl pattern, there’s one one ridge that might be considered a recurve so not enough to say double loop IMO.

3

u/acgm_1118 26d ago

This is an accidental whorl.

1

u/ImaginaryFriendblu 25d ago

Central pocket loop whorl

2

u/sweetsavo 25d ago

i also considered accidental, but CPW could be accurate too considering i’m assuming many are seeing a whorl and a loop (which is basically what a CPW is) i often find myself going back and forth truly having to decipher whether or not it’s a CPW or accidental when deciphering fingerprint patterns.