Could a ‘non-secretor’ get away with murder?
We spend a lot of our time in schools; we also work extensively with various community groups, individuals and businesses – talking about, and demonstrating, numerous forensic techniques. And one of the areas we discuss in detail is fingerprinting.
There are hundreds of ways to capture fingerprints at a crime scene, which are influenced by such things as the surface the fingerprint is on; the condition of the print; whether it’s a full or partial print; the surroundings and atmosphere (inside or outside, for example); and many other things.
But if someone is a non-secretor (non-secretors make up between 15% and 25% of the population), though they may leave some semblance of a fingerprint behind, there’s usually not enough DNA/information within it to identify the criminal. So, does this mean they could they get away with murder…?!
How many times have you watched a police interrogation on the TV and heard the words ‘No comment’? It’s usually when the suspect is ‘bang to rights’, after evidence has been unearthed that’s practically indisputable. When they’re cornered.