Centro de Documentação da PJ
Analítico de Periódico
38831
Early criminal cases solved with friction ridge impressions in Brazil : a historical-forensic perspective / Gabriel Ângelo da Silva Gomes
Journal of Forensic Identification, Vol. 75, nº 3 (July-September 2025), p. 259-273
CD 357.
DACTILOSCOPIA, CIÊNCIA FORENSE, ESTUDO DE CASOS, BRASIL
Friction ridge evidence in forensic investigations was a significant milestone in criminal identification. While the first documented case of fingerprint evidence solving a crime occurred in Argentina in 1892, its early applications in Brazil remain largely unexplored. This study examines some of Brazil's earliest documented criminal cases solved through finger and palm mark evidence dating back to 1912. This study reconstructs early forensic methodologies through documentary research in historical archives, including the Boletim Policial (1907–1918), the official publication of the Bureau of Identification and Statistics in Rio de Janeiro. The findings demonstrate friction ridge impressions in crime scene examinations, highlighting the role of Elysio de Carvalho, the Rio de Janeiro Police School, and Rodolphe Reiss in advancing forensic sciences in Brazil.
