FINGERPRIKTS AND CRIMINAL CONVICTION KENNETH WALKER* CAROL BARKER JAMES BARR A N D CAROL WALKER

Indiana Shtc Des Moincs Child Iowa Burcau Terre Haute, University Guidance Center of Criminal Ind.

Investigation

PROBLEM The study of skin patterns of the palms, fingers, soles, and toes long has been

of interest to medical and genetic researchers because dermal ridges are in their complete form by the end of the fourth month of pregnancy. The two factors pre- sumed to determine the fingerprint patterns and number of ridges are heredity and the intrauterine environment during the first trimester of pregnancy. Research has shown that abnormalities in pattern frequency and ridge count are often associated with genetically determined disorders (e.g., neurofibromatosis, P.K.U.), with dis- orders due to intrauterine environment ( e . g . , thalidomide poisoning, maternal rubella), and with disorders of contested origin (e.g., schizophrenia). For an extensive review of dermatoglyphics and associated disorders, see Alter(*).

Clinical disorders with fingerprint pattern frequencies that differ from those of the normal population show a wide diversity of symptoms. Of recent interest are the antisocial behaviors reportedly found in males who show the XYY chromosome disorder. Jarvik (') cited reports that over 100 Ss who showed aggressive, impulsive, and criminally-inclined behaviors also have had ridge counts that differed from normal. However, Parker(5. 6 , found the counts increased, while E l b ~ a l y ( ~ ) found them decreased.

Since the writers could find no specific controlled studies on the fingerprint characteristics of criminal groups, the present investigation was designed to contrast the fingerprint patterns of selected groups of convicted criminals with those of a non- criminal control group to determine whether there are differences in pattern fre- quencies or ridge counts.

METHOD Sample Selection Procedures. In previous research, Abdullah'') has suggested

that sex-chromosome defects result in impulsive, antisocial behavior and sex crimes. Thus, the first major criminal category selected was sex crimes, which was divided into two subcategories: violent (forcible rape) N = 39, and nonviolent (statutory rape, sodomy, incest, lascivious acts) S = 36. The studies by Glueck and Glueck") on body types suggested that some criminals may have a certain hereditary potential for aggressive antisocial behavior which when paired with certain social-cultural influences results in criminal activity. Therefore, the second major category chosen was criminals convicted of violent, but not sexual, crimes against persons. It was divided into three subcategories: Murder and manslaughter N = 35, robbery with aggravation N = 33, and assault with intent N = 32.

A special agent of the Identification Section of the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation (IBCI) examined the admission files of the two state penitentiaries for men in Iowa. Starting with the most recent admissions and proceeding back through the files, he classified these men into the five predetermined criminal sub- categories until 50 Ss were placed in each. The permanent folders for these Ss then were obtained, and all nonwhite males were eliminated. Also, all Ss with more or

*This study was completed during the first author's Post-doctoral Fellowship at the Des Moines Child Guidance Center, Des hloines, Iowa. The authors wish to thank Mr. Blair, Director of the Bureau, for permission to use the Bureau's files

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192

F I S G E R P R I K T S .4SD C R I 1 I I S . i L C O S V I C T I O S 193

less than 10 fingers were dropped. These additional svlection procedures resulted i n the selection of 175 whit'c, male, convicted and imprisoned criminals.

Sext , .iO control Ss were selrcted rantlomly froni :I sc,p:ir:itc noncrimiiial identi- fication file of t h r Bureau. This file included city, count!, : ind state employees, civil defeilsc \vorkers;, I(J\v:I S a t iond Guard, railroad cmployecs, :ill civil service :ippli- cants i n t hv stat( , , gun-permit applicants, and taxi-cab drivers. Sorie of these S s had any known criniin:rl rocords. One S was dropped bec:iusc. he did riot meet thc sclcc- tion st:ind:irds uwt l 1vit.h the crimin:il groups ( S = 1 9 ) .

Nclliotls oj :l ~ / i t l y ~ i . s . Tiyo kinds of datu were obt:iincd for ca:ich of the retained Ss. These were (1 ) primary fingerprint classification (plain arch, tented arch, radial loop, ulnnr loops o r ivhorl) for each finger of e:ich S , which h:id been classified inde- pendently by thc local :irrt.sting authorities and special agents of the IBCI, and ( 2 ) total ridge coiint.

RE sr LTS

A Chi square' (xL ' ) goodness of fit test is used to :isct.rt:iin whether a significant difference existed twtween the fingerprint c1i:tracteristics of the sex-offense group :uid those of thv cont ro1 (rioncrimin:il) group. Tot:il frequencies of e:tch fingerprint type were found for w c h group. The percentage of ench fiiigerprint' type in the control group was used to derive the expected (e) values for the x? test. The observed (0) values were the frequency of each fingerprint type in the sex-offense group. A4 similar Chi squarc test was used to compare the violent-crimes category with the control group.

The x: v:ilues for e:ich of the two tests showed :I significance beyond the ,001 level, which indic:ites a difference between t,he fingerprint char:icteristics of the crimind group arid those of the noncrimiiial control group (Table 1).

Since the x9 v:~lues for the major criminal category comp:irisoiis were highly significant. it W:IS decided, because of the exploratory nnturc of the study, t o examine the possiblv sourcw of variation. Therefor(., xs goodness of fit' tests ivere used in the same mnniicr t o comparc c?:ich of the five crimiiinl subcategories with the cont.ro1 group. Thew fiiig(qxint comparisons s h o w d the following results: (1) The "rapist"

~ . \ H I . l . ; 1 . x ? ( ;OODSI;SS OF FIT FUIt ( - * H I M I S \ I . ( ;i%OCIB.S ~~~

~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ .~ .

Criminal ( ; r i~up o = observed freq. e = expecte(1 frwl .

~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~-

Sex Crimes N = 7.i '*I*

Forcible rapt' I N = :{!)I***

Statutory rape, sodomy, incest, lascivious iirts S = :Hi I

Violent Crimes I S = 10OI***

Murder, manslaughter (N = 35'1***

Robbery with aggriivatiori (N = :<:<I**

Assault witli intriit U =

Fingerprint Type Tented Radial Ulnar

17 260 In ! I 226 0

2 3 222 IH 4 2ox.7

45 652 5 1 . O 37'3.6

I4 246 17 !) 202.9

I 3 210 I6 h 1!)1 :<

1 % 196 16 185.5

%'hurl

1'31 244 1)

85 127 4

106 I17 3

246 :<26 5

67 114 3

87 107 h

92 104 5

194 KENNETH WALKER, CAROL BARKER, JAMES BARR AND CAROL WALKER

group and the “murder and manslaughter” group both differed from the control group considerably beyond the .001 level of significance. (2) The “robbery with aggravation” group differed at the .01 level. (3) The tests that used the remaining two groups, “statutory rape, sodomy, incest, and lascivious acts” and “assault with intent,” were nonsignificant (Table 1).

Inspection of the data with regard to the expected (e) values us. the observed (0) values in each of the fingerprint classifications indicates that for the “rape” and “murder-manslaughter” groups, a substantial part of the difference in fingerprints is due to a higher number of ulnar loops and a lower number of whorls than found in the control group. With the “robbery with aggravation” group, there appear to be more plain arches and fewer whorls (Table 1). All criminal groups showed fewer whorls, more ulnar loops and more plain arches in comparison to those expected from the control-group frequency. The remaining two fingerprint categories, tented arches and radial loops, showed an irregular pattern of difference between the various criminal groups and the control group.

A one-way analysis of variance was used to contrast both major criminal classifications (sex offenses and violent crimes) and the control group with regard to the ridge counts. As no significant difference was indicated, no further analyses were done on these data.

At the request of one of the authors, the presence or absence of tattoos were recorded for the criminal groups, but these data were not available for the control group. Therefore, the percentages of Ss with tattoos in the criminal group are pre- sented without analysis or comment, except to suggest that they tend to vary in the same direction as the fingerprint data: 52% of the sex criminals had tattoos; of this group 59% of the “rapists” had a t least one, and 44% of those in the “nonviolent sex crimes” group. In the total violent crime group, 56% had tattoos: “murder- manslaughter” SO%, “robbery with aggravation” 73%, and “asaul t with intent”

SUMMARY The fingerprint patterns and ridge counts for 75 sex criminals and 100 men

convicted of violent but nonsexual crimes were contrasted with those of a non- criminal control group. The criminal groups differed significantly ( p < .001) from the control group with regard to their pattern frequencies. Further analyses of s u b groups within the two major criminal categories indicated that three of the five subgroups differed from the control group. The ridge count analysis was nonsignifi- cant. An hypothesis of a constitutional predisposition seems supported by the results.

47%.

REFERENCES 1.

2. 3.

4.

5.

ABDULLAH, S., JARVIK, L., KATO, T., JOHNSTON, W. and LANZKRON, J . Extra Y chromosome

ALTER, M. Dermatoplyphic analysis BS a diagnostic tool. dedicine, 1966,46 35-36. ELBUALY M. S. and SCHINDELER, J . D. Handbook of Clinical Dennahglyp~ica. Miami: Uni-

GLUECK, S. and GLUECK E. The role of constitution. Reported in Glueck, S. (Ed.) The Problem

PARKER, c. E., MAVaLWAKA, J., WEISE, P., KOCH, R., HATASHITA, A. and CIBILICH, S. The Aner. J . menf.

PARKER, C. E., MELNYK, J . and FISH, C. H. The XYY Syndrome. Arner. J . Med. , 1969, 47,

and its psychiatric implications. Arch. gen. Psychid., 1969, 81 497-501.

versity of diami Press, 1970, p. 43.

of Delinquency. Boston : doughton-Mifflin, 1959.

47 XYY Syndrome in a boy with behavior problems and mental retardation. Dej., 1970, 74, 660-665.

80 1-808. 6.