Estimation of stature from handprint dimensions - Positional variations in real crime scene situations

Estimation of stature from handprints/palmprints recovered at the crime scene may help in the identification of the criminal/perpetrator. The present communication is an advisory on the recently published studies regarding stature estimation from different dimensions of handprints in various populations. We emphasize that at the crime scenes, the prints of the hands are usually found in a way that the fingers are apart from each other that may or may not be fully stretched or in any other working position of the hand; and rarely similar to the position described in studies as a non-stretched normal position with all the fingers joined with one another except for the thumb. The communication further stresses on the need for further studies on hand prints describing various positional variations pertaining to the practical forensic situations especially when the prints are taken in stretched/flexed/extended positions of the hand.