Fingerprints can last for varying durations on a human body depending on whether the body is living or deceased.
On living individuals, fingerprints deposited were not detectable after 15 minutes. However, on cadavers, fingerprints can last significantly longer. According to research, latent fingerprints persisted for 18 hours on warm cadavers and 24 hours on cold cadavers. This information comes from studies designed to aid investigating officers examining a body.
| Condition | Fingerprint Persistence |
|---|---|
| Living Person | 15 minutes |
| Warm Cadaver | 18 hours |
| Cold Cadaver | 24 hours |
It's important to note that the study recommending this method explicitly states that it is not applicable to living victims of assault, but rather for examining bodies in investigations.
