Human fingerprints are not continuous and smooth, but often show interruptions, bifurcations, or twists. These breakpoints, bifurcation points, and turning points are known as "minutiae," and in the identification of fingerprints in criminal cases, the main comparison is made between these minutiae.
A complete fingerprint generally contains 50-120 minutiae, and theoretically, among seven billion people, no two will share the same fingerprint if more than 12 consistent minutiae are confirmed. This can be used as incontrovertible evidence to identify a suspect.
Therefore, a large part of the daily work in the identification division involves searching for various fingerprints at the crime scene. The ransom note sent by the kidnappers and the paper box it came in naturally had to be examined and, upon comparison, matched with a fingerprint previously collected at the mansion. The case had a breakthrough, which was undoubtedly exciting.
