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About the Author of
Footwear, The Missed Evidence
Dwane S. Hilderbrand holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration/Management from the University of Phoenix, Arizona and over 60 credits
equivalent to a degree in Police Science with 12 credits in chemistry. He should complete his
Masters degree in Education by the summer of the year 2000. He is a Certified Latent Print
Examiner, Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst and a Certified Footwear Examiner by the
International Association for Identification. He is also a Certified Arizona, Arkansas, and
California Law Enforcement Instructor and a Certified Teacher with the Maricopa County
Community Colleges, in Arizona. He has taught students in the science of fingerprints and the
identification of deceased persons, at various stages of decomposition. Dwane has also taught
crime scene investigators in various aspects of forensic science and crime scene investigation and
management. He presently specializes in footwear impression evidence and the identification of
deceased persons.
Dwane presently performs examinations in latent prints, footwear and tire track and the
identification of deceased persons. He has been a footwear/tire tread examiner since 1987. He
teaches level one and two courses in Evidence Technology and Criminalistics at Scottsdale
Community College in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has spoken to the Arizona Identification Council,
the International Association for Identification, the New Jersey IAI Division, the Phoenix Police
Academy, and other state association meetings, as well as at the International European
Footwear/Tool Mark Examiners Conference in Vantaa, Finland. He presently travels, teaching
the forensic aspects of footwear impression evidence to other law enforcement agencies.
Other than being the author of Footwear, the Missed Evidence, he is one of the
co-authors of the Crime Scene Manual presently used by the Scottsdale Police Department. He
has written and published numerous articles on footwear impression evidence and latent prints in
various forensic journals.
Dwane has served in the positions of President, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Vice Presidents, Editor, and
Secretary/Treasurer of the Arizona State chapter of the International Association for
Identification (IAI). He has also served on the Arizona Identification Council's Forensic Science
Committee and Latent Print Certification Board for the State of Arizona.
Dwane was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Association for Identification in
1994. He has served on the International Footwear/Tire Track Sub-Committee, the Strategic
Planning Committee, and the feasibility study group for instructor certification. Dwane was also
appointed to the National Disaster Medical Team in 1994. Dwane is presently employed by the
Scottsdale Police Department's Crime Laboratory in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Author's Purpose in Writing This Book
As I began to do my research and retrieve information about the science of footwear, it became
very apparent that there is very little written. I was able to locate three major books (two of
which were out of print, but have now been reprinted), numerous articles and short chapters in
other books about footwear evidence. It was astonishing to see how many books on crime scene
investigation and physical evidence were on the market, and yet within these books was very
little on forensic footwear. No wonder this is an overlooked and misunderstood science.
Footwear evidence has been overlooked for two major reasons 1) the lack of training and
education in the proper search, collection and preservation methods, and 2) the evidence is
undervalued or misunderstood. With the proper education in footwear evidence, both of these
concerns can be overcome. This type of evidence has great evidentiary value when collected and
preserved in the correct manner. Footwear evidence can reveal the type of shoe, the make,
description, and, in some cases, approximate or precise size. When a crime scene is searched and
documented in the correct manner, footwear evidence can also provide or assist in determining
the number of suspects, their path, their involvement, and the events that occurred during the
crime.
The learning methods used in this handbook center around two major concepts: 1) To provide the
reader with proper training and education in footwear impression evidence, and 2) To provide
well thought out reasons and answers to a forensic science that is undervalued or misunderstood
by many law enforcement people. This handbook will teach the crime scene investigator to
recognize, collect, and preserve footwear evidence in a manner that the footwear examiners can
work. This is done with limited, but necessary equipment.
The desired results of this handbook are two-fold. First, the Crime Scene Investigator should be
willing to devote his time and effort in proper collection and preservation and take on the
challenge of difficult impressions with a new outlook and a much higher confidence level, thus
resulting in more quality footwear evidence that the footwear examiner can identify. Secondly,
the crime scene investigator should become more time efficient in his collection and recovery
methods.
A friend of mine once said, "you become an expert in your field when you take the initiative with
a subject you enjoy, learn it and study its art, conduct independent research in that field and then
share it with others. If you do this, and do it because of the science, and not because someone
said so, you will have reached a pinnacle of professionalism that is second to none. Learn to
become your students' student." (Timothy Hahn, 1994)
The author wishes good luck on your journey in this fascinating and zestful science.
Footwear, The Missed Evidence