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The images and excerpts from the Footwear, The Missed Evidence found on this World Wide Web page are copyright ©1999 and ©2007 by Dwane S. Hilderbrand. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author, except you may download, reprint, reproduce and share the images and information on this World Wide Web page for non- commercial, private purposes. However, you may not manipulate or alter in any way the images and information.

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by Dwane S. Hilderbrand

With chapter contribution by David "Ski" Witzke
Illustrated by Tia Kalla

Footwear, The Missed Evidence is a handbook designed to address the needs of the crime scene investigator in the areas of collection and recovery of footwear impression evidence. Written by an internationally recognized authority in forensic footwear evidence, this 224 page, 7 ½" by 10" book can be carried in the field or used in the laboratory as the primary reference on locating, collecting and recovering footwear evidence.

You will discover how easy it is to:

• LOCATE:
  
  Use easy available tools and equipment to assist in locating footwear evidence. Apply the simple methods to locate this evidence.
  
  
• COLLECT:
  
  Use a variety of methods to collect footwear evidence, including photography made easy, and casting that is as easy as one, two, three instructions.
  
  
• RECOVER:
  
  Learn how to recover this evidence by following step-by-step instructions. Find out how simple footwear evidence really is.

What people are saying

"A must have for anyone who recovers evidence in the field. I have learned and worked with Dwane Hilderbrand for years, and can honestly say that his expertise, knowledge and love for the field is evident in this manual. He understands that in order for this vital evidence to be recovered and identified properly, we need a better understanding of how an impression is made, and what the best methods for recovery are. Thanks Dwane for your help!"

Tracie D. Fife, Supervisor, Crime Scene Specialist Unit, Scottsdale P.D.

"Outstanding workbook for crime scene investigators. Every cop should read this".

Dr. John DiMaggio, Forensic Podiatry

"It was my privilege to conduct an informal review of this manuscript prior to its publication. Mr. Hilderbrand has provided the crime scene investigator with the information necessary to properly document and collect footwear evidence. Once practiced, the techniques in this text will supply the reader with the confidence to successfully address this important, and often overlooked, type of evidence."

John P. Black, CLPE, CFWE, CSCSA, Senior Consultant, Ron Smith & Associates, Inc.

Contents Include

The Introduction, by Mr. Ernest D. Hamm.

Preface

The purpose of this book is to address the needs of the crime scene investigator in the areas of collection and recovery of footwear impression evidence. This is an area in which the vast majority of crime scene investigators have fallen drastically short. Invariably, we have allowed our Crime Scene Investigators to develop tunnel vision syndrome when it comes to crime scene processing. Today, everyone accepts the potential for the presence of latent prints at a crime scene, but we rarely look under our own feet. Footwear evidence has been neglected to the extent that it has been used in only a small percentage of cases.

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 formulated 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 is beneficial to the footwear examiner. 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. Second, 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.