All language subtitles for catching.killers.s01e02.fingerprints.web.h264-underbelly

Narrator: MURDER IS
AS OLD AS TIME...

...AND SO IS THE QUEST
TO FIND THE KILLERS.

WHEN SLEUTHING MEETS SCIENCE,

NEW FORENSIC TOOLS ARE BORN.

IN 1892,

THE HUNT FOR A CHILD KILLER
IN ARGENTINA

FOREVER CHANGES THE WAY
POLICE I.D. KILLERS.

Man: HE WENT TO THE CRIME SCENE

LOOKING FOR ANY EVIDENCE

THAT MIGHT INDICATE
WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

Narrator: THE BREAKTHROUGH...

FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION...

A FOOLPROOF METHOD FOR
CONFIRMING A KILLER.

Man: NO TWO PEOPLE HAVE EVER
HAD THE SAME FINGERPRINT.

SO WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT

IS THE PATTERN OF WHAT WE CALL
FRICTION RIDGES,

AND THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS US
TO GRASP AND HOLD STUFF.

Narrator: FINGERPRINTS BECOME
THE ULTIMATE EVIDENCE

IN CRIME FIGHTING.

BUT A CENTURY LATER,

THEY'RE THE MISSING LINK

IN A DESPERATE HUNT
FOR A SERIAL KILLER

KNOWN AS THE NIGHT STALKER.

Man: THERE WERE NO FINGERPRINTS
LEFT BEHIND.

AND NOBODY IN CRIMINAL HISTORY
HAD EVER DONE THE THINGS

THAT THIS ONE MAN WAS DOING.

[CAR HORN HONKS]

[HELICOPTER]

Weatherman: CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT
WITH A LOW NEAR 70.

INCREASING CLOUDINESS TOMORROW,

STICKY AND HUMID
WITH A HIGH OF 96.

Narrator: IN THE SPRING OF 1985,

LOS ANGELES IS GRIPPED BY
A BLISTERING HEAT WAVE

AND HELD HOSTAGE BY
A RUTHLESS SERIAL KILLER.

[GUNSHOT]

HE'S JUST STRUCK AGAIN

WITH THE MURDER OF 34-YEAR-OLD
DAYLE OKAZAKI,

SLIPPING IN AND OUT
OF HER HOUSE UNNOTICED,

LIKE THE DARK DISCIPLE
HE BELIEVES HE IS.

THE ONE THING HE'S LEFT BEHIND

IS A DISTURBING
SATANIC SYMBOL.

Katherine Ramsland:
THIS IS A PERSON

WHO SOMEHOW MANAGED
TO GET IN AND OUT

AS IF HE HAD SOME KIND OF
SUPERNATURAL POWER.

HE WAS SKILLED AT
GETTING INTO HOMES,

INCLUDING HOMES THAT
HAD BURGLARY DEVICES,

HOMES WHERE PEOPLE WERE ARMED.

AND PEOPLE WERE VERY SCARED.

Narrator: AND THEY HAVE EVERY
REASON TO BE AFRAID.

IN LESS THAN A YEAR,
HE'S KILLED 12 PEOPLE.

Man: THESE ARE HORRIBLE CRIMES.

Reporter: SOME VICTIMS
HAVE BEEN TORTURED

AND LEFT WITH THEIR HANDS
TIED BEHIND THEIR BACK.

Man: SOME OF THE MOST GROTESQUE

THAT THEY HAVE SEEN
IN THEIR EXPERIENCE.

Ramsland: HE WAS
CERTAINLY ESCALATING.

IT WAS CLEAR THAT IF
THEY DIDN'T STOP HIM,

THESE ATTACKS WERE GOING TO BE
COMING MUCH MORE QUICKLY

AND MUCH MORE
CLOSE TOGETHER.

Narrator: AND WHILE
MOST SERIAL KILLERS

TARGET A SPECIFIC
TYPE OF VICTIM...

[GUNSHOT]

THE NIGHT STALKER IS GIVING
POLICE NO PROFILE.

Gil Carrillo:
HE WAS HITTING AT RANDOM.

UNLIKE OTHER SERIAL KILLERS THAT
HIT A SPECIFIC TYPE PERSON

OR CERTAIN LOCATION,

HE WAS HITTING ALL OVER.

AND THERE WAS CERTAINLY CONCERN
FOR EVERYONE.

Narrator: POLICE HAVE
LITTLE TO GO ON.

THE NIGHT STALKER IS AN EXPERT
AT COVERING HIS TRACKS.

Ramsland: THIS WAS A PERSON
WHO WAS CLEARLY ORGANIZED.

Narrator: HE HASN'T LEFT
A DROP OF BLOOD, A HAIR,

OR ANY OTHER CLUE
AT ANY OF THE CRIME SCENES.

BUT WHAT POLICE ARE
MOST DESPERATE TO FIND

IS THE ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE
THAT COULD ALMOST SURELY REVEAL

THE NIGHT STALKER'S IDENTITY...

A FINGERPRINT.

FOR NEARLY A CENTURY,

FINGERPRINTS HAVE BEEN
THE GOLD STANDARD

OF FORENSIC SCIENCE,

AND FOR GOOD REASON.

FINGERPRINTS ARE ONE OF
THE EARLIEST FEATURES

TO DEVELOP INSIDE THE WOMB.

THE PRESSURE OF AMNIOTIC FLUID
ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE HANDS

AND THE GROWTH RATE
OF THE FINGERS

INFLUENCES THE FORMATION OF
PATTERNS ON THE FINGERTIPS.

AND WITH SO MANY
FACTORS IN PLAY...

EVERYONE'S PRINTS ARE UNIQUE...

Girls: DOUBLE, DOUBLE,
APPLE, APPLE, DOUBLE, DOUBLE...

Narrator: ...EVEN THOSE
OF IDENTICAL TWINS.

Girls: DOUBLE, DOUBLE,
APPLESAUCE.

Narrator: FINGERPRINTS LOCK IN

AT ABOUT THE 24th WEEK
OF DEVELOPMENT.

AND WHILE THIS PATTERN OF HILLS
AND VALLEYS GROWS OVER TIME,

THE SHAPE ITSELF STAYS THE SAME
FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE.

WHILE THAT CONSISTENCY
HAS MADE FINGERPRINTS

A KEY TOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT,

THEIR ACTUAL EVOLUTIONARY
PURPOSE IS FAR MORE BASIC...

TO HELP US GRAB OBJECTS.

John Vanderkolk:
THE FUNCTION THEY SERVE

IS SO WE CAN PICK UP THINGS.

THE FRICTION OF
THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL RIDGES

ENABLES US TO EASILY
PICK THINGS UP.

Narrator: AND WHEN THESE
BUMPY RIDGES ON OUR FINGERS

MAKE CONTACT WITH SOMETHING,

THEY LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION.

FINGERPRINTS HAVE FASCINATED
PEOPLE FOR CENTURIES.

AS EARLY AS THE YEAR 220 B.C.,

THE ANCIENT CHINESE
USED FINGERPRINTS

TO SIGN LEGAL DOCUMENTS,

WITHOUT REALIZING HOW INDIVIDUAL
THESE MARKS TRULY WERE.

THAT BREAKTHROUGH WOULDN'T COME
FOR MORE THAN A THOUSAND YEARS.

IN 1684, ENGLISH PHYSICIAN
NEHEMIAH GREW

LECTURED ABOUT THE FIRST
SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS

OF THE RIDGES THAT APPEAR
IN THE FINGERS AND PALMS.

100 YEARS LATER, IN 1788,

THE GERMAN ANATOMIST
JOHANN MAYER

WENT ONE STEP FURTHER,

DECLARING THAT NO TWO PEOPLE
HAVE THE SAME FINGERPRINTS.

BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL
THE LATE 19th CENTURY

THAT THE SCIENCE OF FINGERPRINTS

WOULD PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE
IN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

JUNE 1892.

THE VILLAGE OF NECOCHEA,
NEAR BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

POLICE ARE CALLED TO THE HOME
OF A YOUNG MOTHER.

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
HAS TAKEN PLACE.

D.P. Lyle: FRANCISCA ROJAS
HAD TWO CHILDREN.

SHE SAID THAT SHE CAME HOME FROM
WORK AND SAW A MAN LEAVING,

WENT INSIDE, AND FOUND
HER TWO CHILDREN WERE KILLED.

Narrator: AND FRANCISCA ROJAS
TELLS POLICE

SHE KNOWS EXACTLY
WHO THE MAN WAS...

HER LOVER, PEDRO VELASQUEZ.

Lyle: SHE BASICALLY SAID

THAT VELASQUEZ
HAD IT IN FOR HER,

THAT HE HAD THREATENED
TO KILL HER CHILDREN

IF SHE DIDN'T MARRY HIM.

Narrator: POLICE WASTE NO TIME
IN TRACKING DOWN VELASQUEZ.

AND IN THIS ERA,

THERE'S ONE TRIED AND TRUE
METHOD FOR CLOSING A CASE...

...WORK THE SUSPECT OVER
UNTIL HE CONFESSES.

Lyle: AND THE QUESTIONS
APPARENTLY WEREN'T VERY POLITE.

THEY BEAT ON HIM.

THEY TORTURED HIM.

THAT WAS KIND OF THE,
GENERALLY, THE WAY IT WAS.

Narrator: FOR THREE DAYS,

VELASQUEZ TAKES THE WORST
THAT POLICE DISH OUT.

Lyle: THEY EVEN
WATERBOARDED HIM.

THERE'S A THING
THEY CALL SUBMARINING,

WHERE THEY WOULD STICK YOU
UNDER THE WATER.

AND STILL HE WOULD NOT
CONFESS TO THIS CRIME.

Narrator: NOT EVEN CLOSE.

WHICH LEAVES INSPECTOR
EDUARDO ALVAREZ WONDERING,

WHAT IF THERE'S SOME OTHER WAY
TO DETERMINE

WHETHER VELASQUEZ IS GUILTY...

OR NOT?

Lyle: HE DIDN'T LIKE THAT TYPE
OF INTERROGATION,

HE DIDN'T THINK
IT WAS WORTHWHILE.

AND HE WAS LOOKING
FOR SOME OTHER METHOD

TO PROVE OR DISPROVE

THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE HITTING
SOMEBODY IN THE HEAD.

Pat Wertheim: ALVAREZ WENT
TO THE CRIME SCENE,

LOOKING FOR ANY EVIDENCE

THAT MIGHT INDICATE
WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

Narrator: HE SEARCHES
THE CRAMPED LIVING QUARTERS,

LOOKING FOR ANY CLUE THAT
POLICE MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED.

HE FINDS NOTHING.

UNTIL...

HIS EYES ARE DRAWN
TO THE FRAME OF THE DOOR.

Lyle: WHAT HE FOUND WAS
A BLOODY FINGERPRINT.

HE HAD TALKED WITH ROJAS,

AND SHE HAD SAID THAT
WHEN SHE CAME THERE

AND FOUND HER CHILDREN,

SHE DID NOT TOUCH THE CHILDREN,

SHE DIDN'T TOUCH
ANYTHING IN THE HOUSE,

SHE JUST FLED.

Narrator: WHICH CAN ONLY MEAN
ONE THING...

Lyle: WHOEVER LEFT THIS PRINT
WAS PROBABLY THE KILLER.

Narrator: ALVAREZ IS NO
ANATOMY EXPERT, BUT HE WONDERS,

COULD HE MATCH THIS FINGERPRINT
TO THE SUSPECT'S HAND?

IT'S A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA.

AND AT THIS MOMENT,

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW
IF IT WILL EVEN WORK.

Wertheim: THERE WEREN'T
ANY DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES,

NO DUSTING, NO FINGERPRINT
CAMERAS LIKE WE HAVE TODAY.

AND SO HE DID THE BEST THING
THAT HE COULD...

HE CUT THE DOORFRAME OUT.

Narrator: COMPARING
A FINGERPRINT FROM A CRIME SCENE

TO THAT OF A SUSPECT
IN POLICE CUSTODY

HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE...

A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA WITH
A SURPRISING OUTCOME.

IN 19th CENTURY ARGENTINA,

INSPECTOR EDUARDO ALVAREZ
IS PUSHING THE LIMITS

OF FORENSIC SCIENCE.

HE HOPES TO PROVE

WHETHER A MAN SUSPECTED OF
MURDERING TWO YOUNG CHILDREN

IS GUILTY OR NOT.

AND HE'S GOING TO DO IT IN A WAY

THAT NO ONE'S EVER
DONE BEFORE...

...BY USING A BLOODY FINGERPRINT
LEFT AT THE CRIME SCENE.

Lyle: HE REALIZED THAT WHOEVER
LEFT THIS PRINT THERE

WAS THE KILLER,

BECAUSE NO ONE HAD
TOUCHED THE BODIES

AND THE BLOOD AFTERWARDS.

Narrator: WHILE ALVAREZ
HAD THE CRITICAL INSIGHT

THAT THIS COULD BE POSSIBLE,

HE DOES NOT HAVE
THE SCIENCE BACKGROUND

TO TEST HIS THEORY.

FORTUNATELY,
HE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO DOES...

HIS FRIEND AND MENTOR,
JUAN VUCETICH.

Lyle: VUCETICH WAS
AN INTERESTING GUY,

BECAUSE HE WAS NOT ONLY
A POLICE OFFICER,

HE WAS AN ANTHROPOLOGIST.

SO HE WAS KIND OF AT THE NEXUS

BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND SCIENCE.

Narrator: VUCETICH HAD BEEN
STUDYING FINGERPRINTS FOR YEARS.

Lyle: HE HAD UNDERSTOOD
THAT THEY WERE INDIVIDUAL,

THAT THEY DIDN'T CHANGE
THROUGH LIFE,

THAT THEY WERE VALUABLE PIECES
OF INFORMATION FOR IDENTITY.

Narrator: BUT THIS WAS
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH,

NOT DETECTIVE WORK.

Wertheim: THE POSSIBILITY HAD
BEEN DISCUSSED HYPOTHETICALLY

IN THE LITERATURE.

HOWEVER, AT THAT POINT,

FINGERPRINTS HAD NEVER BEEN USED
BEFORE TO IDENTIFY A CRIMINAL.

Narrator:
AND THERE'S A PROBLEM...

AT THIS TIME, NO TOOLS EXIST
TO DO THIS TASK.

THERE'S NO ESTABLISHED
METHODOLOGY,

NO EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW.

THE MODERN METHOD
FOR LIFTING PRINTS

WAS DEVELOPED IN
THE EARLY 20th CENTURY.

THAT'S WHEN DETECTIVES
BEGAN TO USE BLACK POWDER,

A POLYMER THAT STICKS TO
THE OILS LEFT BY THE FINGERS,

BRINGING OUT THE FINER DETAILS
OF A PRINT.

THIS IMPRESSION COULD THEN BE
COPIED ONTO A PIECE OF TAPE

AND ANALYZED IN A LAB.

IT'S A TECHNIQUE
THAT'S STILL USED TODAY.

BUT BACK THEN,
ALVAREZ HAS ONLY ONE WAY

TO USE THE PRINT AS EVIDENCE.

THAT'S TO TAKE IT WITH HIM...

LITERALLY.

THE NEXT STEP IS TO TAKE A COPY
OF THE SUSPECT'S FINGERPRINTS

THE ONLY WAY THEY KNOW HOW.

Wertheim: THE METHOD USED TO
TAKE THE INKED FINGERPRINTS,

FUNDAMENTALLY THE SAME
AS WE USE TODAY...

A THIN FILM OF INK,

THE FINGER ROLLED ACROSS
THE INKED SURFACE,

AND THEN ROLLED ONTO
A PIECE OF PAPER

WITH BOXES FOR EACH FINGER
SEPARATELY.

Lyle: THEY TOOK ALL 10 DIGITS.

WELL, ONLY ONE WAS IN PLAY,

BECAUSE THEY HAD
A SINGLE FINGERPRINT.

SO WHAT THEY DO IS COMPARE IT

WITH THE PRINT THAT WAS LEFT
IN BLOOD ON THE DOORJAMB.

Narrator: BUT HOW WILL THEY KNOW
FOR SURE IF THE PRINTS MATCH UP?

Lyle: WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT

IS THE PATTERN OF WHAT WE CALL
FRICTION RIDGES,

AND THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS US
TO GRASP AND HOLD STUFF.

Narrator: BUT THE ARRANGEMENT OF
THE FRICTION RIDGES IS COMPLEX.

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF LINES
AND CIRCLES AND DOTS.

SO VUCETICH COMES UP WITH A WAY

TO SIMPLIFY THE CLASSIFICATION
OF FINGERPRINTS,

A METHOD THAT'S STILL
IN USE TODAY.

EACH FINGERPRINT IS DOMINATED BY
ONE OF THREE PRIMARY PATTERNS.

THE FIRST IS AN ARCH,
WHICH IS LIKE A TENT.

THE SECOND IS A LOOP,
LIKE ONE MADE WITH A SHOESTRING.

AND THE THIRD IS CALLED A WHORL,
WHICH LOOKS LIKE A WHIRLPOOL.

VUCETICH PROPOSED USING THESE
PATTERNS AS A SORTING TOOL.

IF TWO PRINTS PROVE TO BE
DIFFERENT TYPES,

THERE'S NO NEED
TO LOOK ANY FURTHER.

BUT IF THEY'RE IN
THE SAME CATEGORY,

THEN THEY'RE WORTH
A CLOSER LOOK.

AND IN THIS CASE,

THE BLOODY PRINT
AND VELAZQUEZ'S PRINT

ARE BOTH ARCHES.

SO VUCETICH GOES A STEP FURTHER

AND BEGINS TO HONE IN
ON THE SMALLER DETAILS.

Wertheim: YOU LOOK AT
THE INDIVIDUAL POINTS,

THE ENDING RIDGES,
THE SPLITTING RIDGES,

THE DOTS THAT APPEAR.

Narrator: RIDGE ENDINGS
ARE PLACES

WHERE THE RIDGES START AND STOP

AS THEY FLOW THROUGH
THE PATTERN.

IN OTHER PLACES,
A RIDGE WILL SPLIT IN TWO,

ALSO KNOWN AS A BIFURCATION.

A DOT IS A RIDGE

THAT IS AS LONG
AS IT IS WIDE.

THE UNIQUE ARRANGEMENT OF
THESE RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS

CLEARLY DISTINGUISHES
ONE PRINT FROM ANOTHER.

VUCETICH SPENDS HOURS
STUDYING THE TWO PRINTS,

RIDGE BY RIDGE,

TRYING TO MATCH DOTS,
BIFURCATIONS AND RIDGE ENDINGS.

HE'S LOOKING FOR THESE
CHARACTERISTICS

TO MATCH UP IN
THE SAME LOCATION

AND IN THE SAME ARRANGEMENT.

BUT, THE MORE HE LOOKS,

THE MORE HE REALIZES
THE FINGERPRINTS DON'T MATCH.

Wertheim: THIS FINGERPRINT
IN BLOOD

WAS NOT VELASQUEZ'S FINGERPRINT.

Lyle: WELL, IF IT WASN'T
HIS PRINT THERE IN THE BLOOD,

THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO
TIE HIM TO THAT CRIME SCENE.

Narrator:
THE POLICE ARE STUNNED.

IF THE PRINT WASN'T LEFT THERE
BY PEDRO VELASQUEZ,

THEN WHOSE IS IT?

BY 1985, FINGERPRINTS ARE
A TRIED AND TRUE METHOD

FOR IDENTIFYING KILLERS.

AND FOR THE DETECTIVES ON
THE TRAIL OF THE NIGHT STALKER,

IT'S THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL
IN THEIR FORENSIC ARSENAL.

THE KILLER HAS LEFT BEHIND
A LONG TRAIL OF VICTIMS

ALL ACROSS LOS ANGELES.

HE'S ATTACKED 23 PEOPLE,
KILLING 13.

BUT TEN ESCAPED
WITH THEIR LIVES.

AND THOSE SURVIVORS HELPED
POLICE TO CREATE A SKETCH.

THE MONSTER KNOWN AS
THE NIGHT STALKER

FINALLY HAS A FACE.

Ramsland: HE WAS A TALL,
WIRY GUY

WITH LONGISH, DARK HAIR
AND BAD TEETH,

THAT WAS THE ONE THING PEOPLE
REMEMBERED ABOUT HIM.

Narrator: BUT HE STILL HASN'T
LEFT BEHIND A SINGLE PRINT.

AND EVEN IF POLICE
DO GET A PRINT,

IT COULD TAKE MONTHS

TO COMPARE IT TO EVERY SINGLE
PRINT ON FILE.

THEN IN MID-AUGUST,

AN ELDERLY MAN IS SHOT TO DEATH
IN SAN FRANCISCO.

THE MAN'S WIFE SURVIVES
A VICIOUS BEATING,

AND WHEN THE VICTIM SEES
A SKETCH OF THE NIGHT STALKER,

SHE POSITIVELY I.D.s HIM
AS HER ATTACKER.

THE NIGHT STALKER IS
EXPANDING HIS KILL ZONE.

NOW THE ENTIRE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA IS ON HIGH ALERT.

INVESTIGATORS PORE OVER
EVERY CRIME SCENE,

LOOKING FOR FRESH CLUES.

UNTIL NOW, THE NIGHT STALKER
HAS BEEN LUCKY.

BUT HIS NEXT ATTACK
WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.

AUGUST 25th, THE HOME OF
BILL CARNS AND RENATA GUNTHER,

JUST SOUTH OF LOS ANGELES.

THEY'RE GETTING READY
FOR A NIGHT OUT.

THE NIGHT STALKER
REMOVES A WINDOW SCREEN

AND SLIPS INTO THE HOUSE,

CLOSING IN ON
THE UNSUSPECTING COUPLE.

[GUNSHOT]

THE KILLER SHOOTS
BILL IN THE HEAD.

THEN HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION
TO RENATA,

ORDERING HER TO SAY
THAT SHE LOVES SATAN

BEFORE SEXUALLY ASSAULTING HER.

Carrillo: HE LEFT THEM FOR DEAD,
BUT NEITHER ONE OF THEM DIED.

Narrator: THE NIGHT STALKER
FLEES WITH A WAD OF CASH

AND A HANDFUL OF JEWELRY.

RENATA IS TIED UP,
BUT STILL CONSCIOUS.

AND HER ATTACKER'S
PARTING WORDS ARE,

"TELL THEM THE NIGHT STALKER
WAS HERE."

BUT SHE'S GOING TO BE ABLE
TO TELL POLICE

SOMETHING MUCH MORE CRITICAL.

Ramsland: SHE MANAGED
TO GET TO A WINDOW

TO SEE WHAT HE WAS DRIVING.

Carrillo: THERE WAS A COLOR AND
A MAKE AND MODEL OF THE VEHICLE

WITH A LICENSE PLATE NUMBER.

WE HAD PUT OUT
THAT INFORMATION PUBLICLY

THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR A CAR,
THAT PARTICULAR CAR.

Narrator: TWO DAYS LATER,
POLICE CATCH A HUGE BREAK.

Carrillo: HE DUMPED THE CAR IN
CENTER OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES.

IT WAS ON A STREET,

AND IT WAS FOUND
BY A PATROL VEHICLE.

THEY CALLED IT IN,
AND THERE IT WAS.

Narrator: SUDDENLY,
THE INVESTIGATION HAS NEW LIFE.

Carrillo: HE HAD NOT LEFT PRINTS

AT ANY OF THE OTHER
MURDER LOCATIONS

THAT WE HAD BEEN TO.

Narrator: BUT THIS
COULD BE DIFFERENT.

WHEN INVESTIGATORS START
SEARCHING THE CAR FOR PRINTS,

THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
TWO POSSIBILITIES...

VISIBLE PRINTS,
KNOWN AS PATENT PRINTS,

SHOW UP EASILY IF A FINGER
HAS TOUCHED SOMETHING

LIKE BLOOD, DIRT OR GREASE.

BUT HIDDEN PRINTS,
KNOWN AS LATENT PRINTS,

NEED TO BE DEVELOPED
TO BE SEEN.

AND THERE ARE SIMPLE TOOLS

THAT CAN MAKE
LATENT FINGERPRINTS APPEAR

AS IF BY MAGIC...

POWDERS.

Vanderkolk:
THE POWDERS ARE EXTREMELY DRY.

SO BY APPLYING A BLACK POWDER
TO THE SURFACE,

THE DRY POWDER
ADHERES TO MOISTURE.

IT DOESN'T CARE WHAT
THAT MOISTURE IS,

IT CAN BE OIL, SWEAT,
WATER, DOESN'T CARE.

Glenn Langenburg: YOU ALSO
NEEDED A WHITE POWDER TECHNIQUE

TO DEVELOP LATENT PRINTS
ON DARK BACKGROUNDS.

AND SO THEY USED
A TALCUM-BASED POWDER.

Narrator: BLACK POWDER
ON LIGHT SURFACES,

AND WHITE POWDER
ON DARK SURFACES.

EACH SCENARIO CREATES
A HIGH CONTRAST,

MAKING THE PRINT VISIBLE.

BUT HOW DO YOU CREATE
A HIGH CONTRAST

WHEN A SURFACE IS MULTICOLORED,
LIKE SOME MAGAZINE COVERS,

OR UNEVEN AND TEXTURED,
LIKE A GRAIN OF WOOD?

FOR THAT, EXPERTS CAN TURN
TO FLUORESCENT POWDERS.

FLUORESCENT POWDERS ARE
APPLIED TO SURFACES,

LIKE BLACK OR WHITE POWDERS.

BUT IN ORDER TO SEE A PRINT
WITH FLUORESCENT POWDERS,

YOU NEED
AN ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT SOURCE,

WHICH SENDS WAVES OF COLOR

THAT REFLECT OFF
THE FLUORESCENT POWDER,

MAKING ONLY THE PRINT GLOW.

Wertheim: THE ADVANTAGE OF
THE FLUORESCENT POWDER IS

THAT EVEN A MINUTE AMOUNT
WILL GLOW

AND ALLOW PHOTOGRAPHY
OF THE PRINT

TO A DEGREE THAT MAKES IT
READILY IDENTIFIABLE.

Narrator: BUT EVERY
POWDER TECHNIQUE THEY TRY

REVEALS NOTHING.

THE NIGHT STALKER HAS
OUTSMARTED POLICE...

AGAIN.

IT'S NOW BEEN FOUR DAYS
SINCE HIS LAST ATTACK,

AND THE CLOCK IS TICKING.

THIS PROLIFIC KILLER
COULD STRIKE AGAIN,

UNLESS POLICE FIND HIM FIRST.

IN THE HUNT FOR
THE NIGHT STALKER,

COPS HAVE TWO CRITICAL CLUES...

A SUSPECT SKETCH PROVIDED BY
THE KILLER'S SURVIVING VICTIMS,

AND A CAR THAT WAS
DRIVEN BY THE KILLER

FROM HIS LATEST CRIME SCENE

AND FOUND ABANDONED IN
A PARKING LOT FOUR DAYS LATER.

FINGERPRINT EXPERTS HAVE BEEN
SCOURING THE VEHICLE NONSTOP,

BUT TRADITIONAL POWDERING
METHODS HAVE YIELDED NO PRINTS.

AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

Langenburg: ONCE YOU DEPOSIT
A LATENT PRINT RESIDUE,

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

FOR HOW LONG YOU HAVE
TO DEVELOP IT.

OVER TIME, AS THE RESIDUE
EVAPORATES AND DEGRADES,

YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO
DEVELOP A VISIBLE FINGERPRINT,

A VIABLE FINGERPRINT
TO IDENTIFY.

Narrator: SO POLICE
ARE ABOUT TO TURN

TO A REVOLUTIONARY NEW DEVICE
FOR DETECTING FINGERPRINTS...

A LASER.

LASERS, HIGHLY CONCENTRATED
BEAMS OF LIGHT,

WERE INVENTED IN 1960.

BY THE LATE 1970s,

THEY STARTED TO ENTER THE WORLD
OF FINGERPRINT DETECTION.

UNLIKE POWDERS, WHICH HAVE
TO ATTACH TO MOISTURE,

LIKE OIL OR SWEAT,

TO MAKE A FINGERPRINT VISIBLE,

A LASER DOESN'T NEED MOISTURE
TO SEE A PRINT.

WHEN THE BEAM HITS A SURFACE,

THE LIGHT ILLUMINATES
CERTAIN COMPOUNDS,

LIKE SODIUM AND GLUCOSE,

LEFT BEHIND WHEN
FINGERPRINT RESIDUE DRIES UP.

THE INTRODUCTION OF LASERS
IN FINGERPRINTING

WAS GROUNDBREAKING.

BUT THEIR USAGE WAS LIMITED.

Langenburg: THE FIRST LASERS
WERE VERY LARGE AND CLUNKY,

AND THEY NEEDED TO BE CHILLED
APPROPRIATELY AND COOLED DOWN.

THAT WASN'T VERY EFFECTIVE
FOR CRIME SCENES,

SO OFTEN THE EVIDENCE WOULD HAVE
TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE LAB

TO BE ANALYZED.

Narrator: BY THE 1980s,

PORTABLE, HANDHELD
LASER SCANNERS WERE INVENTED

THAT COULD BE CARRIED
TO CRIME SCENES.

USING THE LASER
LIKE A FLASHLIGHT,

INVESTIGATORS CAN CANVASS AN
AREA WITH A SIX-INCH-WIDE BEAM

LOOKING FOR PRINTS.

AND IN 1985, THE ORANGE COUNTY
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

HAD THE ONLY HANDHELD LASER
ON THE WEST COAST.

THEY'VE NEVER PUT IT INTO USE
UNTIL NOW.

AND THE NIGHT STALKER'S VEHICLE

WILL MAKE FOR A VERY
HIGH-PROFILE TEST CASE.

AFTER SCANNING FOR HALF A DAY,

THEY'RE ALMOST READY
TO GIVE UP.

BUT THEN...

THE LASER FINALLY DOES WHAT
TRADITIONAL POWDERING COULD NOT.

IT DETECTS A PRINT
ON THE REARVIEW MIRROR.

THE NIGHT STALKER HAS
MADE A CRITICAL MISTAKE.

AND WITHOUT LASER TECHNOLOGY,

HIS SLIP UP MAY HAVE
GONE UNNOTICED.

Carrillo: HE HAD FORGOTTEN
AND FAILED TO CLEAN UP

WHEN HE ADJUSTED THE MIRROR.

Narrator: THAT PRINT COULD LEAD
POLICE RIGHT TO HIM.

Ramsland: IT WAS VERY CLEAR,
DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE.

Narrator: THIS IS
A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH

IN THE INVESTIGATION,

BUT THERE'S STILL
A BIG JOB AHEAD...

FINDING THE MAN
WHO LEFT THAT PRINT.

USING FINGERPRINTS
TO CATCH A CRIMINAL

IS STILL A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA
IN 19th CENTURY ARGENTINA.

FRANCISCA ROJAS'S TWO YOUNG
CHILDREN HAVE BEEN MURDERED,

AND SHE'S AIMED SUSPICION
AT HER EX-LOVER.

INSPECTOR EDUARDO ALVAREZ AND
HIS MENTOR, JUAN VUCETICH,

HAVE TURNED TO FINGERPRINTS
TO SORT OUT THE TRUTH.

THE PRINTS OF THEIR MAIN SUSPECT

DON'T MATCH THE PRINT
LEFT BEHIND AT THE SCENE.

AND HORRIFYING AS IT MIGHT SEEM,

THE ONLY OTHER PERSON
THEY KNOW WAS AT THE SCENE

IS THE MURDERED CHILDREN'S
MOTHER, FRANCISCA ROJAS.

Wertheim: MRS. ROJAS'S STATEMENT

BASICALLY PUT ONLY TWO PEOPLE
AT THE CRIME SCENE,

HER AND VELASQUEZ,

WHO SHE WAS ACCUSING OF
THE MURDER OF HER TWO BABIES.

Lyle: SINCE THERE WERE TWO
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS DANCE,

WHO ELSE ARE YOU
GOING TO TURN TO?

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS
BRING FRANCISCA ROJAS

BACK IN FOR QUESTIONING.

Lyle: BUT SHE STUCK TO HER STORY

THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Narrator: ALL INSPECTOR ALVAREZ
HAS TO DO

TO KNOW IF SHE'S LYING

IS COMPARE HER PRINT
TO THE ONE FROM THE SCENE.

Lyle: MRS. ROJAS HAD SAID,
"VELASQUEZ DID IT,

I SAW HIM RUN AWAY."

Narrator: BUT THIS TIME,
SCIENCE GETS THE FINAL SAY.

AND WHEN THEY COMPARE
THE PRINTS...

THEY'RE A PERFECT MATCH.

THIS MOTHER OF TWO
KILLED HER OWN CHILDREN

AND POINTED THE FINGER
AT AN INNOCENT MAN,

HER ONE-TIME BOYFRIEND.

Lyle: THEY CONFRONTED HER
WITH THIS EVIDENCE,

AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW,
THIS PROVES THAT YOU ARE LYING.

YOU DID HAVE CONTACT,
IT IS YOUR PRINT.

SO SHE CONFESSED TO THE CRIME.

Narrator:
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,

POLICE USED FINGERPRINTS TO
IDENTIFY A MURDER SUSPECT.

AND THE KILLER TURNED OUT TO BE
THE VICTIMS' OWN MOTHER.

BUT THERE'S STILL ONE QUESTION...

WHY WOULD MRS. ROJAS
KILL HER OWN CHILDREN?

IT TURNS OUT, THE MAN
SHE ACCUSED OF THE MURDERS

WAS NOT HER ONLY LOVER.

SHE HAD ANOTHER ONE,

AND SHE'D DO ANYTHING
TO KEEP HIM.

Lyle: THE TRUTH WAS,

THE GENTLEMAN THAT
SHE WAS SEEING

SAID HE WOULD MARRY HER
IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE CHILDREN.

SO SHE KILLED HER CHILDREN
SO SHE WOULDN'T BE ENCUMBERED,

AND SHE CAN GO OFF
WITH HER LOVER.

Narrator: THANKS TO
A SINGLE BLOODY PRINT,

FRANCISCA ROJAS IS SENTENCED
TO LIFE IN PRISON,

AND A NEW ERA IN CRIME FIGHTING
HAS BEGUN.

JUAN VUCETICH REVOLUTIONIZED
CRIME FIGHTING

BY ESTABLISHING
A SCIENTIFIC SYSTEM

FOR COMPARING AND ANALYZING
THE ARCHES, LOOPS AND WHORLS

THAT MAKE UP A FINGERPRINT.

HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON EVER

TO MAKE A FINGERPRINT
IDENTIFICATION

IN A CRIMINAL CASE.

Lyle: VUCETICH WENT ON
TO PROMULGATE HIS BELIEFS

AND PUSH HIS WHOLE SYSTEM.

AND, INDEED, THROUGH
MUCH OF THE WORLD,

HIS SYSTEM WAS THE SYSTEM
THAT TOOK HOLD

AND IN MUCH OF THE WORLD
IS STILL USED TODAY.

Narrator: USED FOR
THE FIRST TIME

IN A SMALL TOWN
IN ARGENTINA,

FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION
WOULD GO ON TO BECOME

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
FORENSIC TOOLS IN THE WORLD.

ON AUGUST 21, 1911,

THE MONA LISA IS STOLEN
FROM THE LOUVRE.

A SINGLE PRINT ON HER GLASS CASE

LEADS POLICE TO ART THIEF
VINCENZO PERUGIA.

IN 1934, BANK ROBBER
JOHN DILLINGER

TRIES TO HAVE HIS FINGERPRINTS
BURNED OFF WITH ACID.

THE EFFORT FAILS,

AND SOME RIDGES ARE STILL
VISIBLE AFTER THE BURNS HEAL.

AND IN 1963'S
GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY,

WHEN A GANG OF THIEVES
STEAL OVER $7 MILLION

FROM A BRITISH TRAIN,

THEY ARE UNDONE BY
A SLEW OF FINGERPRINTS

FOUND ON SEVERAL SURFACES
OF THEIR HIDEOUT.

NOW, MOST CRIMINALS TAKE THE
PRECAUTION OF WEARING GLOVES.

BUT EVENTUALLY,

EVEN THE MOST CAUTIOUS OF
CRIMINALS SLIPS UP...

EVEN THE SERIAL KILLER
KNOWN AS THE NIGHT STALKER.

IN LATE AUGUST,

THE NIGHT STALKER HAS BEEN
ON THE LOOSE FOR FIVE MONTHS,

AND HE'S KILLED 13 VICTIMS.

IT'S BEEN SEVERAL DAYS
SINCE HIS LAST ATTACK,

AND POLICE KNOW HE'S LIKELY
TO STRIKE AGAIN AT ANY MOMENT.

BUT NOW THEY HAVE
THE KILLER'S FINGERPRINT,

FOUND IN THE CAR HE ABANDONED
AFTER HIS LAST SHOOTING.

STILL, THERE ARE MORE THAN
A MILLION FINGERPRINT CARDS

ON FILE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY
ALONE.

THERE'S CLOSE TO
FIVE MILLION STATEWIDE.

FINDING THE RIGHT MATCH BY HAND

WILL BE LIKE LOOKING
FOR A NEEDLE

IN ONE VERY LARGE HAYSTACK.

Ramsland: IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN
A LONE DETECTIVE ABOUT 67 YEARS

TO COMPARE THIS FINGERPRINT

AGAINST ALL THE FINGERPRINT
CARDS THAT THEY HAD.

Narrator: FORTUNATELY,
THEY DON'T HAVE TO.

THE SCIENCE OF FINGERPRINTS

IS ABOUT TO TAKE ANOTHER
HUGE LEAP FORWARD...

ONE THAT WILL SOMEDAY MAKE
ALL THAT MANUAL LABOR OBSOLETE.

Ramsland: THEY HAD JUST
BROUGHT IN A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM

FOR LOOKING AT DIGITAL DATABASES
OF FINGERPRINTS.

Narrator:
THE AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT
IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM, OR AFIS,

WILL CHANGE THE WAY THAT
POLICE DEPARTMENTS TRACK PRINTS.

WHILE THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

DEVISED BY JUAN VUCETICH
100 YEARS AGO

RELIED SOLELY ON OBSERVATION AND
SIFTING THROUGH PAPER RECORDS,

AFIS KEEPS DIGITAL FILES
OF OFFENDER FINGERPRINTS.

IT CAN COMPARE UNKNOWN PRINTS

AGAINST ALL KNOWN PRINTS
IN ITS DATABASE

IN A FRACTION OF THE TIME.

Langenburg: INVESTIGATORS SUBMIT
LATENT PRINTS TO US

TYPICALLY IN THE FORM
OF PHOTOGRAPHS

OR THESE LATENT PRINT LIFTS.

Narrator: ONCE THEY RECEIVE
A PRINT,

FORENSIC FINGERPRINT EXPERTS
SCAN IT

TO A CREATE A DIGITAL IMAGE.

Wertheim: THE COMPUTER SEES
THE RIDGES, IF YOU WILL,

AND IT SEES THE RIDGE ENDINGS
AND THE BIFURCATIONS.

Narrator: THE COMPUTER THEN
CREATES A MAP OR "CONSTELLATION"

FROM THE RELATIVE POSITIONS
OF ALL THESE POINTS.

THEN IT SEARCHES FOR OTHER
SIMILAR CONSTELLATIONS

IN THE DATABASE.

Langenburg: NOW WE COULD
SEARCH A PRINT

THAT HAD RETURNED
FROM A CRIME SCENE

WITHOUT ANY SUSPECT IN MIND
WHATSOEVER.

Narrator: THE AFIS CAN
SEARCH A LATENT PRINT

AGAINST MILLIONS OF
POSSIBLE MATCHES.

WHAT USED TO TAKE MONTHS,
EVEN YEARS,

CAN NOW BE DONE IN MOMENTS.

Langenburg: IT RETURNS
A LIST OF CANDIDATES,

AND THE ANALYST MANUALLY GOES
THROUGH AND MAKES THE MATCH.

Narrator: BY THE MID 1990s,

COMPUTERIZED FINGERPRINT
MATCHING SYSTEMS

WERE ESTABLISHED ALL OVER
THE UNITED STATES.

Wertheim: THE FBI HAS AROUND
70 MILLION SETS OF FINGERPRINTS,

700 MILLION INDIVIDUAL
FINGERPRINTS IN THEIR FILES.

THEN THERE ARE FILES
IN EACH STATE DATABASE.

AND MANY OF THE LARGE CITIES
HAVE THEIR OWN FILES.

Narrator: TODAY, THERE'S EVEN AN
INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF AFIS,

AND POLICE ACROSS THE WORLD
CAN ACCESS A NETWORK

THAT WILL MATCH
A PRINT IN ZIMBABWE

WITH A SUSPECT IN KANSAS.

IN 1985, AT THE HEIGHT OF
THE NIGHT STALKER'S REIGN,

THE SYSTEM IS STILL
IN ITS INFANCY.

BUT INVESTIGATORS ARE CONFIDENT
AFIS WILL PRODUCE A MATCH

TO THE PRINT THEY LIFTED FROM
THE NIGHT STALKER'S VEHICLE.

SURELY, THE MAN LEAVING A TRAIL
OF BODIES THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA

HAS A LONG HISTORY
OF HARD-CORE FELONIES.

Carrillo: THAT PRINT
WAS THEN SUBSEQUENTLY

SENT TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

HE WAS NOT IN THERE.

Narrator: THE NIGHT STALKER
IS NOT IN THE AFIS SYSTEM.

BUT IT TURNS OUT,

NOT EVERY TYPE OF CRIMINAL HAS
BEEN ENTERED INTO THE DATABASE.

Carrillo: BACK IN 1985,

THE ENTIRE SYSTEM
WAS NOT AUTOMATED,

AND IT ONLY HAD
FELONY CONVICTIONS

IN ITS AUTOMATION FEATURES.

ALL MISDEMEANORS HAD NOT
BEEN LOADED AT THAT TIME.

Narrator:
INVESTIGATORS ARE STUNNED.

THE NIGHT STALKER HAS SOMEHOW

NEVER BEFORE BEEN CONVICTED
OF A SERIOUS CRIME.

Ramsland: IT'S LIKE
YOU HAVE THE GUY,

YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO HE IS,

BECAUSE YOU HAVE
HIS FINGERPRINT,

AND YET, YOU DON'T KNOW
WHO HE IS,

BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING
TO MATCH THE PRINT AGAINST.

Narrator: DETECTIVES FEEL LIKE
THEY'RE BACK WHERE THEY STARTED.

BUT THERE'S STILL ONE CHANCE
TO NARROW DOWN THE FIELD...

THE SKETCH CREATED

BY THE NIGHT STALKER'S
SURVIVING VICTIMS.

POLICE SPREAD THE PICTURE OF
THE NIGHT STALKER FAR AND WIDE,

HOPING THE PUBLIC CAN HELP THEM
BREAK THE CASE.

[PHONE RINGS]

Carrillo: WE STARTED GETTING
FLOODS OF PHONE CALLS.

THERE WERE TWO, MAYBE THREE,

OUT OF THE THOUSANDS
THAT WE RECEIVED

THAT WERE VERY SIGNIFICANT.

ONE WAS FROM AN INFORMANT
THAT WE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP.

Narrator: THE INFORMANT,
A SMALL-TIME CROOK,

BELIEVES THE SKETCH
RESEMBLES A CAR THIEF

HE KNOWS ON THE STREET
AS "EL DESPEINADO."

Carrillo: TRANSLATED INTO
ENGLISH AS THE...

IT'S A SLANG WORD FOR
"THE UNKEMPT ONE,"

OR "THE UNCOMBED ONE,"

BECAUSE HE DID HAVE
DISHEVELED HAIR.

Narrator: THE INFORMANT
THEN GOES ONE STEP FURTHER

AND GIVES COPS HIS REAL NAME...

RICHARD RAMIREZ.

Carrillo: WE THEN SENT
THAT INFORMATION ON

TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
IN SAN FRANCISCO,

AND THEY MANUALLY
SEARCHED THE NAME,

AND THEY CAME UP WITH
EIGHT OF THEM.

Narrator: EIGHT MEN WITH
CRIMINAL RECORDS

NAMED RICHARD RAMIREZ,

EIGHT POSSIBLE SUSPECTS
OUT OF MILLIONS.

BUT ARE ANY OF THEM REALLY
THE NIGHT STALKER?

THE FINGERPRINT CARDS
FOR THE EIGHT SUSPECTS

ARE MANUALLY PULLED
FROM THE FILES.

Carrillo: THEY COMPARED
THE EIGHT

TO THE FINGERPRINTS THEY HAD
RECEIVED FROM ORANGE COUNTY.

Narrator: AND THIS TIME,
THERE IS AN EXACT MATCH.

THE RICHARD RAMIREZ
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR

IS A 25-YEAR-OLD DRIFTER
FROM EL PASO, TEXAS.

RAMIREZ HAS A RECORD OF
DRUG POSSESSION AND AUTO THEFT.

HE'D EVEN SERVED
A SHORT TIME BEHIND BARS

ON A MISDEMEANOR CHARGE.

HIS PRINTS HAD NOT YET
BEEN LOADED INTO AFIS.

Carrillo: WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED
A BOOKING PHOTO ON MR. RAMIREZ.

AT THREE O'CLOCK ON AUGUST 30th,

I TOOK THAT PHOTO DOWN
TO AN INFORMANT

WHO SAID THAT'S THE MAN THAT
I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUT,

THAT'S THE GUY.

Narrator: A SINGLE FINGERPRINT
HAS HELPED POLICE

MAKE A POSITIVE I.D.
ON THE NIGHT STALKER.

BUT THEY STILL DON'T KNOW
WHERE TO FIND HIM.

ON AUGUST 30, 1985,

POLICE HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE

WHERE THEY REVEAL
THE SUSPECT'S NAME PUBLICLY

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

THE NOOSE IS TIGHTENING.

AND EVEN THE NIGHT STALKER
HIMSELF CAN FEEL THE PRESSURE.

Ramsland: HE SAW HIS MUG SHOT
IN THE PAPER,

AND THAT'S WHEN HE KNEW
HE WAS IN TROUBLE.

EVERYBODY HAD SEEN HIS PICTURE,

EVERYONE KNEW THIS WAS THE GUY
THE POLICE WERE LOOKING FOR.

Narrator: AUGUST 31, 1985.

WHILE RAMIREZ IS TRYING
TO STEAL A CAR,

A GROUP OF PEOPLE RECOGNIZE HIM

AND ATTACK HIM IN THE MIDDLE
OF A RESIDENTIAL STREET.

Ramsland: ACTUALLY, THE POLICE
PROBABLY SAVED HIS LIFE.

Man: HE SAID SOMETHING
IN SPANISH ABOUT,

"I'M LUCKY THE COPS ARE COMING,"
OR SOMETHING,

'CAUSE HE KNEW THAT
WE WERE GONNA,

EVERYBODY WAS GONNA FINISH HIM.

Narrator:
AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR,

THE MANHUNT IS FINALLY OVER

THANKS TO SOME KEY WITNESSES,

AN ALERT PUBLIC,

AND ONE STRAY FINGERPRINT.

Carrillo: THERE WAS JUBILATION
ALL OVER THE COUNTY,

BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LONGER
A REASON FOR FEAR.

HE WAS IN CUSTODY.

EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY.

Narrator: POLICE INTERVIEWS
WITH RAMIREZ

REVEAL A DISTURBED CHILDHOOD,

WHEN ONE CHILLING INCIDENT MAY
HAVE MOLDED THE FUTURE KILLER.

Ramsland: WHEN RAMIREZ WAS 13,

A COUSIN OF HIS PICKED UP A GUN
AND SHOT HIS WIFE...

[GUNSHOT]

...RIGHT IN FRONT OF RAMIREZ.

HE'S SPATTERED, ALMOST BAPTIZED
IN THE BLOOD OF A MURDER VICTIM.

Narrator: RAMIREZ TURNS TO DRUGS
AND BEGINS TO PRACTICE SATANISM.

HIS OBSESSION WITH SATAN
GROWS TO THE POINT

WHERE RAMIREZ BRANDS HIMSELF

WITH ANOTHER KIND
OF FINGERPRINT...

A PENTAGRAM.

Ramsland: HE THOUGHT
THE MORE HE KILLED PEOPLE,

THE MORE HE WAS SERVING SATAN,
AND BEING A GOOD SERVANT,

SATAN WAS NEVER GOING TO
LET HIM GET CAUGHT.

Narrator: IN SEPTEMBER OF 1989,

RICHARD RAMIREZ IS
TRIED AND CONVICTED

OF 13 COUNTS OF MURDER,
FIVE ATTEMPTED MURDERS,

11 SEXUAL ASSAULTS,
AND 14 BURGLARIES.

HE IS SENTENCED TO DEATH.

Ramsland: RAMIREZ WAS NOT
REMORSEFUL IN ANY WAY.

HE BASICALLY SAID, "BIG DEAL,

DEATH ALWAYS WENT
WITH THE TERRITORY."

Narrator: RAMIREZ IS
STILL ON DEATH ROW

AWAITING EXECUTION
IN SAN QUENTIN PRISON.

FINGERPRINTS HELPED
CLOSE THE BOOK

ON THE INFAMOUS NIGHT STALKER.

BUT EVEN IN THE AGE
OF DNA PROFILING,

THE CENTURY-OLD TECHNOLOGY OF
FINGERPRINTING CRIME SCENES

IS STILL RELEVANT.

LIKE DNA, FINGERPRINTS ARE
UTTERLY UNIQUE

TO THE PERSON THEY CAME FROM,

AND THE TECHNOLOGY FOR
FINDING THOSE PRINTS

IS GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME.

Langenburg:
IN MORE MODERN TIMES,

WE'VE BEEN MORE EFFICIENT
IN HOW WE CAPTURE THEM.

WE USE WHAT'S CALLED
ELECTRONIC CAPTURE

TO SCAN THE FINGERPRINTS,
DIGITIZE THE FINGERPRINT,

AND STORE IT INTO A REPOSITORY.

Wertheim: IT'S GOTTEN
TO THE POINT NOW

WHERE FINGERPRINTS CAN BE
CAPTURED DIGITALLY

AT THE SCENE OF A CRIME,

TRANSMITTED DIRECTLY TO
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT,

SEARCHED THROUGH
AN AFIS DATABASE,

AND IDENTIFIED BEFORE
THE CRIME SCENE TECHNICIAN

CAN EVEN PACK
HIS FINGERPRINT KIT BACK UP

AND GET BACK TO THE STATION.

Narrator:
TODAY'S FINGERPRINT SCANNERS

CAN SEARCH AND COMPARE
LATENT PRINTS

MORE EFFECTIVELY
THAN EVER BEFORE,

ENHANCING THE CLARITY OF
PARTIAL AND SMUDGED PRINTS

TO CREATE CRYSTAL CLEAR
DIGITAL IMAGES.

THERE ARE ALSO NEW TECHNIQUES
TO HELP POLICE FIND PRINTS

ON SPENT BULLETS
AND SHELL CASINGS,

EVEN AFTER
THEY'VE BEEN WIPED CLEAN.

THIS TECHNIQUE WORKS
BY DETECTING

THE MINUTE TRACES OF CORROSION
ON THE METAL

CAUSED BY THE SALT
IN THE SWEAT ON FINGERS.

AND THE VERY LATEST TECHNOLOGY,

FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION,

WHICH COULD ONCE
TAKE MONTHS BY HAND,

CAN NOW BE DONE IN
A FRACTION OF THE TIME.

SOON, THE SCIENCE OF
FINGERPRINTS WILL BECOME

EVEN MORE SOPHISTICATED.

Vanderkolk: I SEE THE FUTURE
MAYBE EXPANDING BEYOND

THE TRADITIONAL RIDGES OF
THE PALMS, THE FINGERS.

I SEE MANY MORE EXAMINERS USING

THE CREASES OF THE WRISTS
AND THE HAND,

MAYBE THE ELBOW PRINTS,
THINGS LIKE THAT.

I SEE MORE SKIN IMPRESSIONS
IN THE FUTURE.

Narrator: BUT IT WILL ALWAYS
COME BACK TO THIS,

THESE WHORLS OF FLESH,

FASHIONED IN THE WOMB
AND CARRIED TO THE GRAVE.

TODAY, EVEN
THE SAVVIEST CRIMINALS

STILL LEAVE
THEIR FINGERPRINTS BEHIND,

NEVER THINKING TWICE ABOUT
CREATING A RECORD

OF WHERE THEY'VE BEEN
AND WHO THEY ARE...

...EVIDENCE THAT FORENSIC
SCIENTISTS WILL USE

TO CATCH THEM,

FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.