Tracking Footwear Impression Evidence

Background Information

The following passages are from the "Southwest Association of Trackers Handbook" (formerly the Western New Mexico Search and Rescue Trackers Association) authored by Owen Couch - Founder/Director.

Detailed tracking and sign cutting information can be found at their Website :

Tracking is activity by a trained team of personnel engaged in finding, interpreting, and following the signs of passage of a person, animal, vehicle, etc. Tracking is successfully used in search and rescue operations to locate persons lost in rural, surburban and remote areas.

Sign Cutting is the skill of locating, following and identifying evidence of passage that a subject leaves literally every time a step is taken. Sign Cutters are trained to identify, interpret, and follow such obscure and minute evidence such as broken twigs, bent grass, and displaced pebbles.

Tracking & Sign Cutting Skills at the Crime Scene

While Tracking, Sign Cutting and Gait Analysis at crime scenes may offer little to establish the Identity of the perpetrator(s), the application of knowledge from these disciplines may be used to provide Clues and Insights that are not obtained simply by recovering footwear evidence.

Tracking and Sign Cutting skills may be combined with traditional crime scene investigation methods when Searching a crime scene for footwear impression evidence.

Clues disclosed by tracking are often very subtle, and they need to be observed closely in order to learn meaningful information. Through the skillful combination of Tracking and Footwear Impression observations, it is possible to Re-create the Events leading up to, and which occur during, the commission of a crime. Investigators may also learn of their sequence, and information about the perpetrator(s) such as:

• Minimum number of perpetrators.
• Points of Entry and Exit.
• Positions of suspect(s), victim(s), & witness(es).
• Direction(s) of travel.
• Pathway(s) through the crime scene.
• Time period of occurrence (Short-lived impressions in frost, snow, dew).
• Sequence of impression creation.
• Manner of track creation (walk, run, limp, stagger).
• Evidence associated with track impressions (dropped or strewn items, shed [blood] items, re-located items).
• Associated tracks (tire tracks, drag marks, animal tracks, shopping cart, wheelbarrow).
• Link between crime scenes (criminals may commit several crimes per 'evening').

Perpetrator's Passage through a Crime Scene

Under some circumstances, the Crime Scene Technician can develop Investigative Leads, not by directly observing the visible track of footwear impressions, but rather using tracking and sign cutting knowledge to record a perpetrator's Passage through the crime scene.

• Bent vegetation (grasses, plants).
• Depressed marks on: (papers, magazines, cardboard, ceiling tiles).
• Objects imbedded into soil (stones, twigs, leaves).
• Transferred foreign objects (glass particles, pebbles, grass blades).
• Kicked objects (doors, screens, windows, drywall).
• Disturbed surface layers (dust, snow, dew).
• Groupings of impressions (indicates area of intense activity).
• Splash patterns (water, mud, snow).
• Compression / Displacement of soil or sand.

Optimum Seasons for Tracking

Certain seasons of the year lend themselves to better tracking activity due to the soil's enhanced ability to record and retain footwear impressions. This improved affinity for impressions is due to the softening of the soil resulting from snow melt or rainfall. The soil retains sufficient moisture for impressions to be recorded and located.

• Early Spring snowmelt softens the ground.
• Spring rainfall creates soft, muddy ground.
• Early Fall rainfall softens the dry, summer-baked ground.
• Fresh snowfall depicts impressions in sharp contrast to the smooth snow cover.

Tracking Professional Societies

There are several professional societies devoted to Tracking and Sign Cutting. These organizations share and promote the skill to read and interpret track and sign evidence. They use their discipline to direct and assist search and rescue operations and law enforcement agencies. Training courses for continuing education and for new members are offered by a number of these organizations.

Below are listed some links:

International Society of Professional Trackers  http://w3.gorge.net/tracker

Snohomish County Trackers  http://home1.gte.net/tracku2/tracking_intro.htm

Southwest Association of Trackers  http://www.cia-g.com/~owen/WNM-SARTA.htm

The Universal Tracking Services, Inc.  http://www.sarbc.org/uts/

The Pacific Northwest Trackers Assoc.  http://pacificnwtrackers.ourmail.com/

Tracking & Gait Analysis in Footwear Impression Literature

C.A.S.T. Website address: http://members.aol.com/varfee/mastssite/index.html