In the comparative investigation differences may arise between the found traces at the place of the crime and the test prints made of the ears of the suspect. Therefore it is necessary to consider the research, that Von Neubert, a German researcher, carried out in his final examination for a degree. He investigated the form deformation caused by pressure. His research was directed specially on the changes, that will occur by listening with light or strong pressure of the ear against a glass plate. In his research he found amongst other things that:
a: With strong pressure on the ear against a glass plate the changes related to the length and the breadth were bigger than with light pressure. The increase of the length of the ear with strong pressure against the glass plate was on average 4 millimeter, whilst the breadth was on average 2.5 millimeter.
b: The form of the earlobe showed great variety. The explanation was: there is no cartilage in the earlobe and it moves very easily.
c: As soon as the earlobe was visible in the print the change in the print was bigger in the breadth than in the length.
d: If the so called “knob of Darwin” was visible, this could be seen very clearly.
Von Neubert also came to the conclusion, that none of the ears researched was equal with those from somebody else. In my own research with numerous test persons, what Von Neubert indicated in his publication, was affirmed. It was also found that the form of the ear and the parts, that became visible at slight and strong pressure, hardly differed. It is true, the parts printed were more dominant ( broader and sometimes also longer), but in hardly any of the cases did many more parts of the ear become visible. Also the main form of the print did not change.
As far as my research shows at this moment (and also that, which has been researched by others), the results lead in my opinion to the following starting points for ear investigation:
at first – the form of the ear remains unchanged during the whole life time;
second – the mutual relations between the inside ear (concha) and the outside ear do not change anymore from the fourth month after birth until the decomposition.
third – Ears are, according to their form and size, so different, that there are not two people in the whole world who’s ears are totally alike. fourth – ears can be classified.
After further research I would also add: fifth – earprints can be recognized and classified by a neural network.
International developments.
Since autumn 1996 I’m involved in the investigation of a murder-case in both the United States of America and Great Britain. The murder-case in the United States of America took place in December 1994 in Clark County, Vancouver in Washington-state. In his house a man was beaten to death and an attempt had been made to do the same to his 12 year old son. During the crime-scene investigation an earprint was found on the master bedroom door in the house. This trace appeared to be the only physical piece of evidence.