The Deptford Mask Murders

The Fingerprint Department at Scotland Yard was established in 1901, growing out of a system of detailing body measurements to validate evidence at crime scenes. Despite early enthusiasm for the ground-breaking technique and some good support from leading detectives, by 1905, the department had still only managed to secure one conviction using the technique — for a burglary that took place in 1902. So when police find a clear thumbprint at the scene of a double murder, they throw their best men at solving the case and getting their first-ever murder conviction using fingerprint technology. Three Scotland Yard heavyweights — Detective Chief Inspector Fox, a leading detective at the Yard; Inspector Charles Stockley Collins, head of the fingerprint department; and none other than Assistant Commissioner for Crime, Sir Melville Macnaghten — are about to make history.

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