How should fingers be treated if they are tightly clenched due to rigor mortis during fingerprinting?

When fingers are tightly clenched due to rigor mortis, the most effective method is to forcibly straighten them, often referred to as "breaking the rigor." Rigor mortis, which typically sets in several hours after death, causes the muscles to stiffen, making it difficult to obtain clear fingerprints.

Forcibly straightening the fingers can help to relax the contraction of the muscles caused by rigor mortis, allowing for a better positioning of the fingers for fingerprinting. This action is crucial for capturing an accurate impression, which is important in forensic investigations to ensure that latent prints can be analyzed effectively.

Applying heat, soaking in water, or leaving the fingers as they are would either not provide the necessary assistance to obtain clear prints or could potentially damage the skin, leading to poor quality impressions. Therefore, forcibly straightening the fingers is the recommended practice to ensure that the necessary details are captured during fingerprinting after death when rigor mortis is present.