Who is acknowledged for initially suggesting the connection between fingerprints at crime scenes and finger impressions?

Dr. Henry Faulds is recognized for being one of the first to articulate the association between fingerprint patterns and individual identification in criminal investigations. In the late 19th century, Faulds conducted experiments with inked fingerprints and noted their uniqueness, which laid the groundwork for future advancements in fingerprint analysis and its application in the field of forensic science. He published his findings in a letter to Nature in 1880, where he advocated for the use of fingerprints as a means of identifying individuals in criminal cases. This seminal work significantly contributed to the establishment of fingerprinting as a reliable method for criminal identification.

Other figures, such as Sir Edward Henry, Vucetich, and Sir William Herschel, also made notable contributions to the development of fingerprinting techniques and classification systems later on, but it was Faulds who initially emphasized the link between crime scene fingerprints and the identification of suspects.