Fingerprint evidence leads to North Van break-and-enter conviction

A 31-year-old Richmond was convicted of break-and-enter with the police using the finger prints to nab the suspect.

In August, 2020, a North Vancouver resident returned from a camping trip to find her town ransacked by a thief.

Once officers arrived on the scene and immediately set to work to locate evidence that might help identify the person or people responsible.

“Conducting inquiries in the neighbourhood to find any potential witnesses is just one step in that process,” said DeVries.

Following another investigational avenue, officers on scene also requested the attendance of the Integrated Forensic Identification Services.

These crime scene specialists can help locate and gather forensic evidence. Once there, technicians take responsibility for identifying and collecting exhibits, and for detecting, examining, recording, and preserving physical, biological, and other trace evidence so it can be sent for scientific analysis.

“In terms of scientific advancements in evidence gathering,” said DeVries, “fingerprints are one of the older ones.” An oldie, but still a goodie.

And while fingerprint evidence is only one type of evidence available to help courts decide whether or not to convict a person accused of a crime, it remains a very strong type of evidence that can indicate a person’s involvement.

Crime scene examiners were able to lift a set of prints from an item in the home that appeared to have been handled by the suspect and they came back with a possible suspect..

Investigators were able to make an arrest in October of last year.

The case was brought in BC Provincial Court, and last week, Tolga Gul, a 31-year-old resident of Richmond, was convicted of one count of Break and Enter.

He was sentenced to 202 days in jail.