Mr. Latona.

The reason we use both is because we do not know what was in the subject's fingers or hands or feet. Accordingly, to insure complete coverage, we use both methods. And we use them in that sequence. The iodine first, then the silver nitrate. The iodine is used first because the iodine simply causes a temporary physical change. It will discolor, and then the fumes, upon being left in the open air, will disappear, and then the color will dissolve. Silver nitrate, on the other hand, causes a chemical change and it will permanently affect the change. So if we were to use the silver nitrate process first, then we could not use the iodine fumes. On occasion we have developed fingerprints and palmprints with iodine fumes which failed to develop with the silver nitrate and vice versa.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Now, Mr. Latona, looking at that bag I see that almost all of it is an extremely dark brown color, except that there are patches of a lighter brown, a manila-paper brown. Could you explain why there are these two colors on the bag?

Mr. Latona.

Yes. The dark portions of the paper bag are where the silver nitrate has taken effect. And the light portions of the bag are where we did not process the bag at that time, because additional examinations were to be made, and we did not wish the object to lose its identity as to what it may have been used for. Certain chemical tests were to be made after we finished with it. And we felt that the small section that was left in itself would not interfere with the general overall examination of the bag itself.

Mr. Eisenberg.

That is, the small section of light brown corresponds to the color which the bag had when you received it?

Mr. Latona.

That is the natural color of the wrapper at the time we received it.

Mr. Eisenberg.

And the remaining color is caused by the silver nitrate process?

Mr. Latona.

That is correct.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Does paper normally turn this dark brown color when treated by silver nitrate?

Mr. Latona.

Yes; it does. It will get darker, too, as time goes on and it is affected by light.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Mr. Latona, does the silver nitrate process permanently fix the print into the paper?

Mr. Latona.

Permanent in the sense that the print by itself will not disappear. Now, it can be removed, or the stains could be removed chemically, by the placing of the object into a 2 percent solution of mercuric nitrate, which will remove the stains and in addition will remove the prints. But the prints by themselves, if nothing is done to it, will simply continue to grow darker and eventually the whole specimen will lose its complete identity.

The Chairman.

May I ask a question here?
So I understand from that that this particular document that you are looking at, or this bag, will continue to get darker as time goes on?

Mr. Latona.

Yes; it will.

The Chairman.

From this date?

Mr. Latona.

That's right.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Returning to the prints themselves, you stated I believe that you found a palmprint and a fingerprint on this paper bag?

Mr. Latona.

That is correct.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Did you find any other prints?

Mr. Latona.

No; no other prints that we term of value in the sense that I felt that they could be identified or that a conclusion could be reached that they were not identical with the fingerprints or palmprints of some other person.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Did you attempt to identify the palmprint and fingerprint?

Mr. Latona.

The ones that I developed; yes.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Were you able to identify these prints?

Mr. Latona.

I--the ones I developed, I did identify.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Whose prints did you find them to be?

Mr. Latona.

They were identified as a fingerprint and a palmprint of Lee Harvey Oswald.