Explain how Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) could assist investigators and ultimately solve cases. In general, how is the technology used in criminal investigations?
Compare how this technology is used now to how investigations were investigated in the past without the convenience of this technology.
Research a case from your community or a community nearby where you are from that has used the piece of technology that you have chosen and explain how the technology was used to assist the investigator.
Cite and reference the source. Provide the link to the case for your peers to read.

SOLUTION

How IAFIS Assists Criminal Investigations

The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) is a national automated fingerprint database maintained by the FBI that allows law enforcement agencies to quickly compare fingerprint evidence against millions of stored records. IAFIS houses tens of millions of criminal and civil fingerprint records along with criminal history information and provides automated search capabilities, latent fingerprint searching, electronic image storage, and 24/7 data exchange across local, state, and federal agencies. Wikipedia

In criminal investigations, fingerprints lifted at a crime scene (latent prints) are scanned and submitted electronically to IAFIS, which then returns a ranked list of potential matches based on fingerprint characteristics. This helps investigators identify suspects, confirm identities, and link evidence from crime scenes to known individuals rapidly and accurately. EBSCO

How IAFIS Changed Investigations

Before IAFIS:

Investigators relied on manual comparison of fingerprints using inked prints or photographic enlargements, comparing only against local or department collections.
If no suspect was known, researchers could only eliminate or match prints between two known sets, and would not be able to search a national repository.
Many cases went cold because there was no centralized database to conduct broad comparisons. Reddit

With IAFIS:

Fingerprints can be compared against millions of records nationwide, increasing the likelihood of identification dramatically.
Searches that once took days or months can now take hours or even minutes with electronic submissions.
Cold cases can be reopened when evidence is re‑submitted and matched against the broader database. Federal Bureau of Investigation+1

Case Example: Cold Case Murder Solved After Decades

Carroll Bonnet Cold Case (Omaha, NE)

One of the most dramatic examples of how IAFIS revolutionizes criminal investigation is the 30+‑year‑old murder of Carroll Bonnet in Omaha, Nebraska:

Case Background: In 1978, 61‑year‑old Carroll Bonnet was stabbed and killed, and his car stolen. Investigators found latent fingerprints and palmprints at the scene but could not match them to anyone with the tools available at that time.
Reopening & IAFIS Submission: In 2008, long after the case had gone cold, technicians submitted the latent fingerprints to IAFIS. Within less than 5 hours, the system returned possible candidate matches. Investigators linked the prints to Jerry Watson, who was in prison for an unrelated burglary and lived near where Bonnet’s stolen car was found.
Outcome: The combination of the IAFIS fingerprint match and subsequent DNA evidence led to arrest and conviction of Watson. He was sentenced to life in prison exactly 33 years after the crime occurred. Federal Bureau of Investigation+1

Read the official case source:
FBI story on the 30‑year cold case solved with IAFIS — https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/30-year-old-murder-solved Federal Bureau of Investigation

Why This Technology Matters

Speed and Scope

IAFIS reduces what was formerly a manual, localized task into a nationwide, automated search, granting investigators access to a comprehensive fingerprint repository within hours. Federal Bureau of Investigation

Solving Cold Cases

Many old cases that could never be closed due to lack of suspect data can be reopened and solved using evidence already collected long ago once it’s run through IAFIS. Office of Justice Programs

Supporting Modern Forensics

Pairing fingerprint matches from IAFIS with DNA evidence or other modern forensic tools strengthens cases in court. Federal Bureau of Investigation

Summary

IAFIS is a key technological advancement in modern criminal investigation, providing rapid, nationwide fingerprint identification that wasn’t previously possible.
It lets investigators match fingerprints from crime scenes to known records across jurisdictions — drastically improving case resolution rates.
A real example from Omaha, Nebraska — where a 1978 murder was solved decades later thanks to IAFIS — illustrates the technology’s power and importance.

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