Lieutenant Craig Cleary

Absolutely. Absolutely. Their first order of business was simple. See if the 1957 fingerprint matched up with their new suspect.

The prints were sent here, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department crime lab, easily the busiest in the country. handling over 70,000 cases a year.

The prints were sent here, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department crime lab, easily the busiest in the country. handling over 70,000 cases a year.

The prints were sent here, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department crime lab, easily the busiest in the country. handling over 70,000 cases a year.

Dale Falican and Don Kerr, top fingerprint specialists, took one look and knew right away their new suspect was no match to the old print, just another dead end.

Dale Falican and Don Kerr, top fingerprint specialists, took one look and knew right away their new suspect was no match to the old print, just another dead end.

Dale Falican and Don Kerr, top fingerprint specialists, took one look and knew right away their new suspect was no match to the old print, just another dead end.

But now that this old unsolved murder was suddenly on top of the pile again, they thought, why not give it one more try? And would you describe that as kind of fragile after all these years? It has literally fallen apart. This time, with the advantage of modern science.

But now that this old unsolved murder was suddenly on top of the pile again, they thought, why not give it one more try? And would you describe that as kind of fragile after all these years? It has literally fallen apart. This time, with the advantage of modern science.

But now that this old unsolved murder was suddenly on top of the pile again, they thought, why not give it one more try? And would you describe that as kind of fragile after all these years? It has literally fallen apart. This time, with the advantage of modern science.

Using everyday computer technology that wasn't even dreamt of in 1957, the experts were able to digitally reprocess the original photograph. This, in effect, is a really pared down version of this. That is correct. So the computer can read it. That is correct. But even with a new digital image of this original fingerprint, you still have to have some place to search for a match.

Using everyday computer technology that wasn't even dreamt of in 1957, the experts were able to digitally reprocess the original photograph. This, in effect, is a really pared down version of this. That is correct. So the computer can read it. That is correct. But even with a new digital image of this original fingerprint, you still have to have some place to search for a match.

Using everyday computer technology that wasn't even dreamt of in 1957, the experts were able to digitally reprocess the original photograph. This, in effect, is a really pared down version of this. That is correct. So the computer can read it. That is correct. But even with a new digital image of this original fingerprint, you still have to have some place to search for a match.

And that's what's really new. Following the events of 9-11, the FBI finally created a nationwide computer database. In it, a copy of every single criminal fingerprint from every state in the entire country. How big a deal is this?

And that's what's really new. Following the events of 9-11, the FBI finally created a nationwide computer database. In it, a copy of every single criminal fingerprint from every state in the entire country. How big a deal is this?

And that's what's really new. Following the events of 9-11, the FBI finally created a nationwide computer database. In it, a copy of every single criminal fingerprint from every state in the entire country. How big a deal is this?

They loaded a digital copy of the killer's prints into the system. And just like that, a man that had eluded capture for nearly half a century was found. In a matter of minutes.

They loaded a digital copy of the killer's prints into the system. And just like that, a man that had eluded capture for nearly half a century was found. In a matter of minutes.

They loaded a digital copy of the killer's prints into the system. And just like that, a man that had eluded capture for nearly half a century was found. In a matter of minutes.

Gerald F. Mason, after years of searching, the face of a killer.