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www.officer.com November 2014 Law Enforcement Technology 27 impression. "That works well on really wet snow where plaster tends to run down really easily," says Wolfe. "It works better in warmer temperatures." In Anchorage, where the weather is cold, Wolfe states using gray paint to coat the snow or putting down some dry dental stone, called dry casting, is more effective. He advises to mix the dental stone thick and it will be less likely to seep through. Sulfur cement "Some people like it and some people really don't," explains Wolfe. "It's a form of sulfur that's been around 60 or 70 years. It's hot when it's a liquid, then you let it cool until right when it's about to harden and you pour it in." Although you're pouring some- thing hotter than water into the snow impression, the sulfur hardens and makes a shell. "The snow melts but it's hardened and you have the impres- sion," he says. Some of the drawbacks to this method are it smells like sulfur; there are safety issues because officers and technicians have to wear protective gear, like gloves and a respirator; and requires extra equipment. Regardless, Kathi Young, Forensic Technician II, Alaska State Crime Lab-Fairbanks, utilizes this method quite often. "I do it in all kinds of weather down to 50 below," she states. Although Young also uses a lot of dental stone, when the weather turns nice she likes sulfur cement. "It was a sunny day," explains Young in reference to a recent inves- tigation. "This was for a gentleman accused of arson. The ice was thin and the sun was out. When I tried to use dental stone, I got mush." She says using sulfur cement can be difficult because of the need for equipment, like a propane stove but, the challenge returns good results. Because of the complications of this as well as dental stone, forensic experts are excited about a new kind of method. Snow stone "With dental stone, you mix it and pour it and it takes about five minutes or so," explains Wolfe referencing a new gypsum-based product from Kjell & Jens Carlsson. "SnowStone starts to gel in about 45 seconds and does its initial set in about a minute. This is a technique we've been looking at up here because it's quick." Young just completed an experiment for valida- tion of SnowStone and was impressed. She used it in weather up to 40 below. "I'm excited to use the plaster cast this winter," she says. "I enjoy it. It's going to be faster than the sulfur cement. It's faster, and faster is always good when it's really cold out." With three materials to choose from agencies can decide what works best for them. "All three techniques can give you a decent cast," explains Wolfe. Circle 45 on Reader Service Card Using paint to create shadows before casting increases photography quality.