Latent Print Examination Expert Witness Robert May

Robert J. May has a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, with experience in Forensic Analysis, Executive-level Management, and Quality Assurance. He is a Latent Print Examiner with nearly 25 years of experience and has been a consultant with Riley, Welch, LaPorte and Associates for roughly 20 years.

Litigation Support - Mr. May has conducted latent print casework and technical reviews across the United States and beyond, having been qualified as an expert witness across multiple jurisdictions. He provides clear, accessible expert testimony, affidavits, and consultation to attorneys, investigators, and courts, translating complex latent print, crime scene, and forensic imaging issues into opinions that can be understood and evaluated by judges and juries. Mr. May has never been excluded as an expert or from testifying as an expert witness in any County, State, Federal, Arbitration or Administrative proceeding. 

Areas of Expertise:

• The Use of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)
• Fingerprint Comparison and Identification Methodology
• Digital Enhancement Techniques
• Crime Scene Processing
• Evidence Processing and Documentation Using a Variety of Physical and Chemical Techniques
• Latent Print Visualization Using Alternate Light Sources and Lasers
• Subject Matter Expert in Digital Photography (taught crime scene and general photography for multiple agencies)

In addition to technical acumen in his forensic specialties, as a Laboratory Executive, Mr. May is a recognized leader in the forensic community. He has served as a laboratory director across multiple systems, with broad knowledge of lab operations, facility design, policy development, budgeting, human resources, metrics, process evaluation, and more.

Background Experience - Mr. May has a diverse background in both forensics and law enforcement. Prior to his current position as the Crime Lab Manager for the Corpus Christi (TX) Police Department’s Forensic Services Division, Mr. May spent 26 years as a trooper with the Michigan State Police, one of the nation’s premier law-enforcement agencies. Aside from considerable knowledge of general investigations and law-enforcement operations, his deepest expertise, and greatest passion, lies with forensic science. Mr. May spent most of his career within the MSP Forensic Science Division, beginning as a technical expert in latent prints, crime scene investigation, and forensic photography. He rose to the position of supervisor in latent prints and was ultimately promoted to laboratory director at the Sterling Heights Laboratory in Metro Detroit. He retired in 2020 as a decorated command officer with multiple commendations to his name, including awards for professional excellence and lifesaving, among others.