The man who burst into Santa Barbara Savings and Loan demanding money on March 1, 1990, left few clues behind. Like most bank robbers, he wore a mask to obscure his facial features. However, it wasn’t long before federal investigators believed they had found their man: James D’Ambrosio. When he went to trial, D’Ambrosio was found guilty because of one key piece of evidence: His blue jeans. The FBI compared clothes, including the denim jeans worn by the robber, to clothes in D’Ambrosio’s possession that were found during a search of his residence. An expert witness for the agency testified that specific identifiers on the jeans — including wear marks, creases, and faded material — affirmed that they were the same pair. It was something like a denim fingerprint, and it assisted the jury in their decision. Indeed, James D’Ambrosio wasn't convicted solely on his choice of attire. In mounting its case, the prosecution offered that 4 of the 8 tellers were able to state with confidence that they could identify the robber’s voice. One teller testified she saw D’Ambrosio’s face before he pulled his mask up, though she had identified a different person in a photo lineup. Nevertheless, it’s clear that the jury lent credence to the idea that his jeans were the same pair caught on camera. Are worn jeans enough to nail future suspects? That remains to be seen, but should you find yourself entertaining the idea of committing a crime, you might be better off in sweatpants.
