[connectthedots]

I would have thought she would have wiped the wet polish off during her struggle with her attackers.

Is thee such a thing as nail polish splatter science? ;-)

[Sacajaweau]

You can probably evaluate the thickness of the polish and equate the drying time and the force needed to scrape it as it was drying which is likely a lot longer than we think. Even a brush up against a clothing article will leave a certain mark...much different from the marks on the railing.

If she lost them in a "scratching" struggle, they should have DNA on them just like any other nail.