History & Development of Forensic Science

When in Rome… “Forensic” comes from the Latin word “forensis” meaning forum. During the time of the Romans, a criminal charge meant presenting the case before the public. Both the person accused of the crime & the accuser would give speeches based on their side of the story. The individual with the best argumentation would determine the outcome of the case.

Important Events 44BC – Antistius performs first autopsy on Ceasar A Collection of Criminal Cases released 700s AD - Chinese used fingerprints to establish identity of documents and clay sculptures 1149 - King Richard of England created the job of the coroner to investigate questionable death 1248 - Chinese book Hsi Duan Yu (The Washing Away of Wrongs) appears in 1248. The book distinguished drowning (water in the lungs) and strangulation (pressure marks on the throat and damaged cartilage in the neck) from death by natural causes. A murder in China is solved when flies were attracted to invisible blood residue on a sword of a man in the community

Where did forensic science start? The first appearance of experts in the courtroom was documented around the end of the 18th century. The emergence of modern chemistry around that period led to discoveries which were applicable to crime investigation and detection.

Developments in Forensic Science 1670- Anton van Leeuwenhoek of Holland constructs the first high powered microscope 1776- Paul Revere identified the body of General Joseph Warren based on the false teeth he had made for him 1784- John Toms convicted of murder on basis of torn edge of wad of paper in pistol matching a piece of paper in his pocket 1859- Gustav Kirchoff and Robert Bunsen developed the science of spectroscopy 1864- Crime scene photography developed

Developments in Forensic Science 1879- Bertillion system 1887- First Sherlock Holmes story 1893 - Hans Gross – published book called criminal investigation, first forensic science textbook that is wide spread 1896- Edward Henry developed the first classification system for fingerprint identification (still used in some cases) 1900- Karl Landsteiner identified human blood groups 1904- Locard principle 1922- Francis Aston developed the mass spectrometer 1950 – American Academy of Forensic Sciences Founded

People of Historical Significance

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sci-fi author in late 1800’s Popularized scientific crime-detection methods through his fictional character ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

Mathieu Orfila (1787-1853) “Father of Toxicology” Published his book in 1813 Wrote about the detection of poisons & their effects on animals because at the time poisoning was a preferred method of murder.

Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914) “Father of Anthropometry” - 1879 Developed a system to distinguish one individual person from another based on certain body measurements.

Anthropometry Disproven when two convicts with identical measurements and names are found in Leavenworth Prison. Instead they had to be Identified through fingerprints.

West Case

Francis Galton (1822-1911) “Father of Fingerprinting” Nephew of Charles Darwin Developed fingerprinting as a way to uniquely identify individuals.

Leone Lattes (1887-1954) Italian Scientist 1915 devised a procedure by which dried bloodstains could be grouped as A, B, AB or O His procedure is still used today by some forensic scientists

Calvin Goddard (1891-1955) “Father of Ballistics” Developed the technique to examine bullets, using a comparison microscope, to determine whether or not a particular gun fired the bullets.

Albert Osborn (1858-1946) “Father of Document Examination” - 1910 His work led to the acceptance of Questioned Documents as scientific evidence by the courts.

J. Edgar Hoover “Father of the FBI” - Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation during the 1930’s Hoover's leadership spanned 48 yrs & 8 presidential administrations. His reign covered Prohibition, the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War, & the Vietnam War. He organized a national laboratory to offer forensic services to all law enforcement agencies in the U.S.

Edmond Locard (1877-1966) “Father of the Crime Lab” In 1910, he started the 1st crime lab in an attic of a police station. With few tools, he quickly became known world-wide to forensic scientists & criminal investigators & eventually founded the Institute of Criminalistics in France. His most important contribution was the “Locard’s Exchange Principle”

Locard’s Exchange Principle “Every Contact Leaves a Trace.” He believed that every criminal can be connected to a crime by particles carried from the crime scene. When a criminal comes in contact with an object or person, a cross-transfer of evidence occurs. Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value. - Professor Edmond Locard

Locard Principle in Action You have 2 children and a cat. You run out to take care of some errands that include stopping at a furniture store, the laundry, and the house of a friend who has one child and a dog. From a forensic standpoint, this sequence of events can provide a gold mine of information. Discuss the following questions with your neighbor. What “traces” of you are left behind at each stop? What evidence of each stop do you take with you?

Applications of Forensic Science Today Identification of Criminals or Victims Solving Mysteries Past crimes (unsolved or wrongfully convicted) Cause, Location, Time of Death Paternity cases Cyber crimes Corporate Crimes Voice Analysis

Applications of Forensic Science Today Application of DNA as evidence Prevention vs. Reaction Catastrophes & Wars ID remains of victims (either civilian or soldiers) ex. Holocaust or Katrina Military & International Forensics Terrorism The search for WMD’s stockpiled or stored weapons from past wars