Forensic Scientists
Forensic Science involves the application of scientific principles & methods to assist the administration of justice. These scientists were involved in its interesting evolution.
Dr Edmond Locard (France)-Known as Sherlock Holmes of France, Dr Locard is credited with formulating a basic premise that underpins much of theory of forensic science: Locard’s Exchange Principle-‘where every contact leaves a trace’. Each type of trace evidence can be analyzed using scientific methods specific to that item. He later established the Institute of Criminalistics at the University of Lyon.
Mathieu Orfila (Spain)- The father of modern Toxicology. If there is a reason to believe that a murder or attempted murder may have been committed using poison, a forensic toxicologist is often bought in to examine pieces of evidence such as corpses and food items for poison content. Orfila is also credited as the first person to use the microscope to assess blood and semen stains.
Paul Revere (USA)-Although well known as a silversmith who indulged in nocturnal horse riding, was a practicing dentist and performed the first case of dental identification. Forensic Odontology is the study of teeth. It involves the identification of bodies by teeth, jaws and bones of the skull and face, as well as investigation of bite-marks and other trauma on the mouth and face.
Song Ci (China)- Worked as a forensic expert during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He used Entomology- the study of insects as a tool in solving criminal cases. Forensic Entomology are used to determine location and time of death. The ‘flies’ are usually first to appear on the dead and ‘Beetles’ are late-stage scavengers.
Thomas Dwight (USA)-Father of American Forensic Anthropology. A relatively new field of study, Anthropologists can determine age, gender, and ethnicity of human being from a study of skeleton remains. Similar to fingerprints, every skeleton presents a unique bone profile which tells a story. It is even possible in certain cases to deduce the career of the person.
Patricia Cornwell (USA)- is a famous crime writer, her book ‘Portrait of a Killer’ relates her attempt to apply modern forensic science techniques to solve the mystery of the identity of ‘Jack the Ripper’. According to her, Walter Sickert- one of Britain’s foremost impressionist painter is Jack the Ripper. In her quest for DNA evidence, her team swabbed the correspondence of Walter Sickert and found a sequence of DNA on several of the ‘Jack the Ripper’ letters. While it may strongly suggest that Sickert wrote some of the letters, it does not prove he was Jack the Ripper. This is the oldest DNA ever tested in criminal investigation.
Sir Alec Jeffreys (England)- was the first and well known for developing techniques for genetic fingerprinting and DNAprofiling which are now used worldwide in forensic science to assist police detective work and to resolve paternity and immigration disputes.
Calvin Goddard (USA)-was a forensic scientist and a pioneer in forensic Ballistics. He is credited with revolutionizing the field of firearm examination by advancing the use of comparison microscopy. His work on the St Valentine’s day massacre, orchestrated by Al Capone led to the founding of the Scientific Crime Detection laboratory on the campus of Northwestern University, Illinois in 1929.
Dr Wilhelm Klaus (Austria)- an expert in Forensic Palynology- a study of pollen, grains, spores etc. One of the earliest cases of involving the use of pollen analysis was in Austria in 1959. A man disappeared near Vienna but his body could not found. Police had a suspect with a motive but no evidence to link him with the possible crime. The suspect’s muddy boots were examined by Dr Klaus who found a rare fossilized pollen which enabled him to pinpoint where the defendant must have walked to get the mud in his boots. When confronted, the defendant confessed and showed the police where he killed and buried the body, both of which occurred in the precise region Dr Klaus had pinpointed.
Karl Landsteiner (Austria): named and standardized the four blood groups, and in 1915 Dr Leon Lattes (Italy) applied saline solution to stains on fabric and other materials, developing a method to restore dried blood to its liquid form so that it could be tested for Blood Type. Serology is an important field of forensic science that performs tests on blood and other bodily fluids. It is especially useful in the investigation of rape.
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