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300
Friction Ridge Skin Impressions (Fingerprinting)
Friction ridge skin impressions were used as proof of a person’s identity in China -
400
The First Law of Deciding the Cause of Death
Medical professionals must be the ones to identify the cause of death in crimes, according to the first laws enacted by Germanic and Slavic nations. -
750
First Lie Detector
An ancient Greek physician named Erasistratus observes that when his patients tell lies, their heart rates rise. -
First Crime Using Physical Evidence
In 1784, John Toms used a pistol to shoot Edward Culshaw in the head. Later, a fragment of newspaper was discovered in John's pocket. This was the first time a suspect was convicted based on physical evidence. -
Bullet Comparison
To catch a murderer, Henry Goddard compares bullets. The analogy was made because an apparent imperfection in a pistol matched a piece in his pocket. -
Body Temperature
In 1863, a person's body temperature was used to determine when they died. -
US Fingerprinting
The New York Police Department, the New York State Prison System, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons all implemented a fingerprint system in the United States. -
DNA
By the 1980s, laboratories started using DNA to prove paternity in disputed cases. In 1986, investigators approached Alec Jeffreys, a young geneticist.