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1235
13th Century China
First recorded case using forensic science. Someone was stabbed with a knife so the town's people gathered all the knives together and watched as flies went to the knife with blood splatters on it. The knife owner confessed. -
Period: 1235 to
Forensic Scientific Contributions
Different scientists and individuals that contributed to forensic science. -
Mathieu Orfila
"Father of Forensics"
Toxicology: tested poisons and their effects on animals -
William Herschel
Used thumbprints on documents to identify workers in India. -
Alphonse Bertillon
"Father of Criminal Identification" Developed Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish people -
Henry Fauld
Used fingerprints to eliminate an innocent burglary suspect. -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Considered the first 'CSI' popularized scientific crime-detection methods. Published his first Sherlock Holmes story. -
Francis Galton
Published "Finger Prints". Conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification. He discovered proof of their individuality. -
Hans Gross
Published "Criminal Investigation". Wrote the first paper describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation. -
Karl Landsteiner
Discovered the ABO Blood groups. Received the Nobel Prize. -
Edmond Locard
Incorporated Gross' principles within a workable crime lab; became the founder and director of the Institute of Criminalistics at the University of Lyons, France. -
Albert S. Osborn
Published "Questioned Documents". Developed the fundamental principles of document examination. -
Leone Lattes
Developed a method for determining blood type from dried blood. -
August Vollmer
Established the first Crime Lab in the US, located in LA, California. -
Calvin Goddard
Developed a comparison microscope; first used to compare bullets to see if fired from the same weapon.
