History of Crime Scene Investigation

By kwhitted14
  • 400 BCE

    Determining cause of death

    Germanics and slavics determined that only medical experts can determine cause of death
  • 1248

    First Forensic Science Book

    First Forensic Science book published by the Chinese,

  • Reporting Cases

    First pathology reports published

  • Physical evidence presented in case

    Physical evidence of a paper torn in gun, also in mans pocket

  • First recorded use of questioned document analysis.

  • The development of tests for the presence of blood in a forensic context

  • Chemical testing utilized

    James Marsh, an English chemist, uses chemical processes to determine arsenic as the cause of death in a murder trial

  • Methods used during Dostoyevskys time

    Link text

  • The development of the first crystal test for hemoglobin using hemin crystals.

  • Photo identification

    First uses of photos for identification

  • fingerprints found unique

  • Coroners

    The Coroner's act established that coroners' were to determine the causes of sudden, violent, and unnatural deaths

  • Forensic science was applied when doctors in London were allowed to examine the victims of Jack the Ripper for wound patterns

  • Establishment of practice using the comparison microscope for bullet comparison

  • Development of the absorption-inhibation ABO blood typing technique

  • Invention of the first interference contrast microscope by physicists Frits Zernike

  • Development of the chemiluminescent reagent luminol as a presumptive test for blood

  • Study of voice print identification

  • Invention of the Breathalyzer for field sobriety tests

  • Use of the heated headspace sampling technique for collecting arson evidence

  • Development of the scanning electron microscope with electron dispersive X-ray technology

  • Identification of the polymorphic nature of red cells

  • Enactment of the Federal Rules of Evidence

  • Use of DNA to solve a crime and exonerate and innocent suspect

  • DNA databank legislation was enacted