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An autopsy is important to forensics because it determines the cause and manner of death, collects crucial evidence like bullets or toxic substances, and provides an objective basis for criminal and legal proceedings. It helps law enforcement distinguish between homicide, suicide, accident, or natural causes, provides physical evidence for court, and can even identify inherited diseases for the victim's living family members. -
Toxicology was first used in a jury trial in 1836 when chemist James Marsh developed a test for arsenic that could be used as forensic evidence. This followed earlier work by Mathieu Orfila, considered the father of modern toxicology, who published the first comprehensive book on poisons in 1814 and whose work laid the foundation for forensic toxicology in the early 19th century. -
Alphonse Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied the anthropological technique of anthropometry to law enforcement, creating an identification system based on physical measurements. Anthropometry was the first scientific system used by police to identify criminals.
Father of forensic toxicology ; Alphonse Bertillon. Devised first scientific system of personal identification in 1879 ; Francis Galton. -
Fingerprinting was first used in a modern forensic context in Argentina in 1892, when Juan Vucetich used a bloody fingerprint to identify the murderer of two boys in a landmark case. Before this, in the late 19th century, scientific study of fingerprints began in Europe, with Francis Galton establishing a system of fingerprint classification. -
Blood spatter analysis was first formally used in forensics in 1895, when Dr. Eduard Piotrowski published the first modern study on bloodstains. The first documented legal use of the analysis in a trial was in 1857 in Maine. However, the practice was not widely accepted or developed into a formal discipline until much later, with significant advancements occurring in the 1950s and beyond. -
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Edmond Locard is famous for founding the first forensic science laboratory in Lyon, France, and for developing Locard's Exchange Principle, which states that a criminal will always leave behind trace evidence at a crime scene and take some with them. He is also considered a pioneer of modern forensic science and was called the "Sherlock Holmes of France" for his work -
n 1925, Dr. Calvin Goddard co-established the first significant institution devoted to firearms examination: the Bureau of Forensic Ballistics in New York. This is where he perfected the comparison microscope for ballistics research. -
Luminol is important to forensics because it can detect tiny amounts of blood, even after a scene has been cleaned, by revealing hidden blood traces through a blue glow. It's a valuable investigative aid that helps locate points of attack or the movement of victims and perpetrators, but it's a preliminary test and requires other methods to confirm the presence of blood because it can react to other substances. -
Chromatography is crucial to forensics because it separates complex mixtures into their components, allowing for the identification and quantification of substances like drugs, explosives, and accelerants at crime scenes. This technique is essential for analyzing biological samples for toxicology, determining the cause of arson, identifying counterfeit inks and dyes, and providing reliable, scientific evidence for court. -
Digital forensics software is crucial for extracting, preserving, and analyzing digital evidence to help with legal cases and cybersecurity investigations. It enables investigators to recover deleted files, decode encrypted data, reconstruct a suspect's activities, and maintain a proper chain of custody, all while ensuring the integrity of the evidence is not compromised. This makes it a vital tool for law enforcement, cybersecurity professionals, and businesses. -
Steven initially served 18 years out of a 32 year sentence just for him to be proven innocent, but not to long later he is framed for murder, and the police are planting his DNA on the crime scene. -
DNA analysis was first used in forensics in 1986 in England to solve a double murder case in Narborough. It was first used in a U.S. courtroom in 1987. -
the term "molecular ballistics" refers to a more recent development. In 1986, DNA was used to solve two rape and murder cases in England, leading to the exoneration of an innocent man and the eventual conviction of the real perpetrator. Separately, the term "molecular ballistics" was coined much more recently, around 2014, to describe a method of recovering DNA from the inside of firearms. -
The O.J. Simpson trial is a famous case considered revolutionary for its role in bringing forensic science, particularly DNA evidence, to the forefront of public attention. The trial highlighted the importance of DNA evidence, leading to increased focus on its standardization in crime labs and the need for more advanced forensic technology and quality control systems in courtrooms.