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Two early applications of forensics to criminal investigation are the 13th-century Chinese case involving a murder weapon identified by the attraction of flies -
Fingerprint analysis is a forensic process of comparing fingerprints to identify individuals by examining the unique patterns of ridges and minutiae -
Toxicology testing analyzes biological samples like blood, urine, hair, or saliva to detect the presence and amount of drugs, alcohol, heavy metals, and other chemicals in the body. -
the 1832 murder case in England where James Marsh developed the first arsenic test to prove a death was caused by poisoning -
Ballistics testing is the study of the motion of projectiles and the effects of their impact with two main types forensic and performance. -
French police officer and biometrics researcher -
a French criminalist, often called the "Sherlock Holmes of France," who is considered a pioneer of modern forensic science -
father of forensic ballistics -
uses a single viewing head to simultaneously view two separate samples side-by-side, allowing for direct, side-by-side comparison of their physical characteristics -
1921: John A. Larson invents the first modern polygraph, which measures blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration -
Luminol is a chemical used to detect blood at a crime scene by spraying a solution that causes blood to glow a bright blue -
a pre-assembled collection of tools for collecting, preserving, and analyzing evidence at a crime scene -
DNA analysis is the process of examining DNA to identify individuals, diagnose genetic disorders, or understand genetic makeup -
is a revolutionary case in forensic science because it led to the first use of DNA profiling to solve a crime In this case DNA analysis was used to exonerate a primary suspect and ultimately identify the actual perpetrator Colin Pitchfork, by comparing his DNA to samples from the crime scene This groundbreaking application of DNA technology marked the beginning of its widespread use in criminal investigations. -
he was convicted of arson and murder for allegedly setting a fire that killed his three children. The conviction was based on now-discredited fire science that has been debunked by experts, making his case a key example of wrongful conviction due to faulty forensic science.