Forensics

important contributions in forensics science

  • 13th century china
    1300

    13th century china

    first case ever recorded using forensic science. when someone was stabbed, all the knives in the village were collected. flies were attracted to the traces of blood and landed on only one of the knives, causing the suspect to confess
  • Mathieu Orfila

    Mathieu Orfila

    Considered the father of forensics toxicology, he was a chemist who published the first scientific paper on the detection of poisons and their effects on animals
  • William Herschel

    William Herschel

    Used Thumbprints on documents to identify workers in india
  • Alphonse Bertillon

    Alphonse Bertillon

    Father of Criminal Identification. Developed Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish individuals
  • Henry Faulds

    Henry Faulds

    Uses fingerprints to eliminate an innocent burglary suspect
  • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Published his first Sherlock Holmes story; Considered the first "CSI", featured in four novels and fifty-six short stories, popularized scientific crime-detection methods
  • Francis Galton

    Francis Galton

    Published "Finger prints". Conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification and gave proof to their uniqueness
  • Hans Gross

    Hans Gross

    Wrote the first paper describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation. Published "Criminal Investigation"
  • Karl Landsteiner

    Karl Landsteiner

    Discovered the ABO Blood groups, later received Nobel Prize
  • Edmond Locard

    Edmond Locard

    incorporated Gross' principles within a workable crime lab; became the founder and director of the institute of criminalistic at the university of Lyons, France
  • Albert S. Osborn

    Albert S. Osborn

    Published "Questioned Documents". Developed the fundamental principles of document examination
  • Leone Lattes

    Leone Lattes

    developed a method for determining blood type from dried blood
  • August Vollmer

    August Vollmer

    Established the First Crime Lab in the United States, located Los Angeles
  • Calvin Goddard

    Calvin Goddard

    Developed a comparison microscope; first used to compare bullets to see if fired from same weapon