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1247
13th Century China
It was the first case ever recorded using forensic science. A Chinese lawyer, Sung Tsu's book, The Washing Away of Wrongs, helped solved the murder through insect evidence. The victim had been slashed repeatedly, and they suspected the weapon was a sickle. Since so many people carry it around for rice harvesting, they didn't know how to figure out who committed it. -
Mathieu Orfila
Orfila worked to make chemical analysis a routine part of forensic medicine and studied the decomposition of bodies and exhumation. He also helped to develop tests for the presence of blood in forensics and is one of the first people to use a microscope to assess blood and semen. -
William Herschel
In July 1958 he drew up a contract with Mr. Konai, a local Indian man, for a supply of road-making materials. In order to make sure that Mr. Konai won't deny his signature, later on, Herschel made him put his handprint on the contract. He then began to research more handprints and realized you only need the fingerprints because they don't change over time. It then began to be used on legal documents and for prisoners to avoid impostors. -
Alphonse Bertillon
He was the "Father of Criminal Investigation." He also developed Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish individuals. Anthropometry was the first scientific system used by police to identify criminals -
Henry Faulds
He used fingerprints to eliminate an innocent burglary suspect. He was noted for the development of fingerprinting. -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
He published his first Sherlock Holmes story. It was considered the first "CSI" featured in four novels and 56 short stories, popularized scientific crime-detection methods. -
Francis Galton
He published Finger Prints. He also conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classifications and gave proof of how it showed their uniqueness. -
Hans Gross
He wrote the first paper describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation. He published the book, Criminal Investigation, where all of his research and proof is. -
Karl Landsteiner
He discovered the ABO blood groups and received the Nobel Peace Prize later on. -
Edmond Locard
He incorporated Gross' principles within a workable crime lab. He also became the founder and director of the Institute of Criminalistics at the University of Lyons, France. -
Albert S. Osborn
He published Questioned Documents and developed the fundamentals principles of document examination. -
Leone Lattes
He developed a method for determining blood types from dried up blood. -
August Vollmer
He established the first crime lab in the United States which is located in Los Angeles, CA. -
Calvin Goddard
He developed a comparison microscope. He first used it to compare bullets to see if fired from the same weapon
