Welcome to Forensic Science

1. Welcome to Forensic Science • What is Forensic Science?

2. Forensic Science • The application of science to the criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system.

3. History and Development of Forensic Science

4. Marcello Malpighi • 1686 (17th Century) Professor of anatomy in Italy. • First to record notes about finger print characteristics; however, did not acknowledge that fingerprints were unique and could possibly be used to identify people.

5. Carl Wilhelm Scheele • 1775. Swedish Chemist • Devised first successful test for detecting the poison arsenic in corpses.

6. Francois-Emanuel Fodere • French Physician • 1798 (18th Century): wrote “A Treatise on Forensic Medicine and Public Health”. This was one of the first scientific papers relating to forensic science.

7. Valentin Ross • 1806 (19th Century) German Chemist • Discovered a more precise method of detecting arsenic in the walls of a victim’s stomach.

8. Mathieu Orfila – Father of ForensicToxicology! • 1814 (19th Century) Spaniard • Published the first scientific treatise on the detection of poisons and their effects on animals. • This treatise established forensic toxicology as a legitimate scientific endeavor.

9. The mid-1800’s scientific advances • 1828 Polarizing Microscope invented • 1839 Microscopic detection of sperm • 1853 First microcrystalline test for hemoglobin • 1863 First presumptive test for blood.

10. First Toxicological Evidence • 1839- Scottish chemist named Marsh testified on the detection of arsenic in a victim’s body!

11. By late 19th century • Public officials were beginning to apply knowledge from all scientific disciplines to the study of crime.

12. Alphonse Bertillon 1879

13. Anthropometry • 1879: Alphonse Bertillon developed the first system of personal identification. • Anthropometry was a systematic procedure that involved using a series of measurements as a means of distinguishing one individual from another.

14. Francis Henry Galton (1892) • Published a book titled Finger Prints which contained the first statistical proof supporting the uniqueness of finger prints for humans. • Finger Prints described basic method of using features of a finger print to identify an individual.

15. 1893 Hans Gross • Wrote first treatise describing the application of scientific disciplines to the field of criminal investigation. • Criminal Investigation = title of his book

16. 1910 Albert S. Osborn • Wrote text book entitled Questioned Documents. • Developed the fundamental principles of document examination.

17. 1915 Dr. Leone Lattes • A professor in Italy • Devised a simple procedure for determining the blood group (A, B, AB or O) of a dried blood stain.

18. 1910: Edmond Locard • First forensic crime lab in Lyons • Developed Locard’s Principle: when two objects come into contact with each other, a cross-transfer of materials occurs.

19. Dr. Walter McCrone • One of the world’s leading advocate for the use of microscopes in the analysis of evidence from crime scenes.

20. Army Colonel Calvin Goddard • Refined the techniques of firearms examination by using the comparison microscope. • Established a technique to determine whether a particular gun has fired a bullet.

21. 1984 Sir Alec Jeffreys • Developed the first DNA profiling test. • 1986 first time DNA profiling was used to solve a crime identifying Colin Pitchfork as the murderer of two young English girls and established to innocence of a criminal suspect in the same case.

22. Make your own timeline of events using the scientists mentioned in this power point! • Who will be first? • Who will be mentioned last?