Events
Sir Francis Galton
-: A cousin of Charles Darwin, Galton was a polymath who made significant contributions to the field of fingerprint analysis. His extensive research demonstrated the uniqueness and permanence of fingerprintsSir Alec Jeffreys
-A British geneticist who, in 1984, discovered a method for identifying individuals from their DNA, a process known as DNA fingerprinting or profilingThe Case of Colin Pitchfork
-In the mid-1980s in Leicestershire, UK, police linked two unsolved murders of teenage girls using a then-new method developed by Dr. Alec Jeffreys [2]. The DNA analysis famously exonerated an initial suspect who had falsely confessed, and subsequently identified the true killer, Colin Pitchfork, through a mass screening of local men [2]. The case proved the unprecedented accuracy and reliability of DNA evidence, cementing its future as the most powerful tool in modern forensic sMicroscopes: The invention of the microscope provided the ability to examine trace evidence, such as hair and fibers, that is invisible to the naked eye.Fingerprint Analysis: Henry Faulds, William James Herschel, and Francis Galton published work on the uniqueness of fingerprints. By 1892, they were being used as evidence in criminal cases and a bureau was established.Forensic Photography Equipment: San Francisco police first used photography for criminal identification in the 1850s, a practice that became a standard tool for documenting evidence and crime scenes.Forensic Anthropology (Foundations): While the field evolved over time, a key early step was Karl Landsteiner's discovery of human blood grouping, which allowed forensic experts to distinguish between blood types.Forensic Ballistics (Firearms Identification): Victor Balthazard realized that bullets leave unique marks, and he developed methods to match bullets to guns, establishing the foundation for modern ballistics.Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS): This analytical technique, though refined later, has its roots in early chemical tests (like the 1836 Marsh test for arsenic) and modern instruments for toxicology and identifying unknown substances.Luminol and Blood Detection Kits: The use of chemical tests to detect trace evidence like blood developed over many decades. A simple, reliable prototype for police use (the polygraph) was developed around this time, and later chemical advancements like luminol built on this chemical-based evidence detection.DNA Analysis / Profiling: Sir Alec Jeffreys developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting/profiling, which revolutionized forensics and was first used to solve a double murder case in 1986, leading to a conviction in 1987.Digital Forensics Software: The rise of computer use led to the development of specialized software and the establishment of the FBI's first integrated automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) in 1999, which greatly sped up comparisons.Digital Forensics Software: The rise of computer use led to the development of specialized software and the establishment of the FBI's first integrated automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) in 1999, which greatly sped up comparisons.Mathieu Orfila
-Orfila's work established the scientific analysis of poisons as a routine part of forensic medicine and was instrumental in developing a test to detect arsenicEdmond Locard
-He is most famous for articulating the Locard's Exchange Principle: "Every contact leaves a trace".
Comments