Unit 1: Famous Forensic Scientists

Alphonse Bertillon

Devised a system of identification of criminals that relies on 11 bodily measurements and the color of the eyes, hair, and skin. He included standardized photographs of the criminals (mugshots) to his anthropometric data

Fortunato Fidelis & Paolo Zacchia

Laid the foundation of modern pathology by studying changes that occurred in the structure of the body as the result of disease

Henry Goddard

Developed the science of identifying fired bullets and empty cartridge cases, known as forensic ballistics

Sir Alec Jefferys

British geneticist known for developing techniques for genetic fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used worldwide in forensic science to assist police

Frances Glassner Lee

American forensic scientist; She was influential in developing the science of forensics in the United States; She created the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, 20 true crime scene dioramas recreated in minute detail at dollhouse scale, used for training homicide investigators

Dr. Edmond Locard

A pioneer in forensic science, formulated the fundamental principle of forensic science: "Every contact leaves a trace."

James Marsh

Developed a way to test for arsenic in tissue; This was the first use of toxicology in a jury trial.

Paul Uhlenhuth

Scientist that developed the precipitin test to distinguish human blood from animal blood

Song Ci

He is most well known for being the world's first forensic entomologist, having recorded his experience examining bodies for judicial cases in the Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified. During his post at a criminal court in Hunan Province, Song Ci personally examined the crime scenes each time he encountered a difficult case of homicide or physical assault.

William Bass

A forensic anthropologist who specializes in human osteology and decomposition

Joseph Bell

A surgeon from Scotland and one of the first famous forensic scientists in the world. Used the technique of close observation before making a diagnosis in a patient, which was a new idea at the time. He was one of the first doctors that insisted that health care practitioners wash their hands in between patients.

Henry Faulds

Claimed that fingerprints did not change over time and that they could be classified for identification

William Maples

A forensic anthropologist known for his contribution to human identification and trauma analysis. He was consulted to investigate human remains in many high profile cases including the remains of Joseph Merrick, “The Elephant Man.” Credited for his contribution to over 1200 cases throughout his career.

Clea Koff

Known as the bone woman she became famous for her work in the field of forensic anthropology