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1248 BCE
13th Century China
The first written account of using medicine and entomology to solve criminal cases is attributed to the book of Xi Yuan Lu (translated as Washing Away of Wrongs[5][6]), written in China by Song Ci (宋慈, 1186–1249) in 1248, who was a director of justice, jail and supervision,[7] during the Song dynasty. Song Ci ruled regulation about autopsy report for court,[8] how to protect the evidence in the examining process, the reason why workers must show examination to public impartiality -
Mathieu Orfila
In 1840, Marie Lafarge was tried for the murder of her husband using arsenic. Mysteriously, although arsenic was available to the killer and was found in the food, none could be found in the body. Orfila was asked by the court to investigate. He discovered that the test used, the Marsh Test, had been performed incorrectly, and that there was in fact arsenic in the body, allowing LaFarge to be found guilty. -
William Herschel
Herschel continued to experiment with hand-prints, soon realising that only fingers needed to be used. He collected prints from friends and family, and came to the conclusion that a person's fingerprints do not change over time. He suggested to the governor of Bengal that fingerprints should be used on legal documents, in order to prevent impersonation and the repudiation of contracts, but this suggestion was not acted upon. -
Alphonse Bertillon
French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied the anthropological technique of anthropometry to law enforcement creating an identification system based on physical measurements. Anthropometry was the first scientific system used by police to identify criminals. Before that time, criminals could only be identified by name or photograph. The method was eventually supplanted by fingerprinting.[1] Also Invented the mug shot. -
Henry Faulds
was a Scottish physician, missionary and scientist who is noted for the development of fingerprinting. -
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
was a British writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes. Originally a physician, in 1887 he published A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels about Holmes and Dr. Watson. In addition, Doyle wrote over fifty short stories featuring the famous detective. The Sherlock Holmes stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. -
Francis Galton
Published finger prints. Conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their criminal investigation. Published criminal investigation -
Hans Gross
Wrote the first paper describing the application of scientific principles to the field of the criminal investigation. published criminal investigation. -
Karl Landsteiner
Discovered the ABO blood groups, later received Nobel Prize -
Edmund Locard
Incorporated Gross principles within a workable crime lab, became the founder and director of the institute of criminalistics at the university of lyons, france -
Albert S. Osborn
published questioned documents. Developed the fundamental principles of document examination -
Leone Lattes
Developed a method for determining blood type from dried blood -
August Vollmer
Established the first crime lab in the united states, located in los angeles -
Calvin Goddard
Developed a comparison microscope, first used it to compare bullets to see if fired from the same weapon