History of Forensic Science Research based on Miami-Dade County Website

What is forensic science? Previously “______ medicine” was the term used for the application of medical knowledge to the investigation of a crime. Now we call it “forensic science” – Forensic refers to the use of material in a ____ of law

Where did forensic science start? The Chinese book Hsi Duan Yu (The Washing Away of ____), which appeared in 1248, provided the first association of medicine and law. – The book offered useful ____, such as distinguishing drowning (water in the lungs) and strangulation (pressure marks on the throat and damaged cartilage in the neck) from _____ by natural causes.

Where did forensic science start? The first appearance of ___ in the courtroom was documented around the end of the 18th century. The emergence of modern ______ around that period led to discoveries which were applicable to crime _______ and _______.

Important Cases in History: One of the ____ celebrated cases in forensic science involved the 'father of _______', Mathieu Orfila ( ), who worked in Paris and testified in an _______ poisoning criminal trial in _____. Orfila and others had developed a chemical ____ to detect arsenic, the _____ of choice for the period because the symptoms, violent stomach pains and vomiting, were similar to _______ (a common disease of the times) and often went undetected.

Important Cases in History: Alphonse Bertillon's ( ) personal ___________ system using a series of body and facial _____________ for individualization, developed in Dr. Francis Galton's ( ) Fingerprints, published in 1892, was another pioneering contribution to the emerging field of ________ science.

Founder of Forensic Science! Alexandre Lacassagne ( ) has been called the _____ of modern forensic science. Lacassagne made many contributions including the first to recognize the significance of the ______ etched on a bullet extracted from a_____ victim and their link to the gun from which it was fired, thus beginning the science of _______.

Forensic Facts! Illinois suspended its death penalty after discovering that police ________ Pamela Fish had manufactured forensic evidence in dozens of cases!Pamela Fish If only they had caught her sooner!

Founder of Forensic Science! He also was the first to study the relationship between an attack on a victim and the shape and ________ of _________, and was first to recognize the need for adequate means of identifying ________ through a police ______ system.

CRIME LABS! First forensic ______ was set up in France in First crime laboratory in the U.S. was established in _____ by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (____) lab was established in 1932 and in 1937 Paul Kirk ( ) set up the first academic ________ program in the U.S. at the University of California.

Current Practice of Forensic Science in U.S. Laboratories Labs test: – Drug ________ – Trace Evidence analysis Fiber and _____ comparison and analysis Paint comparison and analysis ______ comparison and analysis Fire debris and _______ analysis Gun shot ______ analysis Tape comparison Soil and building materials comparison and analysis Lamp and ________ examinations

Current Practice of Forensic Science in U.S. Laboratories Biology services – Biological _____ identification and ______ origin – _____ analysis – Bloodstain _______ interpretation Firearms and toolmark identification – Firearm _____ – Projectile comparison – ____ powder pattern interpretation – Footwear and tire impression comparison

Current Practice of Forensic Science in U.S. Laboratories Toxicology – Breath and blood _____ analysis – _____ analysis – Drugs in biological fluids and _____ Fingerprint and latent identification and comparisons Specialized analysis – Computer and data recovery – ______ analysis

What is the future of forensic science? Many possibilities! Currently, scientists are working on making faster, more ______ methods for their lab tests. Who knows where the future of forensic science lies – maybe you’ll be part of the answer!