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A detailed medical examination of a deceased person's body to determine the cause of death. Autopsies are performed by trained pathologists for medical research, to aid criminal investigations, or to provide information to the family about the cause of death. -
Established a scientific basis for the study of poisons and pioneering the use of chemical analysis in legal investigations. His work included publishing one of the first comprehensive books on poisons, developing tests to detect poisons like arsenic in bodies, and helping to develop tests for blood and semen stains. -
A process of firing projectiles at a material or object under controlled conditions to evaluate its resistance and performance. The process can be used in forensics to identify firearms by comparing the unique marks left on a fired bullet and cartridge case, or in research to study the energy transfer and damage caused by a projectile. -
Involved heating a sample with strong acid and zinc, which converted arsenic into arsine gas, allowing for the collection of a metallic arsenic mirror that could be presented as evidence in court. -
A method of criminal identification based on the precise measurement of specific bony parts of the body, supplemented by a standardized set of photographs and descriptive information. This approach used a complex filing method to cross-reference a unique set of measurements and descriptions to identify individuals. -
A forensic discipline that uses the unique ridge patterns on a person's fingertips for identification. Trained examiners compare unknown prints from a crime scene with known prints from a suspect by examining their microscopic details, called minutiae, such as ridge endings and bifurcations. -
A forensic technique used to reconstruct events at a crime scene by interpreting the size, shape, and distribution of bloodstains. Analysts use the physical properties of blood, such as its surface tension, to determine things like the type of weapon used, the position of the victim, and the point of origin of the blood. This analysis involves identifying different bloodstain patterns, calculating the angle of impact, and noting how the stains interact with surfaces. -
Was an American lawyer and pioneer in the field of forensic document examination. He is considered one of the fathers of modern forensic science and is credited with developing the fundamental principles of handwriting analysis. -
Analyzes bodily fluids and tissues for the presence of drugs, chemicals, or poisons. It works by detecting and quantifying substances like illegal drugs, alcohol, and prescription medications, and is used in emergency medicine, for routine employment or sports screenings, and in forensic investigations. These tests can be performed on samples like urine, blood, hair, or saliva, and the results help in accurate diagnosis, monitoring treatment, and legal proceedings. -
Developed the science of identifying fired bullets and empty cartridge cases, known as forensic ballistics. Goddard proved that no two revolvers are made exactly alike — that every weapon makes characteristic marks on a bullet and a cartridge shell, and that they are the same every time that gun is fired. -
A chemical that, when mixed with an oxidizing agent and a catalyst, undergoes a reaction called chemiluminescence, producing a blue-green glow. It is widely used in crime scene investigations to detect invisible or cleaned-up blood traces because the iron in hemoglobin acts as a catalyst to trigger the light reaction. While highly sensitive, it can produce false positives from other substances like bleach, so results must be interpreted carefully. -
Was convicted of murder, robbery, burglary and rape despite a strong alibi and many supporting witnesses. A substantial factor in his conviction was expert testimony that compared bite marks on the body of one of the victims with a mold of his teeth. -
Are applications used to collect, preserve, and analyze digital evidence from sources like computers, mobile devices, and the cloud. Their purpose is to help investigators respond to and document cybercrimes and other incidents by creating a standard format for evidence, filtering data to find relevant insights, and presenting it in a legally admissible way. -
The process of identifying individuals based on their unique genetic makeup by comparing specific regions of their DNA, such as STRs. It is used in forensic science to compare DNA evidence from a crime scene with suspects, in paternity testing, and to identify victims in disasters. This technique works because while most DNA is identical, the 0.1% of DNA that varies contains unique patterns used to create a genetic "fingerprint". -
Concerns Colin Pitchfork, a British double child murderer and rapist, who became the first person in the world to be convicted of murder using DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) in 1988.