Thesis: Forensics have evolved over time and there are many subdivisions that are helpful to

find evidence and convict criminals to bring about justice.

1. History of Forensics
-Scientists have traced fingerprints to all the way back to 700 B.C.E. ("The History of
Forensic Science.")
-Over the years its been developed and incorporated to help police solve crimes. ("The
History of Forensic Science.")
-Advancements in technology has helped form the modern techniques of Forensic
Science. ("The History of Forensic Science.")
-Evolution of Chemistry ("The History of Forensic Science.")
-Development of Photography as mobile documentation. ("The History of Forensic
Science.")
-Application of Microscope into The Sciences ("The History of Forensic Science.")
-Advances in the Medical Field concerning collecting data from autopsies. ("The
History of Forensic Science.")
-The first culture to use Forensic Science at a crime scene were the Chinese. ("The
History of Forensic Science.")
-Hsi Duan Ya, meaning The Washing Away of Wrongs, written in the year 1248 is
first book ever on Forensics. ("The History of Forensic Science.")
-Mathiew Orfila, a Spanish Army General, is known as the Father of Toxicology and
is credited with the first use of a Microscope in studying blood stains. ("The History of
Forensic Science.")
-During this time period the study of criminal science called criminology, the forerunner
of
forensics became popular. ("The History of Forensic Science.")
-A French policeman developed a method of taking a picture of a crime scene and taking
measurements to solve a crime. This was replaced with fingerprinting and by
20th century, most countries were relying on fingerprinting alone. ("The History of
Forensic Science.")
-The FBI was established in the U.S. during 1905, while the first crime lab was built 27
years later. ("The History of Forensic Science.")
-In 1948, American Academy of Forensic Science was created. It became the leading
research foundation in Pathology, Biology, Toxicology, Criminology, Anthropology and
Criminal Psychiatry, helping to push forensic science into the 21st century. ("The History
of Forensic Science.")
-We now have the resources to recreate crime scenes and figure out what really
happened and committing a crime is a lot more riskier. ("The History of Forensic
Science.")
-Alphonse Bertillon developed a method to help identify individuals by means of head width, foot
length and height. However they soon realized it was not a successful method. (Smith)
-In the Nature Magazine from the 80s, Henry Faulds made an article discussing the using
fingerprints to identify a person. (Smith)
2. Fingerprinting and DNA

-In the 80s DNA profiling was developed by a British Geneticist known as Sir Alec Jefferys.
(Smith)
-After 1983 DNA Profiling was able to be conducted on degrade and miniscule samples of DNA
thanks to Kary Mullis, who developed the polymerase chain reaction, allowing a wider range of
evidence to be tested. (Smith)
-By using the saliva on a cigarette, cigar, or beer bottle to determine who smoked or drank
them. (Smith)
-In 1892 Juan Vucetich, a Police Official used a bloody fingerprint to determine a mother killed
her two children. (Smith)
-Fingerprinting DNA was introduced in the 1980s once scientists discovered DNA was unique to
an individual. By 87 police had began using this technique to catch criminals. ("DNA
Fingerprinting Is Everywhere!")
-In 1989 DNA fingerprinting was used for the first time to prove a suspects innocence. ("DNA
Fingerprinting Is Everywhere!")
-DNA Fingerprints have similarities and differences alike to a Fingerprint on your hand. It is
unique to only you unless you have a identical twin. But you cant just dust for prints with DNA,
first a scientist must take the DNA out of a cells nucleus. ("DNA Fingerprinting Is Everywhere!")
-Because all of your cells contain the same DNA, scientists can find its owner through a hair
cell, skin cell, even cells that come out of your saliva. Drinking glasses are one of the more
helpful items as scientists can pull your fingerprints and saliva off the rim (if not recently
washed). ("DNA Fingerprinting Is Everywhere!")
-Scientists goal is to analyze DNA and find out how such a tiny difference can make it unique to
you. ("DNA Fingerprinting Is Everywhere!")
-They have made a device called a lab-on-a-chip. It is a small machine about the size of a
Drivers License that you load a DNA sample into on the spot and get an ID match while at the
scene. ("DNA Fingerprinting Is Everywhere!")
-DNA fingerprinting has also been used to bring long lost family members back together. Such
as children lost in the midst of a war or tragic event. Babies who were given to another family for
fear of not being able to provide for them, and many other situations. ("DNA Fingerprinting Is
Everywhere!")
3. Forensic Entomology
-Forensic Entomology is used by removing insects that have been feeding, or were reproduced
in the body, to determine the time since their death. (Smith)
-Forensic Entomologists estimates a portion of postmortem by using insects and determining
the time of Death. (Byrd)
-Using a process known as Time Since Colonization an entomologist may or may not
approximate the entire postmortem interval. (Byrd)
-Time Since Colonization is the process of using insect and insect larvae to determine a time
and place of death. (Byrd)
-Some insects are indigenous to certain places in the world. Some insects also prefer being in
homes and/or outside. If larvae from a bug normally found outside is present then that means
the body was most likely moved from its original position. (Byrd)

-Wrapping or freezing of the body can be indicated by having bugs who reproduced outside of
their normal time frame. (Byrd)
-If insects are completely absent from a corpse, that means that the body was most likely
frozen, sealed tightly in a container or buried deep in the ground. (Byrd)
-Insects can also help determine if a person has been put through abuse or rape since usually
victims of this crime attract certain bugs if they were forced to defecate or urinate on
themselves. (Byrd)
-Entomologists can identify species of insects by looks and feeding habits. They can also use
blood feeding insects to identify blood. with said blood (if recent) they can link a suspect to a
victim. (Byrd)
-Insects with large appetites can quickly skeletonize a corpse, however such a thing can be
helpful. Toxicological analyses become hard to do after a short period of time because it drains
out of blood and urine. However using insect larvae, it is possible to identify toxins as they have
fed on the deceaseds tissues. (Byrd)

4. Pathology
-An autopsy (derived from the greek word autopsia: to see with ones own eyes, is also known
as a necropsy. Its the examination of a corpse and performed to determine a cause of death,
identify diseases or see if a surgical treatment was effective. And sometimes it is requested to
teach and mentor a student of the field. (Stppler)
-Performed by medical doctors who specialize in determining wounds and diseases of the
deceased. (Stppler)
-Forensic autopsies are to determine if a death was an accident, homicide, suicide or natural
causes. (Stppler)
-Medical Examiners can order an autopsy without consent of kin only if its a suspicious death,
and within jurisdiction, people who were not being treated for known condition, was in medical
care for less than a day and deaths during operations. Otherwise consent must be obtained,
even at hospitals. (Stppler)
-Next-of-kin can also limit a far an autopsy can be taken. (Stppler)
-Although most autopsies consist of examination of brain, chest, and abdomen, it is possible to
do a singular organ. (Stppler)
-Autopsies begin with an external examination including height, weight, and identifying marks
like scars/tattoos. Afterwards the internal examination begins by cutting a Y or U-shaped incision
from one shoulder to the other and going down to the pubic bone. You remove the front of the
rib cage to expose the organs protected by it. Afterwards the organs are individually dissected.
(Stppler)
-For brain removal the scalp is cut from ear to ear by the back of the head and opened to
expose the skull. Then a vibrating saw is used to cut above the brain for extraction. If need be
the spinal cord can be removed. (Stppler)
-Once done the organs may be returned to the body or be kept for teaching purposes. Then the
body is sewn closed and the corpse is sent off to be prepared for a funeral. (Stppler)
5. Purpose, Examples, and Future

-Forensic Science is the application of scientific principles to the analysis of numerous types of
evidence, usually collected from the scene of a crime. (Smith)
-Purpose of Forensic Science is to identify or individualize characteristics to link a person with
places, objects and other people. (Smith)
-Analysiss you usually see include illicit drug tests, biological evidence tests, latent prints,
firearms, footprints, tire marks, tool marks and trace evidence. (Smith)
-Forensic Scientists must of a minimum education of a Bachelors degree in a natural science.
(Smith)
-Many Forensic Scientists go for a Masters degree due to the popularity of competitiveness.
Many organizations such as FBI, DEA and ATF hire Forensic scientists. (Smith)
-Ted Bundy was convicted of a murder when he left bite mark on Lisa Levys buttock. He was
also convicted of the murder of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach after fibers were found in his van
that matched her clothing. (criminaljusticeschools.org)
-Charles Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped and never returned even after a $50,000 ransom was
paid. After his body was found just down the road of his house, they tracked the ransom money
to Bruno Hauptmann, who had $14,000 of the money in his home. After claiming it wasnt his,
they used forensics to trace wood used in a ladder to the wood in his attic.
(criminaljusticeschools.org)
-Between 1979 and 1981, twenty-nine children were strangled to death. After police heard a
splash in the river, they arrested Wayne Williams and using Forensics tracked thirty types of
fiber from victims to his house, cars and even dog. In 82 he was sentenced to life after being
convicted of two other murders. (criminaljusticeschools.org)
-Dennis Rader was arrested and sentenced to 9 life terms in prison after confessed to 10
murders. Forensic analysts were able to use deleted data on a Floppy disk to pinpoint the
murders on him. (criminaljusticeschools.org)
-In 1983 John Joubert, an Air Force radar technician, was found guilty of the murder of two
schoolboys after they matched a rare rope to one in his car which was enough to get a
confession from him. (criminaljusticeschools.org)