FORENSICS

Fingerprints

The statistician and eugenicist Francis Galton played a role in establishing the forensic examination of fingerprints.

Origins

The Italian criminologist Professor Cesare Lombroso developed the idea that some people were criminals from birth and that in adulthood they could be identified by their physiognomy. His theory was spurious, however, the way in which he sought to apply was scientifically rigorous. It laid much of the groundwork for the physiological aspects of forensic examination. His own head is preserved in formaldehyde at the Museum of Criminal Anthropology in Turin.

In the Sherlock Holmes stories the investigator was able to identify what brand of cigar had been smoked just by taken a cursory look at the result ash. The character's supposed powers of deduction so impressed Edmond Locard, a Frenchman, that in 1910 he decided to set up a laboratory that was dedicated to examining crime. It was the world's first.

See Also: SHERLOCK HOLMES

Pathologists

Professor David Bowen

Professor David Bowen was a forensic pathologist who started as a bagman to Professor Donald Teare. Bowen went on to found the forensic medicine department at Charing Cross Hospital. The investigations that he was involved included the Keith Blakelock, Roberto Calvi, Dennis Nilsen, and Blair Peach cases. He also expressed doubts about the official Four Powers post mortem report into Rudolf Hess s death. He concluded that the bruising of the deeper neck tissue was indicative of strangulation.

Sir Bernard Spilsbury

Sir Bernard Spilsbury (1877-1947) was a pathologist. In 1910 he came to prominence during the trial of Dr Crippen. He gave evidence at the Brides in the Bath and the Brighton Trunk murder trials. The lack of marks on their bodies made it seem unlikely that a conviction for murder would be obtained against George Joseph Smith. However, the pathologist Spilsbury worked out Smith's modus operandi. When this was revealed in court the accused blanched visibly.

Spilsbury'ss two sons died and his marriage collapsed. In 1947 he committed suicide.

The Three Musketeers

There was a period during which nearly all of London's murders and suspicious deaths were covered by The Three Musketeers - Francis Camps, Keith Simpson, and Professor Donald Teare.

The Official Hat

Margaret Pereira (c.1929-2017) was the first woman pathologist to be employed in the Biology Section of the Metropolitan Police Laboratory. She succeeded in overcoming objections to her giving evidence in court. For her appearances she was expected to wear a hat. Her frequent appearances at the Old Bailey led to The News of The World newspaper dubbing her Miss Murder . When she acquired her first female colleague the official hat was shared between them.

Location: 32 Old Bailey, EC4M 7HS (blue, red)

See Also: HEADGEAR

David Backhouse 2024