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1901 Paul Uhlenhuth (1870–1957) devises a method to distinguish between human and animal blood. 

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1901 Paul Uhlenhuth (1870–1957) devises a method to distinguish between human and animal blood. 

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It is important to be able to distinguish animal from human blood in the case of mistaken someone for a suspect. This is chosen in the exhibition to make aware of the potential misleading trace of blood can throw off investigations and falsely accusing someone.

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Ora Lee was a young woman who worked in a match factory in Ohio. In 1908, she discovered she was pregnant, and begged her boyfriend Guy Rasor to marry her. Rasor purchased a marriage license, but the next day, Ora Lee was found dead, shot through the head and dumped on the side of the road. Rasor was arrested, but the only evidence linking him to the crime were some bloodstains on his coat. He said it was pig's blood. Could anyone prove otherwise? Immunologist Paul Uhlenhuth had developed a technique for distinguishing human from animal blood, but that was in Germany, and the research wasn't well known in the US. However, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence Dr. John Spenzer of Ohio Wesleyan University's medical school had studied in Germany. Spenzer was contacted about the case. After conducting several tests of the blood, he proceeded with Uhlenhuth's "precipitin reaction."

Precipitin tests rely on an unusual property in blood serum that "repels" any foreign substances. When a foreign body like a protein is introduced, the antibodies in the blood form a cloud of precipitated substance. Immunologists were interested because antigens-proteins that produce antibodies-would lead to better vaccines and blood typing. For Spenzer, how and when (and if) the reaction occurred would allow him to determine what sort of animal the blood came from. The original procedure involved a great deal of effort, however, and a strong stomach, because the chemist must first prepare the antibody serum in a process that reads more like witch-doctoring than scientific method.

Warning: the 1908 test described involves animal cruelty. The results were introduced into the murder trial of Guy Rasor, and it is anyone's guess whether the jury understood any of it. But the Orc Lee case introduced blood expertise into American crime investigation, and you can read the entire story at Crime Reads. -via Damn Interesting

(Unrelated image credit: SpicyMilkBoy)

Source: neatorama

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Forensics on Trial: America's First Blood Test Expert

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Ora Lee was a young woman who worked in a match factory in Ohio. In 1908, she discovered she was pregnant, and begged her boyfriend Guy Rasor to marry her. Rasor purchased a marriage license, but the next day, Ora Lee was found dead, shot through the head and dumped on the side of the road.

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1903 The first systematic use of fingerprints for criminal identification in the United States begins in the New York State Prison system. 

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1903 The first systematic use of fingerprints for criminal identification in the United States begins in the New York State Prison system. 

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The integration of this system brought forth the need for more local police bureaus and increased the demand of police officials. This event eventually led to the establishment of the FBI.

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1904 Oskar and Rudolf Adler developed a presumptive test for blood based on benzidine, a new chemical developed by Merk. 

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1904 Oskar and Rudolf Adler developed a presumptive test for blood based on benzidine, a new chemical developed by Merk. 

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This test is essential in determining whether there are presence of blood found in investigations. The chemical Benzidine can be used to expose traces of blood and hydrogen peroxide.

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1908 President Theodore Roosevelt establishes the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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1908 President Theodore Roosevelt establishes the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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The FBI is still relevant and thriving today and they deal with violent and major crimes. The establishment of this Bureau has grown from where it first began, and has grown to be more independent and very efficient crime investigation unit.

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1913-14 Sir Lomer Gouin, Attorney General and Premier of Quebec, decides to create the first forensic lab in North America.

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1913-14 Sir Lomer Gouin, Attorney General and Premier of Quebec, decides to create the first forensic lab in North America.

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The first forensic lab in North America and labs are essential even in today's world to help uncover the truths through forensic science. This lab served as a starting point in the development of future working environments for analysis in forensics.

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1913 Victor Balthazard publishes his belief that each fired bullet carries unique marks.

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1913 Victor Balthazard publishes his belief that each fired bullet carries unique marks.

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Publishing his belief serves as a model to what has improved in advanced ballistics. Each bullet can represent what type of gun used to matching the bullet to a crime scene and be deemed essential when dealing with more than one suspect or event taking place and it can tell an uncovered story,

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1915 State of New York adopts the medical examiner system.

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1915 State of New York adopts the medical examiner system.

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Medical examiners are an essential part of the process of uncovering the truth behind a crime scene. They perform autopsies and report results in determining the cause of death that can serve as important testimonies.

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1920 Charles E. Waite was the first to catalog manufacturing data about weapons.

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1920 Charles E. Waite was the first to catalog manufacturing data about weapons.

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This gathering of information from different firearm manufacturers and cataloging the ballistic information from them led to prevention of future mistakes of bullets not matching guns fired which can cause wrongful convictions.

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1931 Franz Josef Holzer, an Austrian scientist, developed the absorbtion-inhibition ABO typing technique that became the basis of that commonly used in forensic laboratories. It was based on the prior work of Siracusa and Lattes. 

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1931 Franz Josef Holzer, an Austrian scientist, developed the absorbtion-inhibition ABO typing technique that became the basis of that commonly used in forensic laboratories. It was based on the prior work of Siracusa and Lattes. 

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This forensic test is essential in categorizing different blood types and use that information to clear someone of guilt if found to be a suspect.

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1937 Chemiluminescence First Used by Specht

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1937 Chemiluminescence First Used by Specht

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A useful method with the use of forensic serology by applying biochemical methods that helps identify the presence of bodily fluid in an investigation.

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1939 The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin publishes W.H. Krogman’s seminal article on examining skeletal remains, bringing the field of anthropology to the world of forensic investigation.

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1939 The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin publishes W.H. Krogman’s seminal article on examining skeletal remains, bringing the field of anthropology to the world of forensic investigation.

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Implementation of anthropology in forensic science is deemed to be essential in the field to help determine if skeletal remains are human. This publication helped open up the forensic field in determining the identification of skeletal remains from sex of the person, height, race and time of death.

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1943 Oswald Avery , Colin MacLeod , and Maclyn McCarty discover that DNA carries genetic information. 

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1943 Oswald Avery , Colin MacLeod , and Maclyn McCarty discover that DNA carries genetic information. 

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They discovered that DNA can be transformed which led to a better understanding of how DNA structure and function work.

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1945 Frank Lundquist, working at the Legal Medicine Unit at the University of Copenhagen, developed the acid phosphatase test for semen. 

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1945 Frank Lundquist, working at the Legal Medicine Unit at the University of Copenhagen, developed the acid phosphatase test for semen. 

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This test is essential in preserving the DNA evidence found in crime scenes. Under UV light semen can be discovered and make it easy to collect samples making it useful in crime scenes.

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1950 Max Frei-Sulzer, founder of the first Swiss criminalistics laboratory, developed the tape lift method of collecting trace evidence. 

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1950 Max Frei-Sulzer, founder of the first Swiss criminalistics laboratory, developed the tape lift method of collecting trace evidence. 

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This method is a safe way to not destroy biological materials that are evidence left in crime scenes.

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1977 FBIinstitutes the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). 

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1977 FBIinstitutes the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). 

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Used in law enforcement, is important in identifying, storing, and analyzing fingerprint data.

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1983 Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

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1983 Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

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Powerful technology used for tracing elements and provide analysis of solid materials such as broken glass in a crime scene.

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1984 DNA Profiling, first DNA "fingerprinting" technique, discovered by Dr. Alec Jeffries of the Lister Institute of Leicester University, England.

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1984 DNA Profiling, first DNA "fingerprinting" technique, discovered by Dr. Alec Jeffries of the Lister Institute of Leicester University, England.

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Is used to identifying a person by comparing the DNA found within a person to a DNA contained in a sample.

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1985 Blood Stain Pattern Analysis (BPA)-

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1985 Blood Stain Pattern Analysis (BPA)-

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Can help investigators find out more about an event that previously took place that can possibly link a suspect to a crime in a significant way using the patterns left behind from blood.

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1998 The National DNA Index System (NDIS) becomes operational.

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1998 The National DNA Index System (NDIS) becomes operational.

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The integration of NDIS is essential in keeping track of the records of violent offenders and implementation of this system makes it easier to identify cases where investigations might lead to a dead end. Also a data base that is useful in finding out criminal cases such as missing persons report, offenders, and keeping track of samples from crime scenes.

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2007 Footwear Intelligence Technology (FIT)

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2007 Footwear Intelligence Technology (FIT)

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This technology may be essential in determining the type of shoe found in a crime scene by the pattern of the shoes they wore and tracking them down through a database.