Effective crime solving is about addition not subtraction. As former Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter was quoted as saying “when wisdom cometh, accept it”. With the birth of forensics, thousands of cold cases formally unsolvable are now being solved. Crimes of all types and varieties can now be solved by blood spatter patterns, hair follicle samples, tire tread marks, and seamen /blood /saliva specimens. Wow crime fighting is on the move ever-forward. Fingerprints were first used in the United Sates in 1902. The New York City Police Department was one of first police agencies to adopt this investigative tool. Soon thereafter, the use of fingerprints began spreading throughout the U.S. In 1924, the FBI began cataloging fingerprints and by 1971, they had collected and stored over 200 million fingerprints (openfox.com/history-of-fingerprinting/). In 1986, in the United Kingdom DNA profiling was first used to solve a rape and murder case (google.com). DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, the molecule that carries the essential genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of nearly all living organisms. Skilled investigative sleuths know that forensically gathered evidence is generally considered more accurate than eyewitness testimony.
The evolution of forensics
Man’s quest to solve crimes dates to ancient civilizations. Over 2000 years ago a dynasty emperor in ancient China had one of his closest friends killed by someone from within his court. To solve the crime, the emperor called each suspected person to appear before him for questioning. Everyone interviewed denied having anything to do with the murder. The emperor then ordered each suspect to lay their swords in front of them. The emperor then ordered his “royal archers” to stand at the ready with arrows pointed at each suspect. The visual sword inspection revealed that each of the swords were bloodstain free. The emperor then dispatched one of his subjects to the local slaughterhouse to retrieve a band of flies which he later released where the swords laid waiting. The flies sensing the bloodstain made a beeline to the contaminated sword. The subject who owned the sword immediately confessed and pled for his life. Justice was served as the emperor had his archers furnish justice with a flurry of arrows.
The Father of the Forensic Sciences was the French criminologist Dr. Edmond Locard in the late 1800’s (called the Sherlock Holmes of France). Locard created a handbook of principles and processes to preserve collect and evaluate evidence that supports or refutes witness accounts of a crime. Lockard’s exchange principle states: “wherever one steps, whatever one touches, whatever one leaves at the crime scene is evidence. Unlike eyewitnesses, this type of evidence does not forget, never becomes confused and is always extremely reliable.
Conclusion
According to the Vera Institute of Justice (vera.org), an arrest is made in the United States every 3 seconds. Thanks to forensic advancements, law enforcement today is solving both “hot” and “cold” cases considered unsolvable yesterday. Seasoned forensic minded sleuths instinctively know that the screws that tightly bind all crimes together need to be turned from left-to-right and not from right-to-left. Finding evidence today is much easier; especially since every spec of blood, drop of body fluid, follicle of hair, tire track impression, or bite mark could be the quantum leap forward that helps solve crimes that were once considered unsolvable. According to research being conducted by the National Institutes of Health, criminalists in the near future will be able to decipher ethnicity, eye color, disease risks, and ancestry profiles!
Suggested reading:
DNA from a cigarette helps identify a teenager’s killer 44 years after her death – by Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN – February 21, 2026. (https://www.aol.com/articles/dna-cigarette-helps-identify-teenager-170033864.html)
Articles of interest:
Luizzo. A. Gaspar J. Forensics Role in the Investigative Process – PI Magazine Vol. 20 Issue 172 – November / December 2020 (pimagazine.com)
Luizzo. A. Gaspar J. Criminalistics: The New Frontier for Private Investigators – PI Magazine Vol. 21 Issue 178 – November / December 2021 (pimagazine.com)
About the Seniors vs Crime Program (SVCP)
The SVCP was formed in 1989 by the Florida legislature, and is a special program of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. There are 67 offices throughout the state of Florida to assist Florida citizens of any age who have been fraud / scam victims. The Volusia County Office is located at 724 Big Tree Rd, South Daytona. Contact info: Volusia County Office – 407 537-9509 / e-mail volusia@svcproject.org – state wide number is 800 203-3099. The SVCP website address is www.seniorsvscrime.com.
Author:
Anthony J. Luizzo, PhD, CFE Retired NYPD “Detective Specialist”
Dr. Luizzo is a volunteer investigative sleuth / Lecturer with the Seniors Vs Crime Project – Volusia County Florida Office (407 537-9509).
