“Everything is a self-portrait. A diary. Your whole drug history in a strand of your hair. Your fingernails. The forensic details. The lining of your stomach is a document. The calluses on your hand tell all your secrets. Your teeth give you away. Your accent. The wrinkles around your mouth and eyes. Everything you do shows your hand “Chuck Palahnuick (2004), this pretty much give a broad definition of forensic science.
Forensic science can be defined as “the application of scientific principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice especially as relating to the collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence” Merriam Webster dictionary (2022),
It can be dated as far back as to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians as they performed and recorded autopsies done. Although today there are more aspects to the science such as DNA and fingerprint analysis or even ballistic analysis, we have come a far way.
The implementation of these scientific forensic breakthroughs has contributed a great deal to modern day society. With forensic science it is near impossible for criminals to cover their tracks and it has been used to solves many crimes including that of the notorious Ted Bundy; who was responsible for approximately 30 or more murders with little to no evidence was brought to justice using the forensic analysis of a distinctive bite mark as well as fibers found in his van, and Jeffery Macdonald; who was convicted for the murder of his pregnant wife and two daughters, as a result of the forensic analysis of his pajamas.
Forensic science has help shape the criminal justice system significantly; the way crimes are documented, and the scientific procedures involved in building a profile and analysis of evidence found at crime scenes impact the rate and efficiency at which crimes are solved. It also increases the validity and reliability of the criminal justice system. Every object has the ability to tell a story, it just takes a forensic scientist to analyze and let it be heard.
By Joel Bryan
References
Forensic Science. (2018, June 6). Justice.gov. https://www.justice.gov/olp/forensic-science
Palahniuk, C. (2004). Diary : a novel. Anchor Books.
Webster’s dictionary of the English language. (2014). Mirriam-Webster.