Forensic Science Timeline: Ancient Times to Modern History

In response to concerns about the practice of forensic DNA analysis, the National Research Council Committee on Forensic DNA (NRC I) publishes DNA Technology in Forensic Science.

• Thomas Caskey and colleagues publish the first paper suggesting using short tandem repeats for forensic DNA analysis.
• Collaborating with Roche Molecular Systems, Promega Corporation, and Perkin-Elmer Corporation, independently develop commercial kits for forensic DNA STR typing.

The FBI contracted with Mnemonic Systems to develop Drugfire, an automated imaging system to compare marks left on cartridge cases and shell casings, similar to IBIS. The ability to compare fired bullets was subsequently added.

National Institute of Forensic Science commences operations. Amongst its roles are the development of national standards of quality control and accreditation of forensic laboratories throughout Australia.

In Daubert et al. v. Merrell Dow, a U.S. federal court relaxed the Frye standard for admission of scientific evidence and conferred on the judge a “gatekeeping” role. The ruling cited Karl Popper’s views that scientific theories are falsifiable as a criterion for whether something is “scientific knowledge” and should be admissible.

Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals establishes new rules for admitting scientific evidence into the courtroom and alters the Frye Rules set in 1923.

Roche Molecular Systems (formerly Cetus) released a set of five additional DNA markers (“polymarker”) to add to the HLA-DQA1 forensic DNA typing system.

The world’s first national DNA database commences operations in the UK on 10 April 1995.

In response to continued concerns about the statistical interpretation of forensic DNA evidence, a second National Research Council Committee on Forensic DNA (NRC II) was convened and published The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence.

Rodney WINTERS is convicted of the rape and murder of a woman at South Australia’s Edinburgh Air Force base 14 years earlier. After DNA profiling matches him to semen found on the dead woman, WINTERS confesses.

National Academy of Sciences announces DNA evidence is reliable.

The FBI introduced computerized searches of the AFIS fingerprint database. Livescan and card scan devices allowed interdepartmental submissions.

In the US, mitochondrial DNA evidence is used in a court for the first time. Paul WARE is convicted of the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl after mitochondrial DNA profiling matches him to a hair found on the child’s body.

The FBI sets up the National DNA Index System in the USA, enabling interstate cooperation and federal law enforcement agencies to compare DNA profiles electronically to link crimes.

FBI establishes the integrated automated fingerprint identification system, cutting down fingerprint inquiry response from two weeks to two hours. The FBI upgraded its computerized fingerprint database and implemented the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification SystemA.F.I.S. (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) is a sophisticated database and software solution that expedites fingerprint analysis and identification by comparing submitted fingerprints with a vast database of known fingerprints. More (IAFIS), allowing paperless submission, storage, and search capabilities directly to the national database maintained at the FBI.

A Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the FBI and ATF, allowing the use of the National Integrated Ballistics Network (NIBIN), to facilitate exchange of firearms data between Drugfire and IBIS

In the UK, the Forensic Science Service announces that the number of DNA profiles of suspects and convicted criminals on the national DNA database has reached one million or roughly one third of the estimated criminally active population.

Technology speeds up DNA profiling time, from 6-8 weeks to between 1-2 days.

Britain’s Forensic Science Service develops online footwear coding and detection system. This helps police to identify footwear marks quickly.

A way for scientists to visualize fingerprintsFingerprint, impression made by the papillary ridges on the ends of the fingers and thumbs. Fingerprints afford an infallible means of personal identification, because the ridge arrangement on every finger of every human being is unique and does not alter with growth or age. Fingerprints serve to reveal an individual’s true identity despite personal denial, assumed names, or changes in personal appearance resulting from age, disease, plastic surgery, or accident. The practice of utilizing fingerprints as a means of identification, referred to as dactyloscopy, is an indispensable aid to modern law enforcement. More even after the print has been removed is developed, relating to how fingerprints can corrode metal surfaces.

Michigan state university develops software that automatically matches hand-drawn facial sketches to mug shots stored in databases.

Japanese researchers develop a dental x-ray matching system. This system can automatically match dental x-rays in a database and makes a positive match in less than 4 seconds.

Forensic DNA Phenotyping refers to the prediction of appearance traits of unknown sample donors, or unknown deceased (missing) persons, directly from biological materials found at the scene. “Biological witness” outcomes of Forensic DNA Phenotyping can provide investigative leads to trace unknown persons, who are unidentifiable with current comparative DNA profiling.

The arrest of Joseph DeAngelo as the suspected Golden State Killer in 2018 brought the investigative use of genetic genealogy to the world’s attention. Genetic genealogy has since been used to generate investigative leads in nearly 200 cold cases and some active investigations.