RenoVous

 You may have seen in the news, a deadly fire in a Hong Kong housing complex. 151 people have been confirmed dead. The buildings had been undergoing renovations, and the directors of the construction company have been arrested.  Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, has ordered an investigation. So I thought we'd take a look at the history of fire forensics. It was during the Industrial Revolution that the first fire departments were established and the need for trained investigators to determine the cause of factory fires.  The first documented arson investigation was in 1794. Early cases relied heavily on eyewitness accounts, and it wasn't until the 1970's that chemical analysis was introduced.  The ATF, formed in 1972, later pioneered the use of accelerant-detecting canines. Accelerants point to arson, and the International Association of Arson Investigators was charted December 4, 1951, formed in Louisville, KY.   But that's not say investigations are...

  Othram is a company providing forensics technology for cold case work. "Justice is not a luxury; it is a basic human right." In 1997, rock climbers in rural Washoe County found human remains buried under stones in a shallow grave.  While cause of death could not be determined, it was ruled a homicide. Investigators entered her information, including a forensic facial reconstruction, into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System but no leads yielded a match. Earlier this week, with Othram's help, Washoe County was able to identify Lorena Gayle Mosley, who was 41 at the time of her death.   Scientists were able to develop a DNA extract to be used in genome sequencing, building a comprehensive profile for the victim.  Their in-house genetic genealogy team was then able to develop investigative leads that were returned to Washoe County. In follow-up investigation, the Medical Examiner's Office Medicolegal Death Investigator/Technician Supervisor Sarah...

  While working in a police station in Paris, Alphonse Bertillon helped develop the idea of forensic science. Above he is testing the mugshot, as a way to keep track of criminals.  Police had been using photographs already, but they were organized by name, which a criminal could change, and they had collected over 80,000 to have to sort through. In 1879, Bertillon was a low-level clerk in the department, and he recognized the need for a better system.  He turned to the science of human measurements, which could not be altered.  He resolved to collect 11 unique measurements, including head circumference, arm span, and foot and finger length.  (Some data would not work in the case of a minor though, who may still be growing). Later, they would include photographs of individual features, as seen in this chart from 1909. Bertillon used his system to sort through open cases and was able to track down more than 241 repeat offenders. He also became the first to photogr...