APPENDIX

Forensic Pioneers and Their Cases

Michael Baden (1939- ) This controversial figure's frequent clashes with authority have never overshadowed his technical brilliance. Most recently he has achieved public recognition as a defense witness in the trial of O. J. Simpson.

Francis Camps (1905-1972) Crusty and opinionated, Camps was a crusader who sometimes allowed strongly held views to cloud facts. Students gaped at the extraordinary pace of his work in the mortuary and often felt the lash of his tongue if they could not keep up. Tragically, his misjudgments are remembered more than his successes.

John Glaister (1892-1971) A great teacher who succeeded his father as Regius Professor of Forensic Medicine at Glasgow University, Scotland, in the 1930s, together with Sir Sydney Smith and Professor Harvey Littlejohn, Glaister elevated Scottish pathology to a position of international supremacy.

Edward O. Heinrich (1881-1953) One of the most remarkable figures in the history of U.S. jurisprudence, this Wisconsin-born scientist almost single-handedly created the role of the expert witness. Just the mention of his name was enough to send shudders through opposing counsel, and not for nothing did he become known as "The American Sherlock Holmes."

Milton Helpern (1902-1977) The doyen of American pathologists, Helpern spent decades as chief medical examiner for New York City, a term of service that gave him an unparalleled experience of violent death. It was largely through his untiring efforts that New York City recognized the need to maintain fully equipped forensic facilities.

Alexandre Lacassagne (1844-1921) Early experience in the French military gave Lacassagne the interest in bullet wounds that led him into medicine. First holder of the chair in forensic medicine at the University of Lyons, Lacassagne dealt with all aspects of scientific detection. His dictum, "One must know how to doubt," has become the backbone of sound forensic practice.

Keith Simpson (1907-1985) Massively experienced, having probably performed more autopsies (more than one hundred thousand) than anyone else, Simpson was a first-rate witness who never lost sight of the fact that juries are largely composed of individuals whose grasp on forensic matters is tenuous at best. His evidence, couched in the clearest of terms, was a model of lucidity and erudition.

Sir Sydney Smith (1883-1969) Although he never achieved the public eminence of his great contemporary, Bernard Spilsbury, Smith took second place to no one in the scope and manner of his work. Always eager to pass on his knowledge to future generations, he can truly be reckoned among the greats of forensic medicine.

Sir Bernard Spilsbury (1877-1947) For thirty-five years, the cry of "Call Dr. Bernard Spilsbury" was enough to pack courtrooms throughout England. A man of immense gravitas and seemingly without a shred of selfdoubt in his body, he swayed juries and judges alike, earning himself a reputation of near infallibility. Uniquely among the great pathologists, he never published and he never taught. In the end, depressed by his waning powers, he gassed himself.