Chapter 1 - A history of crime reconstruction

Abstract

Crime reconstruction is the determination of actions and events surrounding the commission of a crime. A reconstruction may be accomplished by using the statements of witnesses, confession of a suspect, statement of a living victim, or the examination and interpretation of physical evidence. This chapter examines the history of crime reconstruction from the point of view of a forensic generalist, who understands that crime reconstruction is the result of objectively examining a whole related system of evidence rather than a narrow, specialized portion. The chapter provides the framework of certain individuals whose work, theories, and publications are of considerable and particular value to understanding the history of crime reconstruction, not to mention their enormous contribution to the other professions inhabiting the various forensic disciplines. The history of crime reconstruction is built on a succession of inspiration, expectation, and disappointment. Each of the fathers of forensic science entered the profession, in one fashion or another, both inspired by something and to repair something. They came in search of science and, finding it lacking, set about to make things right. The broader theme of their collective work is that physical evidence is of the greatest value when establishing the facts of a case, but it must be cautiously and dispassionately interpreted.