Fifty Years of Forensics

Forensic scientists usually don’t ascend to star status, but Dr. Henry Lee has become a household name -- at least in the homes of true crime enthusiasts. Dr. Lee has been a fixture in true crime news and entertainment, featured in The Staircase, Forensic Files, The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey , and in his own series: Trace Evidence: The Case Files of Dr. Henry Lee. He has lent nearly fifty years of forensic expertise to recognizable cases such as the death of Caylee Anthony, the trial of O.J. Simpson , the death of Laci Peterson, and the September 11 terrorist attacks. He has authored or co -authored over 40 books on forensic science, crime scene investigation, and crime scene reconstruction.

Although his expert testimony sometimes clashes with popular opinion, one cannot deny Dr. Lee the respect his findings deserve in the face of 50 years of experience. Throughout the decades, Dr. Lee has observed remarkable changes -- including the rise of media involvement in court proceedings. “We don’t know the case,” he says. “We only know what is in the media. When you sit in the room or in the jury box, you see all of the evidence not accounted for in the media.”

The corruption of the information we receive is colored even further by the way we receive it. “You have one story, and the way one channel reports it may be very different from the way another reports it.”

There is, perhaps, no case more infamous for its media coverage than the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. But while the case was a veritable media circus, it was also hugely influential in changing investigative procedure. Dr. Lee gave testimony for the defense that certain pieces of evidence from the crime scene had not been processed properly or had been overlooked entirely. “The case set the national standard for crime scene investigation,” Dr. Lee explains. “In a double homicide, there should have been crime scene video. There shouldn’t have been anything overlooked. Evidence should not have been taken home by detectives. None of this says the defendant is guilty or innocent, but the evidence was not reliable.”

Ultimately, Dr. Lee hopes to be remembered for more than his work on the Simpson trial. He currently only investigates cold cases in which everyday people need help finding missing loved ones or bringing closure to cold case murders. “These are the cases dear to my heart,” he says.

Dr. Lee tells the story of a 72-year-old senior citizen, her disabled 42-year-old son, and her 8-year-old granddaughter, all three murdered in one weekend. “Nobody cares,” he says sadly. “So we want to help these people who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to find answers.”

The problematic investigative procedures of days gone by often interfere with this honorable effort, though. “Before 1998, nobody wore gloves,” he explains. “ Police didn’t wear gloves, then take a piece of evidence to a lab tech, who didn’t wear gloves. The prosecutor examines it without gloves. Maybe they take it to trial and the defense attorney and jury handle it without gloves. Now we try to retest and find trace DNA that’s unreliable.”

It is heartwarming to know that after fifty years of service, Dr. Lee is able to devote himself to work that obviously brings him much fulfilment and joy -- and that joy spills over into his personal life, as well. “When my wife [Margaret] passed away two years ago, we had been married 57 years,” he says. “Her departure affected me very much and I missed her tremendously.” What he didn’t know, though, was that Margaret had planned ahead. “I learned that when her health began to deteriorate, she told her best friend that if she passed, she would send an angel to come and take care of me.” As luck would have it, one arrived. In December 2018, at 80 years old, Dr. Lee married entrepreneur Jiang Xiaping in a small ceremony in Connecticut.

“People asked me “Why remarry?” Life is short. Having a partner to walk with you and share your happiness is important. You can’t withdraw from the world.”

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Dr. Lee says that he loves to travel with his new wife! She will accompany him to CrimeCon 2019 in New Orleans, where he will take the stage to reflect on a career spanning half a century. Come prepared with questions for the audience Q&A and your phone for the meet & greet immediately following his session!