Kate Winkler Dawson- American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI

Many are fascinated by the forensic techniques employed at crime scenes, but few know the origin story of these now taken-for-granted methods of solving murders and other misdeeds. AMERICAN SHERLOCK by journalist and documentary film producer Kate Winkler Dawson chronicles the revolutionary contributions of Edward Oscar Heinrich, who pioneered many of the forensic techniques used today.  Heinrich was one of the nation's first expert witnesses, working in a time when the turmoil of Prohibition led to sensationalized crime reporting and only a small, systematic study of evidence. Heinrich spearheaded the invention of a myriad of new forensic tools that police still use today, including blood spatter analysis, ballistics, lie-detector tests, and the use of fingerprints as courtroom evidence. His work, though not without its serious--some would say fatal--flaws, changed the course of American criminal investigation.