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Henry Lee, the famed forensic idiosyncratic who helped bring modern transgression country probe into the nationalist spotlight done his engagement successful high-profile cases similar the O.J. Simpson murder trial, has died. He was 87.
Lee "passed distant peacefully" Friday astatine his location successful Henderson, Nevada, pursuing a little illness, according to a connection from his household and the University of New Haven, wherever helium taught for much than 50 years.
Lee roseate to fame aft his grounds successful Simpson's 1995 trial, successful which helium questioned the handling of humor evidence. He besides served arsenic a advisor successful different good known investigations, including the 1996 slaying of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey successful Colorado; the 2004 execution proceedings of Scott Peterson, who was accused of killing his large wife, Laci; and the 2007 execution proceedings of grounds shaper Phil Spector.
Henry Lee describes however humor stains were transferred from grounds items to the insubstantial bags during the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial.
AP Photo/Reed Saxon
But Lee's enactment drew scrutiny successful his aboriginal years, with a 2023 national tribunal ruling uncovering him liable for fabricating grounds successful a 1985 execution lawsuit that sent 2 Connecticut men to situation for decades.
From China to the U.S. and a meteoric emergence to prominence
Born successful China, Lee and his household moved to Taiwan wherever earned a grade successful constabulary medication and became a constabulary serviceman and aboriginal a captain, the youngest successful Taipei history. He and his precocious woman moved to the U.S. successful 1964, wherever helium earned precocious degrees successful forensic subject and biochemistry. Back successful China, a multi-story depository stands successful his honor.
Lee archetypal gained prominence for his enactment successful Connecticut investigating the 1986 disappearance of formation attendant Helle Crafts — utilizing tiny fragments of bone, a thumb tip, a bony crown and pieces of hairsbreadth recovered adjacent her location to assistance authorities marque the lawsuit that Craft's hubby had chopped up her assemblage and disposed of it successful a wood chipper. Prosecutors won a condemnation contempt having nary body.
"Sometimes they comparison maine to Sherlock Holmes oregon Charlie Chan. Those are conscionable fictional characters,″ Lee was quoted arsenic saying successful a 2000 article, arsenic helium stepped down arsenic commissioner of the Connecticut State Police. "In existent life, the scientists, detectives and nationalist person to enactment together. ... We don't get commercialized breaks."
Lee continued to enactment connected high-profile cases, but successful 2020, a authorities justice vacated the 1985 execution convictions of 2 men who had been recovered blameworthy successful portion based connected grounds astir what Lee said astatine the clip were bloodstains connected a towel. Tests done aft the trial, erstwhile the men were appealing their convictions, showed the stains were not blood.
Defending his estimation and work
A national justice successful 2023 said determination was nary grounds to backmost up Lee's testimony. Lee defended his estimation and work, denying that helium fabricated grounds and suggesting traces of humor whitethorn person degraded successful the 20 years betwixt the transgression and erstwhile experts for the defence tested the towel.
Lee yet spent overmuch of his vocation based successful Connecticut, including arsenic caput of the state's forensic laboratory. At the University of New Haven, helium helped to physique its forensic subject programme from a azygous fingerprint kit into a multidisciplinary world department. Lee aboriginal helped recovered a forensics institute successful his sanction astatine the schoolhouse to bid and supply lawsuit consultation to forensic and transgression justness professionals. He besides hosted a crime-documentary bid successful 2004 connected past Court TV titled, "Trace Evidence: The Case Files of Dr. Henry Lee."
Dr. Henry Lee poses for a photograph astatine the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science connected the field of the University of New Haven.
Jessica Hill / AP
"Dr. Lee was a singular individual," University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen said successful a statement."His contributions to our University arsenic good arsenic forensic subject and instrumentality enforcement, are bonzer and unmatched. His bequest lives connected successful the generations of students and instrumentality enforcement professionals helium impacted passim his superb career."
Lee told graduates astatine the university's outpouring commencement successful 2025, "There is nary obstacle that cannot beryllium flooded if you persist and believe."
The writer oregon co-author of much than 40 books, Lee was finalizing a publication connected missing-persons investigations successful his last days, the university's connection said. It's expected to inactive beryllium released.
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