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The term “forensic science,” once confined to jargon laden conversations among criminologists, has now become commonplace in the lexicon of contemporary society. And thanks to the syndication of legal-medical shows like CSI and the various Law & Order reincarnations, forensics has become the modern day panacea of justice in America. In his new book, The Killer of Little Shepherds, author Douglas Starr chronicles the coinciding evolution of modern forensic techniques of criminology and the steady rise of crime rates during the late 19th century. The book focuses on the crimes of one man in particular – Joseph Vacher (Vashay) stalked the French countryside, claiming more than twice as many lives as the better-known Jack the Ripper. At the same time as Vacher, a new generation of criminologists concerned with precision and consistency began to emerge, including prominent scientist and scholar Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne (Lackasanya) and prosecutor Emile Fourquet. Lacassagne and his colleagues helped to pioneer many of the disciplines that are now collectively known as forensic science. This includes analysis of putrefaction stages in calculating a victim’s time of death and knife wound angles used to determine the handedness of an attacker—both techniques would help to standardize autopsies of criminal cases internationally. Lacassagne and Fourquet successfully rebuked Vacher’s defense by reason of insanity, leading to his conviction and execution. However, by no means did the ruling quell the debate on the origins of criminality as disputes over nature versus nurture continue to evolve.

GUEST: Douglass Starr, co-Director of the Center for Science and Medical Journalism and a Professor of Journalism at Boston University, author of the award winning book Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce, and his latest book, The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science

Read more about this author at www.douglasstarr.com