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One-On-One With Criminalist Dr. Henry C. Lee

Chion Wolf
/
WNPR
Dr. Henry Lee - Forensic scientist and professor at the University of New Haven (@HenryCLee).

Forensic scientist Dr. Henry C. Lee has been a well-known figure in Connecticut courtrooms for decades. His expertise led to high-profile work investigating famous crimes from the O.J. Simpson trial to investigating the murder of child beauty queen, JonBenét Ramsey.

But in addition to his testimony on famous cases, Dr. Lee has been a staple of forensic science in Connecticut for the past 40 years--from serving as the state’s chief criminalist to helping found the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.

This hour we sit down with Dr. Lee to hear about his life and how his investigative career began right here in Connecticut.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

GUEST:

  • Dr. Henry Lee - Forensic scientist and professor at the University of New Haven (@HenryCLee)

READING LIST:

Hartford Courant – Unraveling Crimes, Henry Lee Transformed Art Of Forensic Science (April 2014) – “Virtually a one-man operation with a microscope and some camera equipment to analyze black and white photographs, Lee set about to keep a promise he made to Gov. Ella Grasso the day she officially made him a state employee in 1979 — to build the best forensic laboratory in the country.”

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Famed criminalist Henry Lee recounts O.J. Simpson trial (June 2017) – “‘There were so many issues with the major crime scene in that case,’ said Mr. Lee, who holds a doctorate and who testified for five days as a defense expert for Simpson. ‘This case set the landmarks for crime scene and laboratory handling of evidence.’”

Hartford Courant: 'Incorrect' Testimony of Famous Forensic Scientist Henry Lee At Heart Of Supreme Court Hearing (October 2018) – “Nearly 30 years after Henning and Birch were sent to prison, the state Supreme Court will hear appeals of their convictions based partly on the argument that Lee’s testimony was false and that they deserve either to have their convictions overturned or new trials.”

Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on December 21, 2018.

Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.
Carmen Baskauf was a producer for Connecticut Public Radio's news-talk show Where We Live, hosted by Lucy Nalpathanchil from 2017-2021. She has also contributed to The Colin McEnroe Show.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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