The University of New Haven in Connecticut, USA, announced on the 27th that Chinese-American forensic expert Henry C. Lee passed away that day at his home in Nevada, at the age of 87.
University President Steven Kaplan stated that Lee made outstanding contributions to the university and the international forensic science community, profoundly influencing generations of students and law enforcement professionals.
Henry C. Lee was born in November 1938 in Rugao, Jiangsu Province, China. He graduated from Taiwan’s Central Police College (now Central Police University) in 1960 and served in the Taipei City Police Department. In 1964, he went to the United States, received his degree from City University of New York in 1972, completed his master's degree in biology and molecular chemistry at New York University in 1974, and earned his doctorate the following year. During his career, he received 30 honorary degrees.
Over decades of his professional career, he served as a forensic expert in all 50 states of the U.S. and at least 46 countries, lectured in more than 70 countries, and provided consulting services for about 600 law enforcement agencies.
The cases he participated in investigating include the renewed investigation into the assassination of U.S. President Kennedy, the globally sensational case involving former American football star O. J. Simpson’s suspected murder of his wife, and the "9/11" terrorist attacks.
He also participated in the investigation of the "3-19 shooting incident" in 2004 involving then Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian.
Lee joined the University of New Haven in 1975 and established the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science in 1998.