The Man Who Altered Forensic Science Forever
Ivan Vučetić (1858 – 1925): The Island of Hvar’s True Detective
Ivan Vučetić was born on the island of Hvar, where he lived until the age of 26. At that point, he emigrated to Argentina, where he changed his name to Juan Vucetich, and in four years’ time, he began working at the Central Police Department in La Plata. While working there, he noticed some shortcomings in current investigation methods, and in 1891, he took over the identification department. There he invented the equipment used for taking and archiving fingerprints and a wooden device called the dactylonome, and thus the start of fingerprint-based investigation came to be. And did we mention the first horrific crime where he brought to life the unsuspected perpetrator?
Unveiling the Genius Behind Crime Scene Investigation
Have you ever wondered how today’s sophisticated forensic methods originated? Wonder no more; here at the Museum of Mystery, you’ll find out every little detail about the father of modern CSI, the genius who introduced dactyloscopy into everyday crime-solving work! Talk about how many actual offenders have been identified and prosecuted, huh?
WHAT IS DACTYLOSCOPY
Unveiling the Origins of Fingerprint Investigation Method
Learn all about the development of dactyloscopy, one of the most reliable and prevalent means of identifying people by the papillary lines on their fingers, palms, and feet.
In Argentina, Vučetić oversaw the anthropometric method used to identify offenders. Vučetić began collecting fingerprints from detained persons after reading a French journal article on Francis Galton’s fingerprint recognition research.
He invented the “dactyloscopy table”—a marble board with extended ink, a zinc plate to ink the fingers, a roll, and a wooden grooved board to take fingerprints. Which you’ll be able to see when you come and visit us!
Invention & crime solving revolution
How to get the whole story?
Vučetić became famous after using fingerprint evidence in the 1892 case of Francisca Rojas, who murdered her own children and then slashed her neck to blame the outside attacker. She accused their family friend of murder. Vučetić compared hers to the bloody print on the door and figured out Francisca Rojas was the killer and the family friend innocent. She confessed and was convicted of first-degree murder. It was the first known case in the world solved by method Vučetić used. Two further cases proved the method’s accuracy.
