Criminal Haiku

Return to The Crime Lab

See also Mr. Lazaroff's Anatomical Haiku and Biological Haiku

Introduction:  (Back to the LINKS page)

Arthur Conan Doyle's
Sherlock Holmes thought up much of
modern forensics.

Evidence:  (Back to the LINKS page)

Hair and fiber.  Teeth.
Tool marks.  Powder Burns and Blood.
All are evidence.

Crime Scene:  (Back to the LINKS page)

A criminal will
pick up and leave evidence;
That's Locard's Exchange.

Fingerprints:  (Back to the LINKS page)

Arches, Loops and whorls.
Fingerprints seem the same; I
say "To each his own . . ."

Death and Decomposition:  (Back to the LINKS page)

Algor mortis and
livor mortis and rigor
mortis: your future . . .

Ballistics:  (Back to the LINKS page)

Firing pins, bullet
casings, marks to lead you back
to the gun itself.

Injuries:  (Back to the LINKS page)

Lacerations and
contusions and puncture wounds;
Pre- or post-mortem?

Blood: (Back to the LINKS page)

No matter how hard
you clean the blood, luminol
will show it to all.

Lady Macbeth said
"Out!  Out!  Damned spot!" She
never heard of luminol!

Trace Evidence:  (Back to the LINKS page)

It's hard to think that
any hair that you leave there
can lead them to you!

DNA:  (Back to the LINKS page)

Deoxyribo-
Nucleic Acid will mark
your name on your crime.

Forensic Anthropology:  (Back to the LINKS page)

'Dem Bones, 'dem dry bones
they decay so slow, they will
bear witness one day!

Careers:  (Back to the LINKS page)

What's in your future?
Crime Scene Investigator?
Police officer?