Henry Lee, famed forensic scientist who testified in the OJ Simpson trial, dies at 87

In this Aug. 4, 2011 photo, Dr. Henry Lee poses for a photograph at the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science, on the campus of the University of New Haven in New Haven, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Henry Lee, the famed forensic scientist who helped bring modern crime scene investigation into the public spotlight through his involvement in high-profile cases like the O.J. Simpson murder trial, has died. He was 87.

Lee “passed away peacefully” Friday at his home in Henderson, Nevada, following a brief illness, according to a statement from his family and the University of New Haven, where he taught for more than 50 years.

Lee rose to fame after his testimony in Simpson’s 1995 trial, in which he questioned the handling of blood evidence. He also served as a consultant in other well known investigations, including the 1996 slaying of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in Colorado; the 2004 murder trial of Scott Peterson, who was accused of killing his pregnant wife, Laci; and the 2007 murder trial of record producer Phil Spector.

But Lee’s work drew scrutiny in his later years, with a 2023 federal court ruling finding him liable for fabricating evidence in a 1985 murder case that sent two Connecticut men to prison for decades.

Born in China, the 11th of 13 children, Lee and his family moved to Taiwan where were he earned a degree in police administration and became a police officer and later a captain. He and his late wife moved to the U.S. in 1964, where he earned advanced degrees in forensic science and biochemistry.

He first gained prominence for his work in Connecticut investigating the 1986 disappearance of flight attendant Helle Crafts — using tiny fragments of bone, a thumb tip, a tooth crown and pieces of hair found near her home to help authorities make the case that Craft’s husband had cut up her body and disposed of it in a wood chipper. Prosecutors were able to win a conviction despite having no body.

“Sometimes they compare me to Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan. Those are just fictional characters,″ Lee was quoted as saying in a 2000 article, as he stepped down as commissioner of the Connecticut State Police. “In real life, the scientists, detectives and public have to work together. ... We don’t get commercial breaks.”

Lee continued to work on high-profile cases, but in 2020, a state judge vacated the 1985 murder convictions of two men who had been found guilty in part based on testimony about what Lee said at the time were bloodstains on a towel. Tests done after the trial, when the men were appealing their convictions, showed the stains were not blood.

A federal judge in 2023 said there was no evidence to back up Lee’s testimony. Lee defended his reputation and work, denying that he fabricated evidence and suggesting traces of blood may have degraded in the 20 years between the crime and when experts for the defence tested the towel.

Lee ultimately spent much of his career based in Connecticut, including as head of the state’s forensic laboratory. At the University of New Haven, he helped to build its forensic science program from a single fingerprint kit into a multidisciplinary academic department. Lee later helped found a forensics institute in his name at the school to train and provide case consultation to forensic and criminal justice professionals.

“Dr. Lee was a remarkable individual,” University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen said in a statement. “His contributions to our University as well as forensic science and law enforcement are extraordinary and unmatched. His legacy lives on in the generations of students and law enforcement professionals he impacted throughout his brilliant career.”

The author or co-author of more than 40 books, Lee was finalizing a book on missing-persons investigations in his final days, the university’s statement said. It’s expected to still be released.

Susan Haigh, The Associated Press