• Forensic science has helped authorities identify victims and prosecute criminals.paper and number bullets image by T.Tulic from Fotolia.com
  
  Thanks to forensic science, many crimes are now solved that might not have been many years ago. Forensic scientists can examine microscopic evidence, such as fingerprints, DNA evidence or fabric fibers that provide detectives with conclusive clues as to what happened at a crime scene. Forensic science also can help the authorities identify dead bodies so that their families can be informed and cases can be formed against suspects. Forensic science is used to solve other types of crime besides violent ones too: Forensic accountants pore over records to determine if money has been used illegally.
  
  

Cold Cases

• One major benefit of the advances in forensic science is that it is being used to solve crimes from the past. Many years ago, DNA evidence could not be tested against suspects to determine their guilt or innocence. Scientists are now testing preserved evidence of old crimes for DNA, along with looking for other evidence that could not have been used in the past. Solving cold cases not only puts more criminals in jail, it gives closure to victims' families.
  
  

Crime Scene

• Forensic scientists often help detectives reconstruct a crime scene. They can use information such as the way a bullet entered a victim or a wall to tell the police where the shooter was standing, about how tall he is and other helpful details. If two people struggled, the forensic scientists can often figure out exactly how the struggle happened and where. Facts like these can lead to a crime being solved when it otherwise might not have been.
  
  

Eyewitnesses

• Eyewitnesses often provide the backbone of a case, but they are often wrong. Forensic scientists can provide details and facts that back up eyewitness testimony to prove that the event had to have happened the way the witness says it did. Alternatively, the forensics can be used to refute the testimony and to give another explanation as to what happened at the crime scene.
  
  

Victims

• Forensic scientists often help identify remains of dead bodies. In the past, identifying an unrecognizable body was next to impossible. But now, dental records, DNA, fingerprints and other identifiable features are used to put a name to remains. This can be extremely helpful to the police when trying to solve a crime. Forensic science is also critical when identifying people killed by natural disasters and in wars.
  
  

Financial

• So-called white collar crimes are often solved with the help of forensic accountants. These accountants can sift through mountains of financial evidence to find out if someone has embezzled money, avoided paying taxes or laundered money. People getting divorces also sometimes hire forensic accountants to determine whether their spouse is hiding money.