03/30/2026
It is with mixed feelings of deep sadness and tremendous blessing for having known him as long and well as we did that we mark the passing of Dr. HENRY LEE, who left us this past Friday at age 87.
A biochemist, crime scene investigator, expert witness, educator, author, lecturer and consultant, Henry wore a lot of hats in his day, rising from Taiwan's youngest police captain to chief emeritus of Scientific Services for the state of Connecticut.
As an expert witness for O.J. Simpson’s “Dream Team,” he helped bring forensic DNA analysis and the pitfalls of sloppy police work to the attention of the world. As an original investigator into the mysterious death of JonBenet Ramsey, his efforts to coax critical pieces of evidence from another poorly handled crime scene raised serious questions about the identity of the perpetrators. And through his meticulous reconstruction of the lonesome death of Vince Foster, deputy counsel for Kenneth Starr’s Whitewater investigation, he survived the political fray to sort facts from fictions.
Of course, those cases are just a few tips of a very large iceberg. Among countless other matters ranging from the famous to the obscure, Dr. Lee helped establish his reputation through his work on the legendary “woodchipper” murder, testified in both the Casey Anthony and Scott Peterson murder trials, analyzed the Beltway sniper shootings, joined the search for Chandra Levy and Elizabeth Smart, weighed in on the JFK assassination, entered the bizarre world of legendary record producer Phil Spector, and traveled back to his homeland to investigate the attempted assassinations of the Taiwanese president and vice-president during a pre-election day parade.
Most of all, we will remember him for his affability, his keen sense of humor, his graciousness as both a guest and a host, and his abiding friendship.
May his memory be a blessing forever, and may we all continue to learn from his experience and example.
