Sherlock Holmes’ investigative methods and how they apply to a forensics class
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes uses a number of investigative methods that are applicable to a forensics class today. Sherlock employed applied deduction, accurate sense of observation and scientific methods to get confessions and convicting evidence from suspects. The first method that he employs is through detective work where the fictional Holmes defined a subject using details related to their height, gait, weight, occupation, and other summaries through observing wet footprints as in the case of “The Boscombe Valley Mystery”. Detective work is relevant in the forensics class since suspects can be described in details like what Holmes did. The second method is the use of fingerprints where Holmes identified and used them in the story of “The Signs of Four” and in “The Adventure of the Norwood Builder” where Holmes proved that MacFarlane was innocent. Today in a forensics class, students are taught how fingerprints can be used to identify individuals since no two individuals have similar fingerprints.
The fourth method that Holmes used was the use of ciphers or coded messages that required certain keys to get the letter substitutions. For instance, Holmes uses ciphers in the fictional stories of “The Dancing Men,” and “The Gloria Scott”. Coded messages were used during the World Wars to decipher messages from the enemy. Today, many law enforcement agencies in different countries use coded messages based on the protocols described by Conan Doyle’s fictional character, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes also employs footprint analysis in identifying culprits from the first to the fifty-seventh story. For instance, in the “Boscombe Valley Mystery,” footprint method is used to identify the murderer, Mr. Turner and exonerate the young McCarthy of his father’s death. Holmes uses footprint analysis in many areas that include surfaces: carpet, snow, clay soil, mud, blood and ashes among others.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Holmes also traces footsteps to identify the culprits in these fictional adventures. Today, footprints are used in forensics to identify suspects based on their shoes, tools, and other depressions. Further, Holmes applies handwriting as he uses it to deduce many facts and details. Holmes could tell the gender, class, and maturity of a suspect by inspecting different aspects of handwriting like angle, swirls, pressure, and consistency. In forensics class, handwriting is used to detect forgeries, psychological profiling, and one’s characteristics like drug influence, duress, illness or alcohol influence.
Three ethical theories
The Utilitarian theory posits that the best moral decision is one that maximizes the available utility. Holmes acknowledges that arresting the culprit in the murder mystery will not accomplish anything positive. Turner was suffering from chronic diabetes with just few months to spend in his life. Further, he acted out of passion and killed Mr. McCarthy. When Holmes realized that McCarthy Jr. would be found innocent, he did not see the need to arrest Mr. Turner in his twilight days.
Based on the Rights Theory, the main benefit must guide the decision maker in doing what is right in a situation. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Turner’s daughter are the only people that believe that the young McCarthy is innocent. Holmes finds it right to defend him and use various investigative methods to pull him off the hook.
Categorical imperative states that the rightness or wrongness of actions does not rely on their effects but the ability to fulfill their duty. In the case, the approaches that Holmes uses, either wrong or right, lead to a just conclusion that exonerates the young McCarthy from the murder case.
