Dr. Henry C. Lee’s legacy is connected to students who study forensic science at the University of New Haven (UNH). Through his assisting in more than 7,000 major cases, working in every state, 30 countries and as a consultant for 600 law enforcement agencies, he left behind an unmatched legacy following his recent death.

Lee was born on Nov. 22, 1938, in Rugao, China. Lee’s parents were wealthy business owners.

“My father used to be so rich, owns half of the town,” Lee said in a 2014 lecture at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. This changed in the 1940s when the family fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War. While traveling to Taiwan separate from his family, Lee’s father died after the S.S. Taiping collided with a cargo ship and sank.

“However, during the revolution we have to run-for-your-life kind of thing,” said Lee. “We went to Taiwan. My father died when I was 5, 6 years old.” The tragedy left Lee’s family in financial ruin while his mother was left raising him and his 12 siblings alone.

Following his secondary education, Lee enrolled at Central Police College (now Central Police University), where he graduated with a B.A. in police administration. This, he said later, was the only path he could afford.

“We can’t afford tuition,” said Lee in a lecture at Western University in 2016. “In Taiwan that time only two university, one is military academy the other is police college, it’s tuition free.”

He then became a police officer in the Taipei police department, and eventually became Taiwan’s youngest ever police captain at the age of 22.

Lee left this position and relocated to the U.S. in 1965 to do professional policing and forensic work.

Lee’s move to the U.S. wasn’t out of an abundance of money, he didn’t have much on hand to start with.

“When I first come to this country I don’t even speak English,” he said. “Me and my wife together we have $50.”

He worked multiple jobs after enrolling in John Jay College to support his family and pay his tuition.

“I worked at the NYU medical center as a technician, I wait on tables, also teach karate and kung fu during weekends to make enough money to support the family also to pay the tuition,” Lee said.

Lee graduated from John Jay College in 1972 with a B.S. in forensic science. In 1974, he earned a Master of Science and his doctorate in 1975, both in biochemistry, from New York University.
This was also the year Lee joined University of New Haven (UNH) and founded its forensic science program.

From 1978 to 2000, Lee worked at UNH, served as chief criminalist for the state of Connecticut and was the director of the Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory. He was also the commissioner of the state’s Department of Public Safety and Connecticut State Police from 1998 to 2000.

After retiring from state service in 2000, he became chief emeritus of the state of Connecticut’s Division of Scientific Services from 2000-2010.

Lee worked on a number of high-profile cases throughout his career. His most notable was his involvement in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995. Other high profile cases Lee worked on include the 9/11 forensics investigation, the Laci Peterson case, the murder of JonBenét Ramsey and the murder of Helle Crafts, which led to Connecticut’s first murder conviction without the victim’s body.

His career, while highly respected, was not without controversy.

Lee faced criticism for his handling of evidence in the 2007 Phil Spector murder case, with Judge Larry Paul Fiddler concluding that Lee hid or destroyed evidence from the scene of Lana Clarkson’s shooting.

In July 2023, a federal court found that Lee fabricated evidence in the Henning-Birch trial in 1985 that saw two young men convicted for the murder of 65-year-old Everett Carr. The two men were released in 2019 when their chargers were overturned, having already spent 30 years incarcerated. In September 2023, the two men were awarded $25.2 million as part of a settlement out of court.

Lee’s recent death shook the university community, including alumni.

“I felt in shock cause I had not too long ago went to one of his symposiums and he seemed in high spirits and good health,” said Siera Sparks, a 2025 graduate with a B.S. in forensic science. “But I know he’s left a legacy and those who take forensic science will remember him forever.”

Lee was well respected by fellow faculty, too. Acting associate dean for the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Michael Lawlor said he believed Lee had a way of connecting with those he was teaching.

“Dr. Lee had a unique ability to explain complex scientific concepts to students, jurors, law enforcement officers, and politicians,” Lawlor said. “When he was done testifying or teaching, members of his audiences felt like they understood and trusted him. He used humor to offset frequently horrifying crime scene evidence and, in so doing, allowed laypersons to focus on the important details. 50 years ago, our university provided Dr. Lee with an opportunity to break into a profession that was little understood and appreciated at the time.”

Lawlor said Lee set an example that should be followed by students.

“Today, forensic science and crime scene investigation is a career of choice for an ever-increasing number of talented students,” he said. “Throughout his career he made it a point to repay the University of New Haven community multiple times over. Each of us has an obligation to follow his lead.”