From Lindbergh to Laci, a growing forensics fancy

Long before two unidentified bodies washed onto the shore of the San Francisco Bay early last week, most of America knew Laci Peterson's story. For months, the news that a pregnant woman had been snatched on Christmas Eve from her close-knit town in California's Central Valley evoked compassion. Later, the decision by police to troll her husband's fishing spot generated suspicion.

Yet when a local official stepped before a throng of reporters last week to speak of the two bodies - suspected and later confirmed to be Peterson and her unborn son - another reaction emerged: fascination.

The questions came rapid fire: Why was it taking so long to analyze the DNA? How decomposed were the bodies? Why weren't dental records being used?

To some observers, it was more than journalistic thoroughness. It was a glimpse into America's new and growing obsession with the most minute - and often the most disturbing - procedures of high-profile criminal investigations. Call it the "CSI" effect.

Since the days of Arthur Conan Doyle, people have tried to piece together clues from major investigations - with the media's help. But criminal-justice experts suggest that Americans, lathered by the O.J. Simpson trial and TV shows like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," are more engrossed than ever by the forensics and autopsies involved in crime solving.

The curiosity has made forensics one of the most sought-after subjects in colleges, high schools, and even middle schools, and it is heightening interest in cases like the Peterson disappearance.

"At this point in history, the public carries stories a lot further than they did in the past," says Ronald Singer, president-elect of the American Association of Forensic Scientists (AAFS). "Now, people want to know all the details; they want to know about the DNA."

At San Jose State University in California, student demand is leading the criminal-justice department to hire its first forensics professor. At California State University in Sacramento, department chair William Vizzard calls the increased interest at his school "sudden" and "incredible" - especially among women.

Indeed, one recent survey by student lender Sallie Mae suggests that forensic science is the fastest-growing major on many college campuses. And for the first time, the AAFS sponsored conferences last year on how to teach forensics - a response to repeated inquiries from middle-school and high-school teachers.

The boom began, most agree, after the O.J. Simpson trial. "It was the first time I know of that a trial of huge national interest involved the use of crime-scene investigation techniques and DNA," says Dr. Singer.

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