Who is Shadrack Sibiya Wife? Biography, Age, Career, Controversies & Latest Allegations 2025
#ShadrackSibiya #SAPS #SouthAfricaNews #Hawks #CrimeDetection #LegalBattle #SAJustice #PoliceInquiry #BreakingNewsSA #HelenSibiya
gtvnewshd.com/biography/20...
Day 23: This is not Victorian but the first murder bag for detectives to use at murder scenes was created in 1924 by Home Office pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury, after he was shocked by the lack of hygiene at the examination of the scene of the murder of Emily Kaye. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
An evidence label with bloodstains, and a piece of grey flannel with bloody fingerprints.
Day 22: The first blood test to differentiate human from animal blood was in 1901. Before that, analysis was often based on smell or appearance, or chemical reactions. I found some bloodstained pieces of fabric in a box at the archives, from a homicide case in 1890. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Black and white newspaper page with 'Police Gazette or, Hue and Cry' as the title. There is also a crest with a lion and a unicorn. The date is 6 August 1831.
Day 21: Victorian detectives used the Police Gazette to share descriptions of suspects and stolen items. Established in 1772, it was in circulation for almost 250 years until 2017. I've come across references to its use many times in historical police investigations. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Cardboard box containing some white string and a package made of newspapers, in which the body of an infant had been wrapped. There are brown paper labels on the exhibits.
Day 20: In the late-19th century detectives created exhibits for trials, especially in homicide cases. This is the evidence for the prosecution of infamous baby farmer Amelia Dyer in 1896. It was discovered in the loft of Detective James Anderson's descendant in 2017. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Black metal bulls eye lantern with a large bulbous lens and a handle at the back for carrying it.
Day 19: Like their uniformed colleagues, Victorian detectives used bulls eye lanterns for nocturnal investigations. Hooked onto their belt, they would use them to examine dark buildings and shady corners. They would also remove their boots so they could move silently. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Victorian metal handcuffs with a chain connecting them, and a key.
Day 18: A standard feature of the Victorian detectives' kit was their handcuffs, which they called 'snaps'. 'Darby Cuffs' were the most commonly used handcuffs in the 19th century – they're quite heavy and would have been tricky to manage. They were locked with a key. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Black and white chart with 16 images of different types or ear.
Day 17: Alphonse Bertillon created a series of charts with detailed facial features to aid in the identification of habitual criminals. He used these with his measurements and mugshots to form a record card or 'portrait parlé' (spoken portrait) for individual offenders #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Airedale terrier with a black and tan-coloured coat. The dog is standing on grass.
Day 16: Police dogs were introduced into regional police forces in the early 1900s to aid in crime detection, as well as to protect their officers. Airedale terriers were the preferred breed, as they were as efficient as bloodhounds in tracking suspects but cheaper #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Miniature furniture models of a sofa with red patches, two armchairs, a table covered in dark brown fabric, two wooden chairs and a side table, a coal scuttle and a bucket.
Day 15: Models of crime scenes were commissioned and used by detectives as evidence in court from the 1840s. They were a routine feature of trials by the 1870s. As well as a model of the building, they often included miniature versions of the furniture at the scene #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Day 14: French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon created an anthropometric system of measuring habitual offenders, which was based on the length or width of 11 different body parts. in the UK, these measurements were taken and added to criminal records in the 1880s. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Hand drawn sketch of a crime scene in ink and on paper. The names of the rooms are marked – scullery and kitchen, as well as some features such as fireplace, cupboard and chair. The letters A, B, C, D are marked at the corners of the kitchen and there are red ink dots marking the blood spatter.
Crime scene sketch with a series of handwritten notes describing the events of the alleged incident, such as 'where prisoner was standing...'
Day 13: In their role as prosecutors, Victorian detectives commissioned crime scene sketches as visual aids for court. They also used them for investigative purposes, such as plotting the route and movements of an alleged offender, or mapping the blood spatter. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Silver nib of a fountain pen writing with ink on white paper.
Day 12: The main form of communication between Victorian detectives during an investigation was a route form, which was a handwritten note passed between forces. Although the telegraph was available, they were still using route forms at the end of the 19th century. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Plaster of Paris covering a shoe print on grass.
Day 11: One of the earliest CSI tools was the recording of footprints at a crime scene. This was mostly done by making a cast out of plaster of Paris, although some detective used wax. Although they experimented with other substances, they kept the traditional methods #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Old camera on a stand, in wood and metal, with a black fabric cover.
Day 10: Cameras were introduced into police detective departments from the 1850s, and were mainly used to photograph offenders for criminal records. Pioneered by French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon, cameras were also used for recording a crime scene from the 1880s. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Black and white drawing of the apparatus used in the Marsh test for arsenic, including test tubes and a flame.
Day 9: The first test for arsenic was developed in 1833 by British chemist James Marsh, for use in a poisoning case. When George Bodle was fatally poisoned with coffee, his grandson John was tried, and the test was devised as evidence. Despite this, he was acquitted.
#xmascountdown #crimedetection
Old fingerprinting kit in a brown leather case with three glass bottles containing powder, two brushes and a black ink pad.
Day 8: The Fingerprint Bureau at Scotland Yard was created by Sir Edward Henry in 1901. The practice was gradually introduced into regional detective departments. In Birmingham the technique was first used successfully to investigate a burglary in 1905. This is my kit! #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Two black and white photos of the same man, one from the side profile and the other from the front. He has short greying hair, a full moustache and a goatee beard. He is wearing a white shirt with a small cravat and a dark jacket.
Day 7: French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon (see below) created the 'mugshot' which included a dual profile of offenders, and added them to criminal records at the Paris Sûreté. This became standard practice, and was adopted by British detectives in the late 1880s #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Record card with written information, and a black and white photo of a young boy, with side and front profiles. He has short hair and is wearing a light-coloured jacket.
Brown label with 'Habitual Criminal Register, 1881-2, on a dark red background.
Day 6: The centralised Habitual Criminal Register was introduced in 1869, but regional detectives created their own unique criminal records. Birmingham detective department had a tattoo register and Liverpool recorded the aliases and family names of known offenders.
#xmascountdown #crimedetection
A large spoked metal wheel with a measuring gauge and a handlebar.
Day 5: Beat wheels were not only used for measuring the beat of uniformed officers but they were also used by police detectives in investigations to measure the distance and route of alleged perpetrators to a crime scene. This one is from the Bow Street Police Museum.
#xmascountdown #crimedetection
Black and white sketch of Sherlock Holmes disguised as an elderly Italian priestin a train carriage. He has white hair, and is wearing a long cassock and clerical collar. He is seated and leaning on a walking stick.
Day 4: Like Sherlock Holmes, Victorian detectives often donned disguises when on undercover missions, pretending to be workmen, sales reps and vicars. They even used false wigs and moustaches. When travelling for a case, they kept their outfits in a bag ready for use #xmascountdown #crimedetection
A five-needle telegraph machine from 1837 in light wood and metal.
Day 3: The telegraph was invented in 1837, and the first murderer was caught by this means in 1845. By the 1860s, most regional police detectives had access to telegraph machines which they used to keep in touch with the detective office and to contact other forces #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Old notebook with brown leather cover and the gold embossing, which says 'Detective Officer's Memorandum Book'.
Day 2: The most important piece of detective kit in the Victorian era was his (there were no women!) customised notebook, which had blank pages for recording information. This one is from the Manchester City Police – sadly it's empty! #xmascountdown #crimedetection
A set of skeleton keys.
Day 1: Not only did housebreakers use skeleton keys in the past, but police detectives did also, especially when searching properties for evidence such as explosives, firearms and forgery equipment. #xmascountdown #crimedetection
Happy December! I’m going to count down to Christmas with a rather unusual Advent calendar! Each day I’ll be showcasing an object used in crime detection. Follow my posts to find out what detectives used to help them solve crime in the Victorian and Edwardian periods #xmascountdown #crimedetection
