Changyu Li, 84 years old this year, holds a prestigious position in the American criminal investigation community, often referred to as the "Contemporary Sherlock Holmes" and the "Scientific Detective." He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and his Master's and Doctorate degrees in Biochemistry from New York University. Currently, he serves as a tenured professor at the University of New Haven in Connecticut and is the director of the Forensic Science Research Center at the university.

In 1998, he became the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, making him the first Chinese American to hold the highest state-level law enforcement position in the United States. He previously served as the Honorary Director of Public Safety in Connecticut from 2000 to 2008, Director of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and Chief Criminalist from 1979 to 2000. In 2006, he established the "Li Changyu Forensic Science Research Center."

In September 2013, he was appointed as a consultant at the Supreme People's Procuratorate Forensic Science and Technology Information Research Center. Since dedicating himself to criminal forensic science, Changyu Li has been involved in investigating over 8,000 major criminal cases across various states in the U.S. and 47 countries worldwide, with his team handling an average of over 300 cases annually.

Changyu Li has received over 800 honors, including the highest awards in forensic science such as the Outstanding Service Award in the Criminal Field from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association for Identification, the highest judicial honor from the American Judicature Foundation, the World Outstanding Chinese Award, the Outstanding Immigrant Award from the United States, the Presidential Medal from Croatia, the Friendship Award from the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of China, and the Shanghai Magnolia Award, among others.

Changyu Li is known not only for his adept handling of cases but also for his optimism, humor, and approachability. He has attributed his cheerful demeanor to his deep gratitude towards his mother, wife, colleagues, and all those who have assisted him throughout his career.

Through his own efforts, Changyu Li, at the age of 18, successfully entered the Central Police Officer Academy. He graduated with outstanding achievements, ranking second in his class, and began his career as a patrol officer in the Foreign Affairs Division of the Taipei City Police Department, becoming one of the youngest police officers in the history of Taiwan.

In 1964, he pursued further studies in the United States, working multiple jobs to support himself as a restaurant waiter, laboratory technician, and even a martial arts instructor. Despite working three jobs simultaneously, he completed a four-year university curriculum in just two and a half years, studying law, criminal justice, and biochemistry. He continued his education and earned master's and doctoral degrees in biochemistry and molecular chemistry from New York University. He now holds thirty honorary doctoral degrees. Reflecting on those years of study, he acknowledges the hardships but also credits them for strengthening his determination to pursue his dreams.

In 1975, Changyu Li joined the faculty of the Criminal Science Department at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, initially as an assistant professor and later as an associate professor. Two years later, he was promoted to full professor and became the department chair. In 1978, he was appointed as the chief consultant of the Connecticut Criminal Forensic Science Laboratory and a year later became its director and chief forensic scientist. Using scientific evidence to solidify criminal cases, he solved numerous high-profile cases and quickly became renowned as one of the elite figures in the American law enforcement community. In 1998, he was appointed Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, becoming the first Chinese American to hold the highest state-level law enforcement position in the United States.

Scientific detective, independent and impartial

Since entering the field of criminal forensic science, Changyu Li has been involved in solving numerous well-known cases in the United States. These include several classic cases: the O.J. Simpson murder case, the assassination of President Kennedy, the Watergate scandal involving President Nixon, confirming DNA evidence in the Clinton case, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the disappearance of a Salt Lake City teenager, the murder of a police chief's wife, the suicide of Chinese-American soldier Yuhui Chen, the wood chipper murder case, and the "3.19 shooting case" involving Shui-bian Chen and Xiu-lian Lu, among others. Changyu Li has also assisted in several major forensic cases in Taiwan, including the Taoyuan County Magistrate Liu Bangyou murder case, the Wanru Peng murder case, the Xiaoyan Bai murder case, the Kaohsiung Six Prisoners case, and the Jianhe Su case.

In 2006, Changyu Li was selected as one of the six protagonists of Discovery Channel's "Taiwanese Profiles," and he ranked second among the most trusted figures among the Taiwanese people.

Changyu Li advocates for scientific investigation methods, ensuring that scientists and detectives work together at crime scenes. For instance, in the Simpson case, his team discovered that the blood stains on the ground belonged to Simpson, some fresh and some old, with traces of other chemical preservatives, raising suspicions about the handling of evidence by investigators and ultimately leading to Simpson's acquittal.

Changyu Li emphasizes four key elements in solving cases — "scene, people, physical evidence, and luck," which he calls the "legs of the table theory." For Changyu Li, reconstructing the crime scene is crucial for finding breakthroughs. He insists on the complete independence and fairness of criminal identification, ensuring that his findings are not influenced by the investigative direction of superiors. In essence, his approach to investigations is grounded in factual accountability, earning him the trust of government agencies and the public across the United States.

Despite his acquaintance with former President Clinton, Changyu Li participated in the investigation of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, where DNA from Clinton was extracted from Lewinsky's blue dress, solidifying the evidence of their inappropriate relationship. When asked in interviews if the Clintons might hold a grudge against him, Changyu Li straightforwardly replied, "No." He further emphasized, "Forensic science is impartial, and letting the evidence speak is more convincing than any speculation. I have also investigated the Foster case, which was very favorable to Clinton. I am not involved in politics and have no party affiliation."

Mother and wife have had a significant influence

At the age of 81, this detective who has seen the dark side of the world has mentioned that his mother and his first wife had a significant impact on his life. He evaluated, "The influence of women on a man's life accounts for a large proportion. Whether you can succeed or not, it's very important to have a woman who can understand and encourage you. Fortunately, I have two."

Changyu Li has repeatedly expressed gratitude and admiration for his mother in his speeches. It was his mother who taught him to strive and remain optimistic, and also taught him not to complain, to be independent, and to have confidence in himself. He said that throughout his life, he has always been doing one thing: turning the impossible into possible, which is inseparable from his mother's teachings.

After marriage, with no savings, he managed to go to the United States for his doctoral studies, temporarily causing hardship for his wife. His first wife, Miaojian Song, was raised by her family and didn't even know how to cook. After marriage and unable to afford a maid, Changyu Li was very busy, so Miaojian Song slowly learned to cook. In addition to taking care of Changyu Li's daily life, Miaojian Song also found a part-time job to support the family. She could have lived a carefree life, but for her husband's dream, she worked tirelessly day and night, never complaining about her husband. In 2017, at the age of 78, Miaojian Song passed away due to illness. Whenever he talks about his past with his wife, he often says that without his wife, he would not be where he is today. In 2018, at the age of 79, Changyu Li found new happiness and married Ms. Xiaping Jiang. They love and support each other, continuing to dedicate themselves to the cause of criminal science education.

In many speeches, Changyu Li emphasizes that his secret to success is relentless effort. However, human capabilities are limited, so it's important to first find out where your limits lie and what you are good at. Once you identify your strengths, maximize them to the fullest. He also stresses the importance of teamwork and is grateful for having encountered many excellent colleagues. Initially, he had no interest in administrative work and only wanted to handle cases. However, as Asians have always been underrepresented in politics, gaining trust was also difficult for him. He hopes that young Asians striving in America can unite more and strive to enter politics to advocate for more rights and interests for Asians.

[Data Collection: Chinese American Foundation / Text Editing and Compilation by Reporter Maggie Ma]