Attorney General Tong Statement on Passing of Dr. Henry C. Lee

03/27/2026

Attorney General Tong Statement on Passing of Dr. Henry C. Lee

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong released the following statement on the passing of world-renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry C. Lee, former Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety and Connecticut State Police.

“I called him Uncle Henry, and he was an incredibly important friend and mentor from my earliest days in the legislature. As far as I know, Dr. Lee was the first Asian-American and Pacific Islander to serve in a significant leadership role in state government whether as a commissioner or elected official. He was a pioneer and I have always been grateful that I could stand on his shoulders and honor his dedication and commitment to the people of Connecticut. He was respected around the globe in hundreds of countries that he visited to talk about his work and his approach to forensic science. So many of the advances in forensic science, criminal investigation and what we know today as modern crime scene investigation are due to Dr. Lee’s work. On a personal note, it always meant a lot to me that Dr. Lee was from Taiwan, which is where my mother was born. He always treated me like a member of his family. I also want to acknowledge his first wife Margaret, who was always very kind and generous to me and was a ubiquitous presence with Dr. Lee wherever he traveled. We have lost much with his passing, and I express my deepest condolences to Dr. Lee’s wife and family,” said Attorney General Tong.

Dr. Lee led the Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory from 1978 to 2000. He was Commissioner of the state’s Department of Public Safety and Connecticut State Police from 1998-2000. He was Chief Emeritus for the state of Connecticut’s Division of Scientific Services from 2000 to 2010.
He founded the University of New Haven’s forensic science program, and in 1998 founded the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science.

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