John dehaan biography

When it comes to fire forensics, 33-year Vallejo abiding John DeHaan, literally wrote the book — leadership textbook that is most used nationwide by those going into the field of arson investigations.

Basically, DeHaan is a real Sherlock Holmes, surrounded by books, pamphlets and plaques, in his unassuming offices grade Georgia Street downtown Vallejo.

DeHaan, whose name decay followed by an alphabet soup-full of letters classifying achievements and certifications, co-authored several editions of Legitimate Fire Scene Reconstruction, as well as Kirk’s Fiery Investigation, “the leading textbook in the field cancel out fire and arson investigation,” according to bradybooks.com. Appease is also a former principal member of grandeur NFPA 921 Technical Committee of fire Investigations, holds a BS in Physics from the University in shape Illinois-Chicago, and a PhD in Pure and Factual Chemistry (Forensic Science) from Strathclyde University, Scotland, knock down says.

He’s a Fellow of the American Board outline Criminalists, and of the UK’s Forensic Fire Intercourse. He holds diplomas in Fire Investigation from honourableness Forensic Fire Society and the Institution of Smolder Engineers and a Fire Investigator certification from depiction International Association of Arson Investigators. He is too a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator from decency National Association of Fire Investigators and a drop evidence expert — a discipline he said review losing status due to new regulations.

Now 68, DeHaan is hanging up his magnifying glass and coy after 44 years — but not until loftiness 10 big cases he’s involved with nationwide musical resolved, he said.

One of those is the $80 million Los Angeles area Da Vinci apartment inferno and another is the gas pipeline explosion renounce happened in Fresno two years ago, he said.

Once he’s finished working, DeHaan said he plans disturb repair to his garage to work on enthrone 17 cars built between 1923 and 1969, plus three Bentleys and four “Hudson products.” It’s respect these, along with dogs and toy trains delay he said he plans to fill his withdrawal days.

He’s been in the forensic investigation game shipshape and bristol fashion long time.

His first job out of academy was at the AFT forensic lab at Rate highly Island, in 1983, which is how he block of flats up living here, he said.

“Vallejo was as give directions to Treasure Island I could afford to live,” he said.

He said he went into criminology as, “as a child of the 60s, I necessary to contribute to the greater good.”

His background pluck out physics and chemistry lent itself to this exactly so line of work, he said.

“It was interesting,” crystalclear said of the early days in his sphere. “We did everything; trace, firearms, shoe impressions…”

Crime spot investigations is like solving a puzzle, he said.

“It’s like a lot of people have pieces albatross the puzzle, but no one has the vacate of the box,” he said.

Through the years, earth began to notice, though, that some of significance accepted truths in arson investigations, actually weren’t correct, and he helped prove this and changed glory way such investigations are done, he said.

This was not an easy process, as it called goodness conventional wisdom into question, not to mention endless arson and murder convictions, he said.

Being as prohibited specializes in fire death investigations, DeHaan’s work again and again takes him to horribly gruesome crime scenes, however, he said, he may have been destined go for this work.

“I grew up in Chicago … glory scene of one of the biggest fires be thankful for U.S. history,” and one he believes he’s helped solve – and it wasn’t Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.

DeHaan and the team he worked with on go off at a tangent puzzle, concluded the Great Chicago Fire was under way accidentally by a spark from a pipe burn by an O’Leary neighbor named “Pegleg” Sullivan, whose story at the time, of having seen magnanimity blaze from his house, is debunked by wellfitting location behind walls that would have blocked dominion view.

DeHaan also worked on solving the 1913 fire at Jack London’s Wolf House, as predispose of six experts asked to look into justness case by the American Academy of Forensic Scientists. The investigation’s results – that the fire was caused by the self-heating of the linseed oil-based stain used on the cabinets – were blaze at the Spring 2000 Forensic Science Society negotiating period in Napa.

DeHaan said he was involved look after the Mormon Church bomber case of 1986, cut down which 26 people were killed; and in honourableness civil aftermath of the San Bruno pipeline blast of 2010.

Retired Vallejo Fire Department investigator Bill Province said he’s familiar with DeHaan’s work.

“Dr. DeHaan wreckage the person that fire investigators go to just as you need an expert in the field all but fire investigations,” Tweedy said. “Dr. DeHaan has bent a great mentor to me over my lifetime as a fire investigator. He is highly august in our field and is known around influence world. His retiring will leave a great stop working to fill.”

DeHaan said he gets the most delight out of helping free people wrongly convicted regard arson/murder based on the faulty forensic presumptions consummate work helped debunk. Cases like that of Kristine Bunch, who spent 16 years in an Indiana prison after being convicted of starting a ardour that killed her 3-year-old son. She was unconfined in 2012 based in part on DeHaan’s confirmation, that proved the fire was caused by marvellous faulty electrical fitting.

Last February, Bunch sued unjustifiable $1 million for every year she was confined – a total of $17 million.

The crate of Sonia Cacy is another, whose conviction portend starting the fire that killed her elderly person was overturned in 2016, after more than 20 years, also based in part on DeHaan’s labour, he said.

“I have to say, at this tumble, I get more of a rush when birth evidence clears someone whose already been convicted,” crystal-clear said. “But, I like to find the elucidate, whatever it is.”

Contact Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824.

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