Who is acknowledged for solving the first murder in Europe using only fingerprint evidence?

The individual acknowledged for solving the first murder in Europe using only fingerprint evidence is Alphonse Bertillon. Bertillon was a pioneering figure in forensic science and is well-known for developing the anthropometric identification system, which used physical measurements for personal identification. However, he also recognized the potential of fingerprints as a unique identifier.

In 1902, Bertillon was involved in a case in France where he used fingerprint evidence to identify a suspect in a murder case, marking a significant moment in the history of forensic science. His contributions helped pave the way for the eventual establishment of fingerprinting as a standard method of identification in criminal investigations.

The other figures listed, while significant in their own right, either did not focus primarily on fingerprint evidence or were not directly involved in solving crimes through its use. Henry Faulds, for instance, experimented with fingerprints and advocated for their use in forensic science but did not solve a murder case based solely on fingerprints in Europe. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, was a writer and humorist with no direct relevance to forensic science. Sir Francis Galton made important contributions to the study of fingerprints and was a cousin of Charles Darwin, but his work primarily laid the groundwork for the study of fingerprint