MANILA, Philippines?He is known for solving a murder case even without a body, and for finding the tiniest clues?a strand of hair, for instance?that would pin down a suspect or exonerate the innocent.

Because of his unusual eye and perseverance in pursuing a case to its logical conclusion, Dr. Henry Lee has inspired the TV series CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) and his own TV show (Trace Evidence: The Case Files of Dr. Henry Lee), which, in turn, popularized forensic medicine and made ?DNA analysis? and ?cold cases? household terms.

Behind the various accolades heaped upon him?World?s Foremost Forensic Scientist, King of the Crime Scene, Modern Day Sherlock Holmes, Most Incredible Witness?Lee said forensic science really means ?long hours of hard work.?

Dapper in a blue suit, Lee also dazzles with his witty narration of how he has solved puzzling homicide cases using the latest technology and common sense.

?Forensics need experience,? he told a group of doctors at Makati Medical Center?s Ledesma Hall on Friday night.

Lee, the former chief criminalist of the US state of Connecticut, is in Manila for a series of lectures of forensic medicine.

He celebrated his 70th birthday on Saturday, giving a lecture before criminalists, pathologists, forensic scientists, anthropologists, police investigators, lawyers, police investigators and students on the latest in forensic medicine at the Philippine Columbian Club in Manila.

On Monday, Lee will be at Meralco Theater for the annual Guzi Peace Prize award night.

Lee said he had been to Manila several times to visit crime labs and lecture on forensic science. He noted the ?improving? state of forensic medicine in the Philippines.

Good foundation

?There are good forensic scientists and good laboratories. That makes for good foundation,? Lee told the Philippine Daily Inquirer after his lecture at the University of Santo Tomas College of Medicine.

But the country lacks new instruments and training programs for would-be forensics.

?There is a DNA program, but no national data bank. This is very important,? Lee said.

Starting out on $50

Born in China in 1938, Lee was already a captain in the Taiwan police department when he decided to pursue further studies in the United States. He and his wife, Margaret, arrived in the United States in 1965 with ?only fifty dollars in my pocket,? he said.

Lee earned his BS degree in Forensic Science from John Jay College in 1972. He pursued further studies in biochemistry from New York University, where he earned his master?s degree in 1974 and a doctorate in 1975.

Also in 1975, Lee joined University of New Haven, where he established the school?s Forensic Sciences program. In 1979, he began work as chief criminalist of Connecticut. He eventually became a state commissioner of public safety.

Today, Lee is the chief emeritus for scientific services of Connecticut. He has been going on lectures around the globe and has reviewed celebrated cases, such as the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert; civil rights leader Martin Luther King; and the suicide of former White House Counsel Vincent Foster in 1993.

Lee was also called as an expert witness in the trial of O.J. Simpson, who was accused of murdering his wife, Nicole, and her friend.

Ninoy?s murder

Over the years, Lee has been asked to assist in the investigation of more than 6,000 murders, homicides, disappearances, sexual assaults and even war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia.

Lee said he would review the celebrated Ninoy Aquino assassination case ?if requested? by the Philippine government.

Former Sen. Benigno ?Ninoy? Aquino Jr., the archrival of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was shot at the then Manila International Airport while being escorted by soldiers to a waiting van on Aug. 21, 1983. The killing spawned massive demonstrations that eventually led to Marcos? ouster in 1986 and the assumption to power of Aquino?s widow, Corazon.

Lee finds great joy, however, when teachers send him their students? essays about what they want to be.

Source of pride

?They write ?I want to be Dr. Lee.? So, I talk to them. I tell them my life story. I tell them, you have to work hard. If you don?t work hard, you won?t have a chance,? he said.

Some of the students who wrote him years ago have become judges, doctors and police chiefs. ?And they all come back to me,? Lee said, beaming with pride.

The growing popularity of forensic science as a major field of study for students in medicine stands as testament to Lee?s brand of crime solving.

?As a police officer in Taiwan, I solved cases by interrogation. But interrogation is not enough. Sometimes, an innocent [person] will admit a crime during interrogation. This is not solution; it is creating another problem,? he said.

Scientific evidence is what is gathered by forensics. Such evidence as DNA and fingerprints can provide the missing pieces, if not the direct link, between victim and culprit.

But, Lee cautioned, ?it takes time, it takes lots of hard work. It?s not glamorous, as it seems to be on TV.?