In 1990, three forensic experts gathered for lunch and their discussion turned to the solving of cold cases.
William L. Fleisher, a former Philadelphia Police Officer and FBI agent, was then Philadelphia’s second-in-command U.S. Customs Special Agent. Frank Bender was a well-known forensic sculptor from Philadelphia. Richard Walter was a prison psychologist from Michigan.
The trio wanted to establish a venue where like-minded persons, both in and outside the field of forensics, could gather to discuss and debate crimes and mysteries. The Vidocq Society was born, named for Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857), the criminal-turned-detective who founded the French Sûreté and is considered to have been the first modern detective.
The first meeting took place at the old Philadelphia Navy Yard. Today, the Society meets monthly at The Union League of Philadelphia.
After the founding, federal, state and local law enforcers and forensic experts from all over the nation joined. After a time, the Society narrowed its focus to work exclusively on unsolved cold case homicides.
The Society’s bylaws call for 82 Vidocq Society Members (V.S.M.s), one for each year of Vidocq’s life. In addition, scores of additional men and women from diverse professional backgrounds have joined as Special members and also wear the distinctive red, white, and blue Vidocq Society rosette.
Vidocq Society members come from all walks of life and include experienced investigators from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and the private sector; internationally renowned forensic experts in the fields of pathology, criminology, dactylography, forensic dentistry, psychology, polygraphy and anthropological facial reconstruction; and many former federal, state and local career prosecutors. All share a dedication to the search for truth and justice that binds them together in the tradition of the great detectives past and present.
Sadly, Frank Bender passed away in 2011. Richard Walter left the Society in 2016. Bill Fleisher continues to serve the Society as its Commissioner Emeritus.