Arthur M. Bohanan
Arthur M. Bohanan is an internationally award winning patented inventor, researcher, lecturer and author, a Certified Latent Print Examiner (one of 960 in the world-19 in TN (ret) and a certified police instructor with 60 years in the study and practical application of forensics in thousands of violent crime scenes. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from East Tennessee State University (Legacy Award 2017) with further studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Art created the first ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) task force in Tennessee in 1998 and worked in an online undercover capacity until he retired in May 2001, as a Police Specialist III, former AFIS Manager and Senior Forensic Examiner with the Knoxville Police Department (26 years).
Art received the Knoxville Police Officer of the year award (twice), over thirty letters of commendation, Mayor’s Merit Award (twice) and the Legacy Award (2018) for his dedicated leadership and inspiring the future. He was awarded Walters State Community College’s first “Distinguished Alumnus Award” in March 2000 for his contribution as a researcher, consultant and lecturer in the field of forensics.
Bohanan was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in Atlanta (sponsored by the Inventors Clubs of America) with two distinguished awards plus a doctorate in science and technology for pioneering research involving children’s fingerprints. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 by the East Tennessee CPIT Advocacy Counsel and the National Children’s Advocacy Center’s (Huntsville, AL) Outstanding Service for Law Enforcement in 2011.
Art received the Citation of Excellence Award from the Dept of Justice and the Amber Alert when he retired May 2012. He has completed research at the University of Tennessee’s “Body Farm”, with the F.B.I., and Oak Ridge National Lab. He was a senior forensic consultant and instructor for the Fox Valley/Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention/National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the national Amber Alert Program. Co-author of “Child Fatality Investigations”, “Investigative Strategies for Missing and Abducted Children” and “Forensic Response to Missing and Abducted Children” that he taught nationwide. Also retired as Communications /Environmental Officer with the U.S. Public Health’s DMORT WMD (disaster response) Team.
Bohanan was a deputy corner in Knox County for 5 years and a founding father of the National Forensic Academy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a founding board member and past President of Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center and a founding father of the DMORT WMD team. Currently researching and inventing instruments for locating missing and lost graves and determine the gender of the long dead.
LAW ENFORCEMENT:
Began at the Sevier County Sheriff’s Department while still in high school (1962), then FBI, US Army Military Police(SGT), Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and retired from the Knoxville Police Department. He is currently the Forensic Examiner with Jefferson County and sworn special deputy for Sevier County Sheriff’s department.
FEDERAL DISASTER RESPONSES AND ACTIVATIONS:
- 1997, Guam, Korean Airlines 801 disaster (human remains identification)
- 1998, Houston TX, World Energy Conference (WMD advisor)
- 1999, Princeville NC, floods, cemetery disaster (identified human remains in over 400 caskets that floated)
- 2000, Philadelphia, PA, Republican National Convention, (WMD advisor)
- 2001, New York City, World Trade Disaster 911 (human remains identification)
- 2001, New York City, American Airlines 587 disaster (human remains identification)
- 2002, Salt Lake City, US Olympics Games (WMD advisor)
- 2003, Washington, D.C. State of the Union Address (WMD advisor)
- 2003, Hemphill, TX, Discovery Shuttle disaster (recover human remains)
- 2004, Florida for hurricane of Danielle and Charley (victim placements)
- 2005, Louisiana for Katrina and Rita (over 1200 caskets floated from graves plus over 100 people drown)
BOOK CHARACTER: Bohanan was featured in Patricia Cornwell’s bestseller, “The Body Farm” as Dr. Thomas Katz. Featured as Art Bohanan in eight of the novels written by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson. Author of “Prints of A Man” (2017 biography) ,Watauga (2017), Pigeon Rivers (2018), Volunteer Patriots, Hornets and Crowes, Guerilla Fighters, Two Deadly Enemies(2020),Patriotic Duties (2021), Return to Watauga,(2021), Protecting Our Assets(2021) Left for Dead (2022) Who are you walking ON? and Abigail (2022). He wrote “Care of the Dead and Their Families”, a chapter in “Advanced Disaster Medical Response” published by Harvard Medical International (printed worldwide in 9 languages). He has also written over a dozen technical articles and numerous training manuals.
INVENTOR: Holds patent # 5,395,445 issued 7 March 1995 for “Method and Apparatus for Detecting Fingerprints on Skin”. He also discovered that fingerprints of children prior to puberty are chemically different from adult prints.