Renowned American forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee passed away at his home in Nevada last Friday at the age of 87. His close friend, Chinese-American lawyer Liu Longzhu from Los Angeles, shared with reporters the fascinating story of this expert in criminal investigation who delved into the secrets of his past lives.
Liu Longzhu, who had known Henry Lee for over twenty years, expressed deep sorrow at his passing. Just a month ago, along with lawyer Deng Hong, they drove over four hours to visit Dr. Lee at his home. Liu praised Dr. Lee not only for his outstanding professional achievements but also for his kind and friendly demeanor towards others.
Born in Nantong, Jiangsu, Dr. Lee grew up in a military dependents’ village in Chiayi, Taiwan. Talented in both academics and martial arts, he initially aspired to become a martial arts actor but was not granted permission by his mother. Instead, he enrolled at the National Taiwan Ocean University. After his father perished in the sinking of the Tai Ping ship, Dr. Lee decided to ease the financial burden on his family by attending the Central Police University on a full scholarship, becoming the youngest police chief in Taiwan at the age of 22.
Upon moving to the United States, Dr. Lee started from humble beginnings, working in restaurants to pay for his education and living expenses. In 1975, he earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from New York University after years of hard work and dedication. He once told Liu Longzhu that he could balance ten plates with one hand.
As a forensic expert, Dr. Lee traveled extensively to give lectures, explaining complex issues in a humorous and understandable manner. Even after achieving great success, he remained hands-on with many tasks, lived frugally, and was active in charitable endeavors.
Due to the nature of his profession, Dr. Lee had a keen interest in unraveling his own family history. In the 1980s, during a visit to mainland China, he met an elderly man who claimed to be his “cousin.” Since Dr. Lee had left China at a young age and did not remember this cousin, he decided to confirm the man’s identity by asking two questions. The first was how many siblings he had. While it was known publicly that Dr. Lee had 13 siblings, this cousin accurately stated that there were 14, with one child having passed away in infancy. Dr. Lee found this to be quite astonishing.
Next, he inquired if the man knew his nickname. Once again, the cousin answered correctly.
Among Dr. Lee’s siblings, the boys all had the word “Bao” in their nicknames, and the girls all had the word “Zhu.” However, his nickname did not contain either of these words but was “Jiechen.” Dr. Lee had asked his mother why she had given him such a peculiar name.
His mother explained that he cried incessantly and was difficult to soothe after his birth. One day, a monk visited their home and inquired if they had recently welcomed a newborn. Upon seeing Dr. Lee, the monk approached and declared that the child was the reincarnation of his mentor in the monastery. Interestingly, Dr. Lee stopped crying at that moment. The monk told his mother that in his past life, he was known as “Jiechen.”
Liu Longzhu remarked, “He personally told me this story multiple times.” Dr. Lee once visited Langshan Monastery in search of validation but unfortunately found that historical records had been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. An elderly monk revealed that there were indeed monks with the “Jie” surname in the monastery, but that was six or seven decades ago.
Afterward, Dr. Lee heard that Ven. Master Sheng Yen of Taiwan’s Dharma Drum Mountain had also become a monk at Langshan Monastery in Nantong. He went to visit and confirm the claims made by the old monk.