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Elsevier

Books in Forensic specialities

  • Forensic Serology

    • 1st Edition
    • Shanan S. Tobe
    • English
    This book provides a comprehensive and complete synopsis of forensic serology. It includes background information on different biological substances that we can detect, how the serological tests work, what the testing looks like, and how to interpret the results. Coverage includes all aspects of serological testing including basic presumptive testing, confirmatory testing, and new methods of testing, such as mRNA, methylation, proteomics, and much more.Forensic Serology is written at a level which anyone with basic knowledge of science can fully understand and may be of particular use to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as working professionals.

  • Forensic Victimology

    Examining Violent Crime Victims in Investigative and Legal Contexts
    • 3rd Edition
    • Brent E. Turvey
    • English
    Forensic Victimology: Examining Violent Crimes in Investigative and Legal Contexts, Third Edition introduces criminologists and criminal investigators to the idea of systematically gathering and examining victim information for the purposes of addressing investigative and forensic issues. The book continues the legacy of the first two editions with both theoretical and applied coverage of the subject of victimology. The specific applications discussed remain investigative and provide legal venues designed to assist investigators and forensic examiners with the task of performing victimological assessments. Sections delve into the areas of femicide and mass shootings, which are global problems that further emphasize related casework and research.

  • Criminal Psychology

    Forensic Examination Protocols
    • 1st Edition
    • Brent E. Turvey + 1 more
    • English
    Criminal Psychology: Forensic Examination Protocols is a compact practitioner’s guide to essential forensic concepts and protocols related to the evaluation and assessment of crime and criminals. The sections cover: Fundamentals, Understanding Criminal Behavior and Criminal Assessments. Written for forensic criminologists and psychologists, this reference provides genuine insight into real criminal behaviors using real life casework to bridge theory and practice. This guide can also be used in the classroom.

  • Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton

    History, Methods, and Emerging Techniques
    • 1st Edition
    • Alexandra R. Klales
    • English
    Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton is a comprehensive work on the theory, methods, and current issues for sexing human skeletal remains. This work provides practitioners a starting point for research and practice on sex estimation to assist with the identification and analysis of human remains. It contains a collection of the latest scientific research, using metric and morphological methods, and contains case studies, where relevant, to highlight methodological application to real cases. This volume presents a truly comprehensive representation of the current state of sex estimation while also detailing the history and how we got to this point. Divided into three main sections, this reference text first provides an introduction to the book and to sex estimation overall, including a history, practitioner preferences, and a deeper understanding of biological sex. The second section addresses the main methodological areas used to estimate sex, including metric and morphological methods, statistical applications, and software. Each chapter topic provides a review of older techniques and emphasizes the latest research and methodological improvements. Chapters are written by practicing physical anthropologists and also include their latest research on the topics, as well as relevant case studies. The third section addresses current considerations and future directions for sex estimation in forensic and bioarchaeological contexts, including DNA, secular change, and medical imaging Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton is a one-of-a-kind resource for those involved in estimating the sex of human skeletal remains.

  • Estimation of the Time since Death

    Current Research and Future Trends
    • 1st Edition
    • Jarvis Hayman + 1 more
    • English
    Estimation of the Time Since Death is a current comprehensive work on the methods and research advances into the time since death and human decomposition. This work provides practitioners a starting point for research and practice to assist with the identification and analysis of human remains. It contains a collection of the latest scientific research, various estimation methods, and includes case studies, to highlight methodological application to real cases. This reference first provides an introduction, including the early postmortem period, biochemical methods, and the value of entomology in estimating the time since death, along with other factors affecting the decomposition process. Further coverage explores importance of microbial communities in estimating time since death. Separate chapters on aquatic environments, carbon 14 dating and amino acid racemization, and total body scoring will round out the reference. The final chapter ties together the various themes in the context of the longest running human decomposition facility in the world and outlines future research directions.

  • Elder Abuse

    Forensic, Legal and Medical Aspects
    • 1st Edition
    • Amy Carney
    • English
    Elder Abuse: Forensic, Legal and Medical Aspects focuses on the psychological, financial and physical abuse and neglect that is widespread in elder abuse across socioeconomic levels. It provides expert information on forensic and legal topics that professionals need to understand to confront these crimes. The topics included are those most important in the detection and prosecution of elder abuse. Identification and epidemiology are discussed, as are types and presentations of abuse. Written at a level for both professionals and students who wish to gain a broader understanding of specific forensic topics in elder maltreatment, this book is an ideal source.

  • Dental Wear in Evolutionary and Biocultural Contexts

    • 1st Edition
    • Christopher W. Schmidt + 1 more
    • English
    Dental Wear in Evolutionary and Biocultural Contexts provides a single source for disseminating the current state-of-the-art research regarding dental wear across a variety of hominoid species under a number of temporal and spatial contexts. The volume begins with a brief introductory chapter addressing the general history, understandings and approaches to the study of dental wear. Remaining chapters cover dental macrowear and dental microwear. Students and professionals in anthropology, specifically paleoanthropologists... bioarcheologists, archaeologists, and primatologists will find this book to be a valuable resource. In addition, it is a helpful guide for dentists and other dental professionals interested in dental function.

  • Forensic Anthropology

    Current Methods and Practice
    • 2nd Edition
    • Angi M. Christensen + 2 more
    • English
    Forensic anthropology has seen a recent expansion in depth and scope as well as increased attention from the media and the legal system. This constantly evolving science requires a comprehensive introductory text that approaches forensic anthropology as a modern discipline, with attention to theory as well as recent advances in research, technology, and challenges in the field. Forensic Anthropology: Current Methods and Practice, 2nd edition approaches forensic anthropology using current practices and case studies drawn from the varied experiences, backgrounds, and practices of working forensic anthropologists. This text guides the reader through all aspects of human remains recovery and forensic anthropological analysis. It presents principles at a level that is appropriate for those new to the field, while at the same time incorporating evolutionary, biomechanical, and other theoretical foundations for the features and phenomena encountered in forensic anthropological casework. Attention is focused on the most recent and scientifically valid applications commonly employed by working forensic anthropologists. Readers will learn about innovative techniques in the discipline, and aspiring practitioners will be prepared by understanding the necessary background needed to work in the field today. Instructors and students will find Forensic Anthropology: Current Methods and Practice, 2nd edition comprehensive, practical, and relevant to the modern discipline of forensic anthropology.

  • Forensic Examination of Signatures

    • 1st Edition
    • Linton A. Mohammed
    • English
    Forensic Examination of Signatures explains the neuroscience and kinematics of signature production, giving specific details of research carried out on the topic. It provides practical details for forensic examiners to consider when examining signatures, especially now that we are in an era of increasing digital signatures. Written by a foremost forensic document examiner, this reference provides FDEs, the legal community, the judiciary, and the academic community with a comprehensive record of the state-of-the-art of signature examination and plans for addressing future research into improving the reliability of FDEs.

  • Quantitative Anthropology

    A Workbook
    • 1st Edition
    • Leslie Lea Williams + 1 more
    • English
    Quantitative Anthropology: A Workbook contributes an anthropological perspective to quantitative methods. The book's authors address characteristics of quantitative data, entering and manipulating data in SPSS, graphical displays, distributions and measures of central tendency and dispersion, and including hypothesis testing with both parametric and nonparametric statistical tests. Increasingly complex exercises build on cumulative learning from chapter to chapter and stress the application of methods beyond coursework. The focus of the manual is on univariate statistical analysis, and the book is written to be accessible to higher level undergraduate students and graduate students in all fields of anthropology.

  • Ortner's Identification of Pathological Conditions in Human Skeletal Remains

    • 3rd Edition
    • Jane E. Buikstra
    • English
    Ortner's Identification of Pathological Conditions in Human Skeletal Remains, Third Edition, provides an integrated and comprehensive treatment of the pathological conditions that affect the human skeleton. As ancient skeletal remains can reveal a treasure trove of information to the modern orthopedist, pathologist, forensic anthropologist, and radiologist, this book presents a timely resource. Beautifully illustrated with over 1,100 photographs and drawings, it provides an essential text and material on bone pathology, thus helping improve the diagnostic ability of those interested in human dry bone pathology.

  • Dismemberments

    Perspectives in Forensic Anthropology and Legal Medicine
    • 1st Edition
    • Ann H Ross + 1 more
    • English
    Dismemberments: Perspectives in Forensic Anthropology and Legal Medicine is the only volume in the field to address the complexities of interpreting dismemberment trauma, the different tools used, and the sociocultural motives behind dismemberments. The book's goal is to provide the reader with a comprehensive assessment that covers all aspects of dismemberment, from means and motive, to toolmark and instrument identification, to disarticulation and re-association of body parts. Each chapter is written by internationally known, expert contributors from around the world. Users will find this to be is a great resource for those involved in the analysis of recovered human remains.

  • Engineering Standards for Forensic Application

    • 1st Edition
    • Richard W. McLay + 1 more
    • English
    Engineering Standards for Forensic Application presents the technologies and law precedents for the application of engineering standards to forensic opinions, discussing Fundamentals, Disciplines, Engineering Standards, The Basics and the Future of Forensics. The book explores the engineering standard and how it is used by experts to give opinions that are introduced into evidence, and how they are assumed to be the best evidence known on the topic at hand. Final sections include coverage of NFL Brain Injuries and the Flint Water Crisis. Examples of the use of engineering standards are shown and discussed throughout the work.

  • The Crime Scene

    A Visual Guide
    • 2nd Edition
    • Marilyn T. Miller + 1 more
    • English
    The Forensic Crime Scene: A Visual Guide, Second Edition presents knowledgeable chapters on crime scene investigation, the various types of documentation, scene reconstruction, and the value of evidence and proper evidence collection. Additionally, a companion site hosts video and additional instructional materials. The primary goal of this book is to provide visual instruction on the correct way to process a forensic crime scene. By using photographs and video clips to show proper vs. improper procedures, the reader will be able to identify the correct principles required to process a scene.

  • Firearm and Toolmark Identification

    The Scientific Reliability of the Forensic Science Discipline
    • 1st Edition
    • Ronald Nichols
    • English
    Firearm and Tool Mark Identification: The Scientific Reliability of the Forensic Science Discipline examines the scientific reliability of the firearm and tool mark identification discipline (FATM-ID). It answers two primary questions that are necessary to assess the reliability of FATM-ID, including 1) Do different tools produce different tool marks? and 2) Can a trained examiner reliably distinguish among them? Other books published on the topic have assumed these true and have simply discussed what is involved in the discipline. This book brings together the most recent studies, serving as a well-referenced, single resource that shows that FATM-ID is scientifically reliable. Intended primarily for firearm and tool mark examiners, this valuable resource serves as a primary requirement for the training of firearm and tool mark examiners. Finally, it will be a valuable resource for attorneys who are seeking to better understand the scientific reliability of FATM-ID. Written by a foremost expert in FATM-ID, the book provides a complete and scientific examination for anyone involved in firearm and tool mark identification.

  • A Laboratory Manual for Forensic Anthropology

    • 1st Edition
    • Angi M. Christensen + 1 more
    • English
    A Laboratory Manual for Forensic Anthropology approaches forensic anthropology as a modern and well-developed science, and includes consideration of forensic anthropology within the broader forensic science community, with extensive use of case studies and recent research, technology and challenges that are applied in field and lab contexts. This book covers all practical aspects of forensic anthropology, from field recoveries, to lab analyses, emphasizing hands-on activities. Topics include human osteology and odontology, examination methods, medicolegal significance, scene processing methods, forensic taphonomy, skeletal processing and sampling, sex estimation, ancestry estimation, age estimation, stature estimation, skeletal variation, trauma analysis, and personal identification. Although some aspects are specific to the United States, the vast majority of the material is internationally-rele... and therefore suitable for forensic anthropology courses in other countries.

  • Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory Manual

    • 2nd Edition
    • Marilyn T Miller
    • English
    Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, is written by a former crime scene investigator and forensic scientist who provides practical, straightforward, and immediately applicable best practices. Readers will learn the latest techniques and procedures, including deconstructing first responder contamination, the preliminary walk-through, utilizing associative evidence, enhancing trace, biological and chemical evidence, and reconstructing scenes through wound dynamics, glass fracture patterns, bloodstain patterns, ballistics, and more. This lab manual provides information and examples for all aspects of crime scene investigation. In addition, included exercises teach the proper techniques for securing, documenting and searing a crime scene, how to visualize or enhance the evidence found, how to package and preserve the evidence, and how to reconstruct what happened at the crime scene. This manual is intended to accompany any crime scene investigation textbook.

  • Forensic Taphonomy and Ecology of North American Scavengers

    • 1st Edition
    • Susan N. Sincerbox + 1 more
    • English
    Forensic Taphonomy and Ecology of North American Scavengers compiles research on vertebrate scavenging behavior from numerous academic fields, including ecology and forensic anthropology. Scavenging behavior can displace remains from their depositional context, confound postmortem interval estimation, destroy osteological markers, and inflict damage that mimics or disguises perimortem trauma. Consequently, the actions of vertebrate scavengers can significantly impact the medicolegal investigation of human remains. It is therefore critical when interpreting a death scene and its associated evidence that scavenging be recognized and the possible effects of scavenging behavior considered. This book is an ideal reference for both students and medicolegal professionals, serving as a field manual for the identification of common scavenging species known to modify human remains in North America. In addition, this book presents a framework to guide investigators in optimizing their approach to scavenged cases, promoting more complete recovery of human remains and the accuracy of forensic reconstructions of peri- and postmortem events.

  • Human Remains: Another Dimension

    The Application of Imaging to the Study of Human Remains
    • 1st Edition
    • Tim Thompson + 1 more
    • English
    Human Remains – Another Dimension: The Application of 3D Imaging in the Funerary Contextbrings together scattered literature on the topic, assimilating disparate pieces that relate to the novel use of non-invasive three-dimensional imaging techniques in the forensic context. All chapters are written by specialists in the field who use these types of imaging techniques within their research, bringing an engaging and comprehensive view that demonstrates the current use of 3D non-invasive imaging techniques using case studies. In addition, the advantages for using such methods, their current limitations, and possible solutions are also reviewed.

  • Forensic Investigations

    An Introduction
    • 1st Edition
    • Brent E. Turvey + 1 more
    • English
    The terms forensic investigator and forensic investigation are part of our cultural identity. They can be found in the news, on television, and in film. They are invoked, generally, to imply that highly trained personnel will be collecting some form of physical evidence with eventual scientific results that cannot be questioned or bargained with. In other words, they are invoked to imply the reliability, certainty, and authority of a scientific inquiry. Using cases from the authors’ extensive files, Forensic Investigations: An Introduction provides an overview of major subjects related to forensic inquiry and evidence examination. It will prepare Criminal Justice and Criminology students in forensic programs for more specialized courses and provide a valuable resource to newly employed forensic practitioners. Written by practicing and testifying forensic professionals from law enforcement, academia, mental health and the forensic sciences, this work offers a balanced scientific approach, based on the established literature, for broad appeal. The purpose of this book is to help students and professionals rid themselves of the myths and misconceptions they have accumulated regarding forensic investigators and the subsequent forensic investigations they help to conduct. It will help the reader understand the role of the forensic investigator; the nature and variety of forensic investigations that take place in the justice system; and the mechanisms by which such investigations become worthy as evidence in court. Its goals are no loftier than that. However, they could not be more necessary to our understanding of what justice is, how it is most reliably achieved, and how it can be corrupted by those who are burdened with apathy and alternative motives.

  • Forensic Science Reform

    Protecting the Innocent
    • 1st Edition
    • Wendy J Koen + 1 more
    • English
    Forensic Science Reform: Protecting the Innocent is written for the nonscientist to help make complicated scientific information clear and concise enough for attorneys and judges to master. This volume covers physical forensic science, namely arson, shaken baby syndrome, non-accidental trauma, bite marks, DNA, ballistics, comparative bullet lead analysis, fingerprint analysis, and hair and fiber analysis, and contains valuable contributions from leading experts in the field of forensic science.

  • Forensic Fingerprints

    • 1st Edition
    • Max M. Houck
    • English
    Forensic Fingerprints, the latest in the Advanced Forensic Science Series which grew out of the recommendations from the 2009 NAS Report: Strengthening Forensic Science: A Path Forward, serves as a graduate level text for those studying and teaching fingerprint detection and analysis, and will also prove to be an excellent reference for forensic practitioner libraries and for use in casework. Coverage includes fingerprint science, friction ridge print examination, AFIS, foot and palm prints, and the professional issues practitioners may encounter. Edited by a world-renowned leading forensic expert, this book is a long overdue solution for the forensic science community.

  • The Analysis of Burned Human Remains

    • 2nd Edition
    • Christopher W. Schmidt + 1 more
    • English
    The Analysis of Burned Human Remains, Second Edition, provides a primary source for osteologists and the medical/legal community for the understanding of burned bone remains in forensic or archaeological contexts. It describes in detail the changes in human bone and soft tissues as a body burns at both the chemical and gross levels and provides an overview of the current procedures in burned bone study. Case studies in forensic and archaeological settings aid those interested in the analysis of burned human bodies, from death scene investigators to biological anthropologists.

  • Introduction to Environmental Forensics

    • 3rd Edition
    • Brian L. Murphy + 1 more
    • English
    The third edition of Introduction to Environmental Forensics is a state-of-the-art reference for the practicing environmental forensics consultant, regulator, student, academic, and scientist, with topics including compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), advanced multivariate statistical techniques, surrogate approaches for contaminant source identification and age dating, dendroecology, hydrofracking, releases from underground storage tanks and piping, and contaminant-transpor... modeling for forensic applications. Recognized international forensic scientists were selected to author chapters in their specific areas of expertise and case studies are included to illustrate the application of these methods in actual environmental forensic investigations. This edition provides updates on advances in various techniques and introduces several new topics.

  • Forensic Document Examination

    Fundamentals and Current Trends
    • 1st Edition
    • Jane Lewis
    • English
    Forensic Document Examination enlightens forensic document examiners, forensic investigators, attorneys and others using the services of forensic document examiners with the basic principles and current trends in the area. Standards and methodologies apply now, which were non-existent 20 years ago. Instrumentation has moved beyond the microscope and the magnifying glass to digital cameras, digital microscopes, video spectral comparators, electrostatic detection devices for the development of indented writing on paper, scanners, and software programs like Write-On 2.0 and Photoshop.

  • Forensic Anthropology

    Current Methods and Practice
    • 1st Edition
    • Angi M. Christensen + 2 more
    • English
    Forensic Anthropology: Current Methods and Practice—winner of a 2015 Textbook Excellence Award (Texty) from The Text and Academic Authors Association—approach... forensic anthropology through an innovative style using current practices and real case studies drawn from the varied experiences, backgrounds, and practices of working forensic anthropologists. This text guides the reader through all aspects of human remains recovery and forensic anthropological analysis, presenting principles at a level that is appropriate for those new to the field, while at the same time incorporating evolutionary, biomechanical, and other theoretical foundations for the features and phenomena encountered in forensic anthropological casework. Attention is focused primarily on the most recent and scientifically valid applications commonly employed by working forensic anthropologists. Readers will therefore learn about innovative techniques in the discipline, and aspiring practitioners will be prepared by understanding the necessary background needed to work in the field today. Instructors and students will find Forensic Anthropology: Current Methods and Practice comprehensive, practical, and relevant to the modern discipline of forensic anthropology.

  • Credibility Assessment

    Scientific Research and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • David C. Raskin + 2 more
    • English
    In 2001, the late Murray Kleiner and an array of experts contributed to the Handbook of Polygraph Testing, published by Elsevier, which examined the fundamental principles behind polygraph tests and reviewed the key tests and methods used at that time. In the intervening thirteen years, the field has moved beyond traditional polygraph testing to include a host of biometrics and behavioral observations. The new title reflects the breadth of methods now used. Credibility Assessment builds on the content provided in the Kleiner volume, with revised polygraph testing chapters and chapters on newer methodologies, such as CNS, Ocular-motor, and behavioral measures. Deception detection is a major field of interest in criminal investigation and prosecution, national security screening, and screening at ports of entry. Many of these methods have a long history, e.g., polygraph examinations, and some rely on relatively new technologies, e.g., fMRI and Ocular-motor measurements. Others rely on behavioral observations of persons in less restricted settings, e.g., airport screening. The authors, all of whom are internationally-reco... experts associated with major universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe, review and analyze various methods for the detection of deception, their current applications, and major issues and controversies surrounding their uses. This volume will be of great interest among forensic psychologists, psychophysiologists, polygraph examiners, law enforcement, courts, attorneys, and government agencies.

  • From the Files of a Security Expert Witness

    • 1st Edition
    • Charles A. Sennewald
    • English
    From the Files of a Security Expert Witness guides the reader through the experience of testifying in court on security issues in civil litigation. Written by one of the security profession's best-known expert witnesses, the book explores 36 cases that reflect the high drama of true crime, including kidnapping, rape, and murder. Many of these cases led to premises liability lawsuits based on claims of negligence, inadequate security, false arrest and imprisonment, excessive use of force, and others. Effective security specialists, whether or not they are considering becoming expert witnesses, should be familiar with the facts of these cases, their theories of liability and theories of defense. Encompassing aspects of criminal and tort law, all within the context of forensic security consulting, this book offers valuable insights from an experienced security professional.

  • Forensic Victimology

    Examining Violent Crime Victims in Investigative and Legal Contexts
    • 2nd Edition
    • Brent E. Turvey
    • English
    Published in 2009, the first edition of Forensic Victimology introduced criminologists and criminal investigators to the idea of systematically gathering and examining victim information for the purposes of addressing investigative and forensic issues. The concepts presented within immediately proved vital to social scientists researching victims-offender relationships; investigators and forensic scientists seeking to reconstruct events and establish the elements of a crime; and criminal profilers seeking to link pattern crimes. This is because the principles and guidelines in Forensic Victimology were written to serve criminal investigation and anticipate courtroom testimony. As with the first, this second edition of Forensic Victimology is an applied presentation of a traditionally theoretical subject written by criminal justice practitioners with years of experience-both in the field and in the classroom. It distinguishes the investigative and forensic aspects of applied victim study as necessary adjuncts to what has often been considered a theoretical field. It then identifies the benefits of forensic victimology to casework, providing clearly defined methods and those standards of practice necessary for effectively serving the criminal justice system.

  • Forensic Victimology

    Examining Violent Crime Victims in Investigative and Legal Contexts
    • 1st Edition
    • Brent E. Turvey + 1 more
    • English
    This new textbook provides students with the basic principles and practice standards of forensic victimology--the scientific study of victims for the purposes of addressing investigative and forensic issues. It provides case-based coverage with original insights into the role that victimology plays in the justice system, moving beyond the traditional theoretical approaches already available. The purpose of this textbook is to distinguish the investigative and forensic aspects of victim study as a necessary adjunct to the field of victimology. It identifies forensic victimologists in the investigative and forensic communities and provides them with methods and standards of practice needed to be of service. This book is intended to educate students on the means and rationale for performing victimological assessments with a scientific mindset. Forensic Victimology is designed specifically for teaching the practical aspects of this topic, with “hands on” real-life case examples.

  • Effective Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques

    • 2nd Edition
    • Nathan J. Gordon + 1 more
    • English
    Effective Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques, Second Edition, is completely revised and updated so as to cover all the information a student needs to know to obtain answers from a witness, a victim, or a suspect and how to interpret these answers with the utmost accuracy. Building on the previous edition’s ground-breaking search for truth in criminal and non-criminal investigations, this book contains five new chapters which include coverage of false confessions, interviewing the mentally challenged, and the ethics of interrogation in a post 9/11 world. This new edition includes highly illustrated chapters with topics ranging from the psycho-physiological basis of the forensic assessment to preparation for the interview/interrogat... question formulation; projective analysis of unwitting verbal clues; interviewing children and the mentally challenged; and pre-employment interviewing. Also included are several model worksheets and documents, case studies, and complete instructions for using the authors’ Integrated Interrogation Technique, a 10-point, highly successful approach to obtaining confessions that can stand up in court. The book concludes with an insightful look at the future of truth verification. This book will be of benefit to attorneys, coroners, detectives, educators, forensic psychophysiologists (lie detection), human resource professionals, intelligence professionals, and investigators as well as journalists/authors, jurists, medical professionals, psychological professionals, researchers, and students.

  • Shooting Incident Reconstruction

    • 1st Edition
    • Lucien C. Haag
    • English
    Shooting Incident Reconstruction is based on the authors' numerous years of conducting courses and seminars on the subject of shooting incident reconstruction. It seeks to thoroughly address matters from simple to complex in order to provide the reader with an explanation of the factors surrounding ballistics, trajectory, and shooting scenes. The ultimate objectives of this unique book are to assist investigators, crime scene analysts, pathologists, ballistics experts, and lawyers to understand the terminology, science, and factors involved in reconstructing shooting incident events to solve forensic cases. The book covers a full range of related topics, including the range from which a firearm was discharged; the sequence of shots in a multiple discharge shooting incident; the position of a firearm at the moment of discharge; the position of a victim at the moment of impact; the probable flight path of a projectile; the manner by which a firearm was discharged, and much more. It contains over 100 diagrams and photographs, many in full-color, that support and illustrate key concepts.

  • Serial Crime

    Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioral Profiling
    • 1st Edition
    • Wayne Petherick
    • English
    Serial Crime provides a theoretical and practical foundation for understanding the motivation and dynamics in a range of serial offenses . It successfully connects concepts and creates links to criminal behavior across crimes —murder, sexual assault, and arson— something no other book available does. The connection of serial behavior to profiling, the most useful tool in discovering behavior patterns, is new to the body of literature available and serves to examine the ideal manner in which profiling can be used in conjunction with psychology to positively affect criminal investigations. The book includes case examples that offer real-world uses of behavioral profiling in investigations, and highlight a variety of issues in understanding and investigating serial crime. The book's primary audience would include criminal profilers, fire investigators, universities offering forensic science/criminal justice programs, and forensic, police, criminal, and behavioral psychologists. The secondary audience would include attorneys and judges involved in criminal litigation, and forensic scientists and consultants (generalists).

  • Forensic Dental Evidence

    An Investigator's Handbook
    • 1st Edition
    • C. Michael Bowers
    • English
    This handbook is written for police investigators and forensic personnel who are tasked with developing investigations that require expertise in dentistry. The focus is providing the information necessary to recognize and professionally manage dental evidence. Investigators will understand the scientific nomenclature, scientific issues and the specialized forensic nature of this type of forensic investigation. The emphasis is on human identification from dental structures, the identification of people from bite marks, and the signs and significance of dental injuries present in violent crime. Law enforcement personnel, coroners, and other death investigators often encounter crime scenes and victims that require dental expertise. Attorneys are asked to present dental evidence in court. This book delivers the backbone information for these individuals to better assess their needs in both casework and litigation. Forensic Dentistry contains numerous photographs of crime scene evidence and bite marks on victims and details for the reader the types of dental evidence and what is expected regarding collection, documentation, and the capabilities of analytical methods. This book is the first of its kind to present essential information to the field investigator in a format that allows easy reference and comprehensive detail.

  • Blood Dynamics

    • 1st Edition
    • Anita Y. Wonder
    • English
    Today's resources on bloodstain analysis are still based on methods that were derived in the 1920s. Although medical and clinical research have provided a growing body of information on blood composition and behavior, this information has been ignored in favor of historical bloodstain analysis methods-until now. With 25 years of experience in the field, author Anita Wonder shows how to use these new methods for interpreting bloodstains, including non-Newtonian fluid behavior (a process that does not conform to Sir Isaac Newton's laws of motion) and three-dimensional dispersion modeling.Blood Dynamics focuses on how to accurately identify eight bloodstain pattern types and their permutations. It covers every aspect of bloodstain analysis, and shows how some standard practices of reconstruction are not only unnecessary for identification of blood dynamics, but can even be misleading. This book presents completely new scientific evaluations of blood dynamics and will fundamentally change the way in which bloodstains are interpreted. As such, it will be required reading for anyone who deals with blood evidence at the crime scene, in the lab, or in the courtroom.