Things are not always as they appear, as Cyril Wecht shows in this behind-the-scenes look at nine famous murder cases. Drawing on police reports, deopsitions, trial testimony, and autopsy reports, he raises important issues and offers fresh perspectives on each case.

Second edition of an established text on common procedures for the identification and processing of evidence at scenes of crime * Includes chapters on quality assurance and credibility of practices and processes * issues surrounding major and complex crime * Forensic handling of mass fatalities * Crime scene reconstruction and impact on evidence recovery processes

From sexualized selfies and hidden camera documentaries to the bouncers monitoring patrons at Australian nightclubs, the ubiquity of contemporary surveillance goes far beyond the National Security Agency's bulk data collection or the proliferation of security cameras on every corner. Expanding the Gaze is a collection of important new empirical and theoretical works that demonstrate the significance of the gendered dynamics of surveillance. Bringing together contributors from criminology, sociology, communication studies, and women's studies, the eleven essays in the volume suggest that we cannot properly understand the implications of the rapid expansion of surveillance practices today without paying close attention to its gendered nature. Together, they constitute a timely interdisciplinary contribution to the development of feminist surveillance studies.

Using a linguistic point of view, The Language of Confession, Interrogation, and Deception is a practical explanation of how confessions work, written by the "father of forensic linguistics", Roger W. Shuy. Using his 1993 benchmark work, Language Crimes as his model, Shuy examines criminal confessions, the interrogations that elicit them, and the deceptive language that plays a role in the confession event. He presents transcripts from numerous interrogations and analyzes how language is used, how constitutional rights are not protected, consistency and truthfulness, suggestibility, written confessions, as well as unvalidated confessions. He concludes the volume with explicit advice on how to conduct interrogations that will yield credible evidence. A landmark volume with cross-disciplinary applications, The Language of Confession, Interrogation, and Deception is useful for professionals and academics in linguistics, forensic linguistics, criminal justice, communication, and interpersonal violence.

View the Table of Contents. Read the Introduction.

aAs a recognized expert in the field, Hamm is eminently qualified to prepare this text on the subject of terrorism from the criminal law perspective. . . . The text is written in a clear, lively manner.a
--"Choice"

aDrawing on six case studies of terrorist attacks by radical Islamists and right-wing racists, Hamm writes that American counterterrorist agencies have neglected some basic insights from scholarly criminology.a
--"The Chronicle of Higher Education"

"Read this book to understand the important nexus between terrorism and crime! This cutting edge analysis suggests a new approach to defeat the terrorist threat to the United States."
--Marc Sageman, author of "Understanding Terror Networks"

"Hamm's clear writing style, careful research and theoretical insights promise to make this a classic in criminology."
--William J. Chambliss, author of "Power, Politics, and Crime"

"[Provides] the first detailed account of how crime provides logistical support for terrorist strikes. By blending the study of terrorism and criminology, Hamm offers the possibility of detecting and stopping terrorism through the pursuit of conventional methods of criminal investigation."
--Gary LaFree, Director, START, National Center for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism University of Maryland Department of Criminology/Democracy

Car bombing, suicide bombing, abduction, smuggling, homicide, and hijacking are all profoundly criminal acts. In Terrorism as Crime Mark S. Hamm presents an understanding of terrorism from a criminological point of view, arguing that the most successful way to understand, detect, prosecute and deter these acts is to use conventional criminal investigation methods. Whether in Oklahoma City or London, Terrorism as Crime demonstrates that criminal activity is the lifeblood of terrorist groups and that there are simple common denominators at work that can remove the mystery surrounding many of these terrorist groups. Once understood the vulnerabilities of these organizations can be exposed.

This important volume focuses in on six case studies of crimes committed by jihad and domestic right wing groups, including biographies of more than two dozen terrorists along with descriptions of their organizations, strategies, and terrorist plots. Terrorism as Crime offers an original and significant framework for explaining international and domestic terrorism, as well as how future acts might be detected or exposed.

Investigations: 150 Things You Should Know, Second Edition, explores the essential tips and techniques for security investigations, providing a useful reference for those at any stage of their security career. This practical guide covers the legal guidelines that all investigators must follow. Through anecdotes, case studies and documented procedures, the authors present the most complete collection of investigative information available. Readers in the security and law enforcement fields will find this book easy to use and understand when seeking explanations about a wide variety of investigative topics, including constitutional law, documentary evidence, surveillance equipment, interviewing, interrogating and reporting.

Provides easy-to-follow flow charts that serve as procedural guide for scene investigations in most major types of crimes Presents the variety of different types of observable evidence encountered in real-life cases to inform scene investigators Offers methods for framing multiple hypotheses, using specific case examples, to factor in various considerations in crime scene reconstruction scenarios The discussion following each chapter forms a compendium of generalizations accepted in scholarly sources-a key enabler when testing the hypotheses

'Four million quid. There it was, inches away from me on a hotel table. Not in conventional currency, but in the world's deadliest commodity. Heroin.' As part of Scotland Yard's undercover team, it was Peter Bleksley's job to infiltrate some of the capital's most dangerous gangs and bring them down. For ten years, he went deeper into the criminal underworld than any cop had before him. Meeting with dealers, gangland leaders and members of the IRA and the Mafia, he lived the life of the Great Pretender, constantly changing his identity to ensure his cover was never blown. Whilst undeniably thrilling work at times, it came at a heavy price. The more successful he was at bringing criminals to justice, the longer the list of those who wanted revenge became. Even now, Peter looks over his shoulder in case someone should wish to act on an old threat. In The Gangbuster, Bleksley draws us into the world of drugs, violence and covert operations he inhabited for so long in the pursuit of justice. Now a renowned policing and crime expert seen on the BBC and as the Chief on Channel 4's Hunted, Peter Bleksley reputation still precedes him the world over.

**Longlisted for the ALCS Gold Non-Fiction Dagger** **Longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize 2022** 'Haunting ... lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned' Sunday Times 'A compelling whodunnit ... Devastating' Financial Times 'Transfixing' New York Times 'A powerful, unflinching account of misogyny, female shame and the notion of honour' Observer ___________________ A masterly and agenda-setting inquest into how the deaths of two teenage girls shone a light into the darkest corners of a nation Katra Sadatganj. A tiny village in western Uttar Pradesh. A community bounded by tradition and custom; where young women are watched closely, and know what is expected of them. It was an ordinary night when two girls, Padma and Lalli, went missing. The next day, their bodies were found - hanging in the orchard, their clothes muddied. In the ensuing months, the investigation into their deaths would implode everything that their small community held to be true, and instigated a national conversation about sex, honour and violence. The Good Girls returns to the scene of Padma and Lalli's short lives and shocking deaths, daring to ask: what is the human cost of shame?

Social media is becoming an increasingly important-and controversial-investigative source for law enforcement. Social Media Investigation for Law Enforcement provides an overview of the current state of digital forensic investigation of Facebook and other social media networks and the state of the law, touches on hacktivism, and discusses the implications for privacy and other controversial areas. The authors also point to future trends.

The aim of this book is to examine the qualities of leadership and decision-making in the police service. Based on groundbreaking research using unique, advanced methods for examining policing in complex critical incident environments, the book focuses principally on a series of police debriefs following live major critical incidents. It captures the views of the Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) who worked on these cases and draws upon the very rich set of experiences that they have had in dealing with complex, stressful and demanding enquiries. The book provides an introduction to new methods for exploring leadership and decision-making in critical incidents. It will be an essential resource for developers of police training in leadership and decision-making, senior police officers involved in critical incident management, organisational psychologists who work within policing, and for students whose area of study covers policing, decision-making or criminal investigation.

This innovative text provides an excellent introduction to technology-assisted crime and the basics of investigating such crime, from the criminal justice perspective. It presents clear, concise explanations for students and professionals, who need not be technically proficient to find the material easy-to-understand and practical. The book begins by identifying and defining the most prevalent and emerging high-technology crimes - and exploring their history, their original methods of commission, and their current methods of commission. Then it delineates the requisite procedural issues associated with investigating technology-assisted crime. In addition, the text provides a basic introduction to computer forensics, explores legal issues in the admission of digital evidence, and then examines the future of high-technology crime, including legal responses.

The approach that should be used by law enforcement officers in order to safely and effectively enter a room is a point of contention among many police trainers. Based on five experiments conducted over a two-year period, Evaluating Police Tactics demonstrates that the conventional wisdom is not optimal. Using the scientific method to systematically assess current room entry philosophies and techniques employed by police, Evaluating Police Tactics offers suggestions for examining the current philosophies and determining how patrol officers can enter scenes of ongoing violence, find the shooter, and stop the killing as safely and effectively as possible. About the Real-World Criminology Series More than just textbooks, the short books in the Real-World Criminology series are designed to be of interest to particular fields within criminology. They can be policy primers, spurring innovations in policing and corrections, theoretical works dealing with policy implications, or program evaluations incorporating theoretical foundations. Each book covers something that is happening -or should be happening-in the world of criminal justice.

In Fraud Examiners in White-Collar Crime Investigations, Petter Gottschalk examines and evaluates the investigative processes used to combat white-collar crime. He also presents a general theory regarding the economic, organizational, and behavioral dimensions of its perpetrators. Pool Your Resources for a Successful Investigation Gottschalk emphasizes the importance of collaboration across multiple disciplines including accounting, law, and forensic science in solving each case of suspected white-collar crime. He describes each case as a "puzzle" or "project" consisting of several steps and several participating individuals or organizations. Since so many people participate in an investigation, Gottschalk advises that objectively acquired and communicated information is vital to successful results. Fraud Examiners in White-Collar Crime Investigations approaches case studies from the perspectives of police science and detective work rather than auditing and legal thinking. Gottschalk asserts that "the private detective rather than the firm lawyer" is the more potentially successful fraud examiner. His approach emphasizes the importance of using strategy and practice in yielding results toward solving a case and highlights the use of interviews. He looks at the role of people as significant resources of information to help solve white-collar criminal cases and explains how a well-conducted interview can have a significant impact on the progress of an investigation. Through the analyses theories Gottschalk presents, this book gives you a useful tool for understanding characteristics of white-collar crime and for devising strategies for conducting and evaluating investigations of suspected white-collar crimes.

An examination of the forces and events that led to the most successful organized crime control initiatives in American history Since Prohibition, the Mafia has captivated the media and, indeed, the American imagination. From Al Capone to John Gotti, organized crime bosses have achieved notoriety as anti- heroes in popular culture. In practice, organized crime grew strong and wealthy by supplying illicit goods and services and by obtaining control over labor unions and key industries. Despite, or perhaps because of, its power and high profile, Cosa Nostra faced little opposition from law enforcement. Yet, in the last 15 years, the very foundations of the mob have been shaken, its bosses imprisoned, its profits diminished, and its influence badly weakened. In this vivid and dramatic book, James B. Jacobs, Christopher Panarella, and Jay Worthington document the government's relentless attack on organized crime. The authors present an overview of the forces and events that led in the 1980s to the most successful organized crime control initiatives in American history. Enlisting trial testimony, secretly taped conversations, court documents, and depositions, they document five landmark cases, representing the most important organized crime prosecutions of the modern era-Teamsters Local 560, The Pizza Connection, The Commission, the International Teamsters, and the prosecution of John Gotti.

The Man Who Rode the Tiger is the dramatic story of the biggest investigation of political corruption in American municipal history. The "Seabury Investigation" became a model for federal, state, and city investigations of major officeholders and minor rascals. Samuel Seabury was a patrician New Yorker who was called upon to ride the Tammany Tiger, longtime symbol of crooked politics and influence-peddling. Seabury and his staff of tough young lawyers toppled Mayor Jimmy Walker - the popular Beau James; struck a near-death blow to Tammany Hall; were directly responsible for selecting and electing Fiorello H. LaGuardia as the most popular Mayor in New York history; and helped Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt in his campaign for the presidency of the United States. The final confrontation between Judge Seabury and Jimmy Walker was before Governor Roosevelt in Albany. FDR surprised those who thought he was a lightweight - and Tammany instrument - by handling himself beautifully, disengaging himself from Tammany's grip, and gaining national attention.

The majority of research on eyewitness memory has traditionally studied children and young adults. By contrast, this volume is designed to provide an overview of empirical research on the cognitive, social, and health related factors that impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony given by the elderly. The book takes a lifespan developmental perspective that incorporates research on witnesses of all ages, but uses the findings to focus on issues unique to the elderly. This includes research on recognition memory with lineup identifications and recall memory that occurs when an elderly witness is asked to describe an event in court. The Elderly Eyewitness also examines jurors' reactions to the testimony of an elderly witness, and the legal and social policy issues that emerge when the elderly witness participate in legal proceedings. While reviewing what is known about the elderly witness, the book also provides a direction for future research into this new frontier of scientific inquiry. Its audience spans researchers in cognitive and developmental psychology, and professionals working in the growing area of psychology and law.

The majority of research on eyewitness memory has traditionally studied children and young adults. By contrast, this volume is designed to provide an overview of empirical research on the cognitive, social, and health related factors that impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony given by the elderly. The book takes a lifespan developmental perspective that incorporates research on witnesses of all ages, but uses the findings to focus on issues unique to the elderly. This includes research on recognition memory with lineup identifications and recall memory that occurs when an elderly witness is asked to describe an event in court. The Elderly Eyewitness also examines jurors' reactions to the testimony of an elderly witness, and the legal and social policy issues that emerge when the elderly witness participate in legal proceedings. While reviewing what is known about the elderly witness, the book also provides a direction for future research into this new frontier of scientific inquiry. Its audience spans researchers in cognitive and developmental psychology, and professionals working in the growing area of psychology and law.

This thrilling story memorializes one of the most dangerous-and successful-series of undercover operations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Written by the special agent who took these operations from disrupting small time fencing schemes to infiltrating major criminal organizations, this book is the first story of these secretive operations. During the operation's run from 2006 to 2014, Lou Valoze's fictitious businesses allowed his team of undercover agents to take thousands of weapons out of circulation and millions of dollars of drugs off the street. Through these covert "storefront" operations, the author developed a unique investigative blueprint for removing guns from the hands of violent felons and drug dealers. This book also explores the dark reality of living a double life and how it becomes difficult to tell the difference between the good guys and bad guys.

Written by experts on the frontlines, "Investigating Internet Crimes" provides seasoned and new investigators with the background and tools they need to investigate crime occurring in the online world. This invaluable guide provides step-by-step instructions for investigating Internet crimes, including locating, interpreting, understanding, collecting, and documenting online electronic evidence to benefit investigations.

Cybercrime is the fastest growing area of crime as more criminals seek to exploit the speed, convenience and anonymity that the Internet provides to commit a diverse range of criminal activities. Today's online crime includes attacks against computer data and systems, identity theft, distribution of child pornography, penetration of online financial services, using social networks to commit crimes, and the deployment of viruses, botnets, and email scams such as phishing. Symantec's 2012 Norton Cybercrime Report stated that the world spent an estimated $110 billion to combat cybercrime, an average of nearly $200 per victim.

Law enforcement agencies and corporate security officers around the world with the responsibility for enforcing, investigating and prosecuting cybercrime are overwhelmed, not only by the sheer number of crimes being committed but by a lack of adequate training material. This book provides that fundamental knowledge, including how to properly collect and document online evidence, trace IP addresses, and work undercover.
Provides step-by-step instructions on how to investigate crimes onlineCovers how new software tools can assist in online investigationsDiscusses how to track down, interpret, and understand online electronic evidence to benefit investigationsDetails guidelines for collecting and documenting online evidence that can be presented in court

The approach that should be used by law enforcement officers in order to safely and effectively enter a room is a point of contention among many police trainers. Based on five experiments conducted over a two-year period, Evaluating Police Tactics demonstrates that the conventional wisdom is not optimal. Using the scientific method to systematically assess current room entry philosophies and techniques employed by police, Evaluating Police Tactics offers suggestions for examining the current philosophies and determining how patrol officers can enter scenes of ongoing violence, find the shooter, and stop the killing as safely and effectively as possible.

About the Real-World Criminology Series More than just textbooks, the short books in the Real-World Criminology series are designed to be of interest to particular fields within criminology. They can be policy primers, spurring innovations in policing and corrections, theoretical works dealing with policy implications, or program evaluations incorporating theoretical foundations. Each book covers something that is happening -or should be happening-in the world of criminal justice.
Provides descriptions and results of actual experiments used to test various room entry techniquesUses unbiased empirical analysis to determine the pros and cons of different approaches to police tacticsIdeal for use as a supplemental text in many criminology courses or as one of a collection of smaller texts for high-level theory courses"

Time is an abducted child s worst enemy. Seventy-four percent of abducted children who are murdered are killed within three hours of their abduction. It takes, on the average, two hours for a parent to report a child missing. This gives responders only one hour to get an investigation up and running in an attempt to locate and recover the child alive. Investigating Missing Children Cases A Guide for First Responders and Investigators provides a solid training guide on missing children investigative techniques, enabling law enforcement professionals to respond confidently with a plan of action that offers the best possible chance for a positive outcome.

The book provides law enforcement agencies with the most current information available to guide them through a missing or runaway child dispatch. It is designed to help investigators respond quickly, expeditiously evaluate the situation, conduct an Endangerment Risk Assessment (ERA) of the child, and commence a thorough, organized investigation starting from the moment the police are contacted. By following the guidelines in this book, those tasked with these cases can make the best possible decisions in the shortest amount of time.

The protocols and methodologies presented are based on personal police experience and statistical evidence from research and studies gathered from thousands of runaway and missing children cases. Details on those studies and their findings are provided in the appendix.

Time is of the essence in missing children cases. Make every second count.

Introduction to Crime Scene Photography acquaints the reader with the essentials of basic crime scene photography techniques. It looks at the concepts related to composition and relates them to the types of photographs captured by crime scene photographers. It explains how to capture images based on the exposure settings chosen to produce the effect desired. It considers the techniques used needed to control and maximize Depth of Field (DOF), and reviews how the different lenses will affect an image. Organized into seven chapters, the book begins with an overview of crime scene photography and composition, including the three cardinal rules of good photography. It then proceeds with a discussion of the benefits of bounce flash and how to utilize this technique to properly compose the subject of interest. It also explains how to capture any image necessary at the crime scene by combining the concepts of composition, nonflash exposure, DOF, flash exposure, and the use of various types of lenses. In addition, the reader is introduced to various energy sources and filters, digital processing of evidentiary photography, and legal issues related to photographs and digital images. Examples and illustrations are provided throughout to demonstrate how the concepts examined tend to form a sort of symbiotic relationship. This text will benefit scene investigators and photographers, forensic consultants, forensic scientists, undergraduate students in forensic and/or criminal justice programs, law enforcement professionals, and anyone who wants to acquire the skills needed to be a successful crime scene photographer.

Cases in which all investigative leads appear to be exhausted are frustrating for both investigators and victims families. Cold cases can range from those only a few months old to others that go back for decades. Presenting profiles and actual case histories, Cold Case Research: Resources for Unidentified, Missing and Cold Homicide Cases illustrates how investigators can successfully apply resources that will enable them to reopen and solve cases gathering dust in the file room.

Today s investigators have found that, to solve cold cases, they need to be internet savvy and make the best use of the rapidly changing methodologies of the twenty-first century, but they also have to be time travelers and open the door to the past. This volume weaves together the nearly forgotten skill sets of traditional historical researchers with the latest online tools, including TLO, a premier investigative system; and NamUs, the revolutionary database for missing persons and unidentified remains. Along with practical applications, Cold Case Research gives investigators the tools they need to save time and money and to jump-start their cold cases, while keeping others from going cold in the future.

Topics discussed include:

• Implementing cold case units
• People searches and working with databases
• Overlooked DNA in PKU cards
• The plight of the missing and unknown
• Applying historical and geographical context
• Online and off-line newspaper research
• Public and published records
• The use of volunteers
• Contact with co-victims
• Cold-case review teams and information-sharing resources
• Taking advantage of the media

Using a thinking-outside-the-box approach, this volume helps fill major gaps in traditional cold case investigation training and techniques, enabling investigators to confidently reopen and crack the mystery of cases long thought unsolvable.

Silvia Pettem was quoted in a January 29, 2012 article on missing persons in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

In the mid-1990s, the NYPD created a performance management strategy known as Compstat. It consisted of computerized data, crime analysis, and advanced crime mapping coupled with middle management accountability and crime strategy meetings with high-ranking decision makers. While initially credited with a dramatic reduction in crime, questions quickly arose as to the reliability of the data. The Crime Numbers Game: Management by Manipulation brings together the work of two criminologists-one a former NYPD captain-who present the first in-depth empirical analysis of this management system-exposing the truth about crime statistics manipulation in the NYPD and the repercussions suffered by crime victims and those who blew the whistle on this corrupt practice. Providing insider insight into a system shrouded in secrecy, this volume: Documents and analyzes a wide array of data that definitively demonstrates the range of manipulation reflected in official New York City crime statistics Explores how the consequences of unreliable crime statistics ripple throughout police organizations, affecting police, citizens, and victims Documents the widening spell of police performance management throughout the world Reviews current NYPD leadership approaches and offers alternatives Analyzes the synchronicity of the media's and the NYPD's responses to the authors' findings Explores the implications of various theoretical approaches to Compstat Offers a new approach based on organizational transparency Presenting a story of police reform gone astray, this book stunningly demonstrates how integrity succumbed to a short-term numbers game, casting a cloud on the department from which we can only hope it will emerge. For more information, check out the authors' blog, Unveiling Compstat, at blogspot.com and their website. Eterno and Silverman's work in this book was cited in the article The Truth About Chicago's Crime Rates: Part 2 in the June 2014 issue of Chicago magazine. The Authors in the News The authors' studies on crime were featured in a November 1, 2010 New York Times article and their comments were published on the editorial page. Their work was also cited in a November 30, 2010 Uptowner article about police manipulation of crime statistics. Silverman and Eterno described a proposed strategy for improving community confidence in the integrity of crime statistics in a January 24, 2011 Daily News article. On August 22, 2011, Eli Silverman commented on a recent rise in NYC crime statistics in a New York Post article. On November 29, 2011, the Village Voice featured an article written by Silverman and Eterno on crime statistics manipulation and recent corruption scandals. Eli Silverman was interviewed by the Plainview Patch in a December 20, 2011 article about people's perception of crime in a community. The book is cited in a February 23, 2012 Wall Street Journal article about a lawsuit filed by a NYPD officer. John Eterno was a featured guest on Talkzone Internet Talk Radio on February 25, 2012. Eli Silverman spoke in a February 27, 2012 NY1 Online video about concerns regarding NYPD's stop and frisk policy. The book was profiled in a February 27, 2012 article in The Chief, a weekly newspaper for New York civil service employees. The authors appeared on a March 26, 2012 local ABC news program about underreported crime rates. thePolipit blog discussed the book on April 2, 2012. John Eterno was quoted in an April 9, 2012 New York Times article about the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy. Eli Silverman was quoted in a May 2, 2012 DNAinfo.com article about rising New York City crime rates. A New York Times Op-Ed piece referenced Eli Silverman on May 13, 2012. John Eterno's Op-Ed piece entitled "Policing by the Numbers" appeared in the New York Times on June 17, 2012. The book was cited in a June 19, 2012 Mother Jones article. John Eterno was featured in a Reuters TV program about the NYPD's "stop and frisk" policy. Eli Silverman testified on April 4, 2013 in a class action lawsuit related to the NYPD stop and frisk policy. On July 14, 2014, an article written by John Eterno and Eli Silversman about Police Commissioner Bratton's stop-and-frisk policy appeared in the New York Daily News.