The definitive interdisciplinary reference work for wound ballistics Basics The book begins by providing the necessary basic knowledge about physics, ballistics and ammunition and weapons. Then it describes the behaviour of projectiles in humans and animals (the physics of gunshot injuries) and introduces the experimental simulation of gunshot wounds, including the materials suitable for this purpose. Applications These basic principles can be applied in forensic medicine and criminalistics. The gunshot wound provides some forensic traces and the experimental reconstruction helps to understand the dynamic crime process. The wounding potential of non-lethal weapons can be determined. In emergency and war surgery, injuries caused by small arms bullets and fragments as well as by gas jets (of gas weapons) can be assessed. International conventions could be freed from undefined terms (such as "unnecessary suffering") with the help of physical quantities. Reference work Detailed tables as e. g. ballistic data of numerous cartridge types, also older ones, material properties, as well as many otherwise difficult to access data and a trilingual glossary of ballistic and technical terms in the languages German, English and French. NEW Wound Ballistics of European Police ammunition References to recent research results Partly coloured illustrations Due to the increase in terrorist and criminal activities worldwide, it is not only members of the armed forces who are affected. Surgeons, forensic doctors, police officers and criminalists also need to know and be able to assess the specifics of gunshot wounds.

Medical examiners play an increasingly important role in society as unexpected and violent deaths increase, not only due to crime, but also due to new toxins in the environment, emerging diseases crossing from animals to humans, bizarre suicides, sadistic sexual practices, and other non-natural causes. John Miletich and Tia Lindstrom take us into the world of these medical detectives. Biological clues from bite marks and skin abnormalities to blood chemical levels and brain oxygenation are just some factors exposed in their quest for truth and justice. We learn the basics of death determination from rigor and livor mortis to signs of death by design, drug use, disease, suicide, and more. We also come to understand the tools of this work, from the Stryker's Saw to the grocer's scale, and tests that reveal factors from DNA evidence to toxins from insect bites. Each case begins with a biological mystery and ends with a conclusion that can provide loved ones with relief, or shock.

Miletich, who trained at the Alberta Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, teams with Lindstrom to introduce readers to the medical examiner's role, including autopsy techniques and analysis. Twists and turns emerge as what was initially thought to be a murder proves to be suicide; what was suspected to be a natural death proves to be murder or environmental poisoning; or what was thought to be an accidental death proves to be something more sinister. This work includes appendices with guides to Medical Examiner organizations, seminars, and conventions.

Provides comprehensive coverage of everything that students and practitioners need to know about working in the field of forensic anthropology Forensic anthropology has been plagued by questions of scientific validity and rigor despite its acceptance as a section in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences nearly half a century ago. Critics have viewed it as a laboratory-based applied subfield of biological anthropology, and characterised it as emphasising methodology over theory. This book shows that these views are not only antiquated, but inadequate and inaccurate. Forensic Anthropology: Theoretical Framework and Scientific Basis introduces readers to all of the theoretical and scientific foundations of forensic anthropology -- beginning with how it was influenced by the early theoretical approaches of Tyler, Morgan, Spencer and Darwin. It instructs on how modern forensic science relies on an interdisciplinary approach -- with research being conducted in the fields of archaeology, physics, geology and other disciplines. This modern approach to theory in forensic anthropology is presented through the introduction and discussion of Foundational, Interpretive and Methodological theories. Sections cover: Bias and Objectivity in Forensic Anthropology Theory and Practice; The Theory and Science Behind Biological Profile and Personal Identification; Scientific Foundation for Interpretations of Antemortem, Perimortem, and Postmortem Processes; and Interdisciplinary Influences, Legal Ramifications and Future Directions. Illustrates important aspects of the theory building process and reflects methods for strengthening the scientific framework of forensic anthropology as a discipline Inspired by the "Application of Theory to Forensic Anthropology" symposium presented at the 67th annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Chapters written by experts in the field who were presenters at the symposium Forensic Anthropology: Theoretical Framework and Scientific Basis is ideal for university courses in anthropological science, forensic science, criminal science and forensic archaeology.

Bayes Factors for Forensic Decision Analyses with R provides a self-contained introduction to computational Bayesian statistics using R. With its primary focus on Bayes factors supported by data sets, this book features an operational perspective, practical relevance, and applicability-keeping theoretical and philosophical justifications limited. It offers a balanced approach to three naturally interrelated topics: Probabilistic Inference - Relies on the core concept of Bayesian inferential statistics, to help practicing forensic scientists in the logical and balanced evaluation of the weight of evidence. Decision Making - Features how Bayes factors are interpreted in practical applications to help address questions of decision analysis involving the use of forensic science in the law. Operational Relevance - Combines inference and decision, backed up with practical examples and complete sample code in R, including sensitivity analyses and discussion on how to interpret results in context. Over the past decades, probabilistic methods have established a firm position as a reference approach for the management of uncertainty in virtually all areas of science, including forensic science, with Bayes' theorem providing the fundamental logical tenet for assessing how new information-scientific evidence-ought to be weighed. Central to this approach is the Bayes factor, which clarifies the evidential meaning of new information, by providing a measure of the change in the odds in favor of a proposition of interest, when going from the prior to the posterior distribution. Bayes factors should guide the scientist's thinking about the value of scientific evidence and form the basis of logical and balanced reporting practices, thus representing essential foundations for rational decision making under uncertainty. This book would be relevant to students, practitioners, and applied statisticians interested in inference and decision analyses in the critical field of forensic science. It could be used to support practical courses on Bayesian statistics and decision theory at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and will be of equal interest to forensic scientists and practitioners of Bayesian statistics for driving their evaluations and the use of R for their purposes. This book is Open Access.

Despite important technological advances, most forensic investigations and prosecutions still rely heavily upon human factors. It is in understanding these human factors that psychology has a major role to play.

This book brings together cutting-edge researchers in forensic psychology to show how psychological knowledge can be applied to investigating and prosecuting offences. It takes a holistic approach, linking together the different stages of the investigation and prosecution processes, demonstrating what psychology can contribute at each stage. The links between maximising reporting rates, thorough investigation, proper presentation of evidence in court, and of effective sentencing policy are examined. Potential pitfalls for the investigative and prosecution process are outlined and ways of overcoming these problems discussed.

"Practical Psychology for Forensic Investigations and Prosecutions" describes contemporary research but it is also immensely practical. Written for police officers, lawyers, forensic psychologists and social workers, it will also be a valuable resource for all psychology students who wish to see how psychology can assist policing and the law.

PTSD, pain syndromes, traumatic brain injury: these three areas are common features of personal injury cases, often forming the cornerstone of expert testimony. Yet their complex interplay in an individual can make evaluation and explaining the results in court extremely difficult.

Psychological Knowledge in Court focuses on this triad separately and in combination, creating a unique guide to forensic evaluations that fulfills both legal and clinical standards. Its meticulous review of the literature identifies and provides clear guidelines for addressing core issues in causality, chronicity, and assessment, such as:

- Are there any definable risk factors for PTSD?

- How prevalent is PTSD after trauma?

- How do patients emotions relate to their pain experience?

- Are current pain assessment methods accurate enough?

- What is the role of pre-existing vulnerabilities in traumatic brain injury?

- What exactly is "mild" TBI?

The heart-wrenchingly honest and fascinating new book from forensic pathologist and bestselling author of UNNATURAL CAUSES, Dr Richard Shepherd A TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Each chapter is like a finely-crafted detective story . . . Shepherd writes beautifully, and despite its subject, the book is very funny in parts' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Enlightening, strangely uplifting . . . Shepherd's final chapter on death itself is a meditation of great beauty and light which puts all the darkness of the previous pages into perspective' DAILY MAIL 'Deeply insightful. Unflinching' THE TIMES 'Fascinating' DAILY EXPRESS 'This book is about death, but in it I will take readers on a journey through life . . .' _________ Dr Richard Shepherd, Britain's top forensic pathologist, has spent a lifetime close to the dead. As a medical detective, each autopsy he carries out is its own unique investigation, uncovering the secrets not only of how a person died, but also of how they lived. Through twenty-four of his most intriguing, enlightening and never-before-told cases, Dr Shepherd shares autopsies that span the seven ages of human existence, and have taught him as much about the marvels of life as the inevitability of death. From old to young, from murder to misadventure, and from illness to accidental death, each of these bodies has something to reveal: about human development, about mortality, about its owner's life story, about justice and even about Shepherd himself. From the bestselling author of Unnatural Causes comes a powerful, moving and above all reassuring book about death as it touches our own lives - how to understand it, and, when our time comes (as it must), how to embrace it as the last great adventure. _________ 'He has the ability to examine himself and other people with the same forensic eye that he applies to corpses - one of the reasons why his books feel so life-enhancing' Daily Telegraph Praise for Dr Richard Shepherd 'Gripping, grimly fascinating, and I suspect I'll read it at least twice' Evening Standard 'A deeply mesmerising memoir of forensic pathology. Human and fascinating' Nigella Lawson 'An absolutely brilliant book. I really recommend it, I don't often say that but it's fascinating' Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2 'Puts the reader at his elbow as he wields the scalpel' Guardian 'Fascinating, gruesome yet engrossing' Richard and Judy, Daily Express 'Fascinating, insightful, candid, compassionate' Observer

With the advent of new technologies in big data science, the study of medical problems has made significant progress. Connecting medical studies and computational methods is crucial for the advancement of the medical industry. Big Data Analytics in HIV/AIDS Research provides emerging research on the development and implementation of computational techniques in big data analysis for biological and medical practices. While highlighting topics such as deep learning, management software, and molecular modeling, this publication explores the various applications of data analysis in clinical decision making. This book is a vital resource for medical practitioners, nurses, scientists, researchers, and students seeking current research on the connections between data analytics in the field of medicine.

Forensic Biomechanics and Human Injury: Criminal and Civil Applications - An Engineering Approach provides a concise, comprehensive overview of human anatomy and the biomechanical factors involved in human injury. It describes the methodologies used to compute the various forces, stresses, and energies required to injure the human body. The book covers the theoretical mathematics behind understanding how injuries occur, classifying certain types of injuries, age and biomechanical factors, impact loading, injury investigation, and the importance of expert witnesses and testimony in civil and criminal cases. It contains a significant number of sizes of all the pertinent materials in the human body, classified by age, sex, and in some instances by race, as well as stress-strain curves and tables of the strengths of these materials. Forensic Biomechanics and Human Injury provides a valuable source of information with tools to help the professional determine the nature of injuries, understand the implications of accidents, and the calculations that go into determining such things for both civil and criminal investigations.

This volume presents a series of protocols and methods, some of which are not widely used by researchers/practitioners, and will aid in the execution of different laboratory techniques. Forensic DNA Typing Protocols, Second Edition is arranged into a series of related chapters. Chapter 1-3 examines two different aspects of RNA analysis for body fluid identification. Chapters 4-7 focuses on the storage of biological materials and the extraction of DNA from hard tissues. Chapters 8-10 present methods for monitoring the quality of DNA extracts, and steps to aid in the purification of DNA. Chapters 11-16 talk about methods on non-standard markers, such as INDELs, Y chromosome STRs, and mitochondrial DNA. Detailed procedures and data analysis for phenotypes and ancestry are explored in Chapter 17-19. The last chapter (20) looks at the application of DNA typing to the identification of non-human material to species level. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and thorough, Forensic DNA Typing Protocols, Second Edition, is a valuable resource for forensic specialists, researchers, and anyone interested in the field of forensic science.

This book is a practical guide for advocates interested in the representation of victims before the International Criminal Court (ICC). It has been developed by experts responsible for the advocacy training of the International Criminal Court's List of Counsel members. Written in a readily accessible style, this guide provides a firm grounding in relevant legal doctrine, essential advocacy techniques and valuable multidisciplinary perspectives. Drawing upon global expertise from legal practitioners, specialist advocacy trainers and multi-disciplinary writers, this book addresses both practical considerations and key challenges faced by ICC victim advocates. These include issues such as gender, child victims, victims of sexual violence, special need victims and victims who are themselves implicated in international crimes. Through its practical focus on advocacy techniques, hypothetical case studies, checklists, interviews from the field and lists of further resources, this manual equips readers with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in sophisticated ICC victim advocacy. This book will also appeal to those interested in the workings of International Criminal Law and in victim advocacy and victimology more broadly.

Forensic anthropologists are confronted with ethical issues as part of their education, research, teaching, professional development, and casework. Despite the many ethical challenges that may impact forensic anthropologists, discourse and training in ethics are limited. The goal for Ethics and Professionalism in Forensic Anthropology is to outline the current state of ethics within the field and to start a discussion about the ethics, professionalism, and legal concerns associated with the practice of forensic anthropology.

Detection of Drugs and Their Metabolites in Oral Fluid presents the analytical chemistry methods used for the detection and quantification of drugs and their metabolites in human oral fluid. The authors summarize the state of the science, including its strengths, weaknesses, unmet methodological needs, and cutting-edge trends. This volume covers the salient aspects of oral fluid drug testing, including specimen collection and handling, initial testing, point of collection testing (POCT), specimen validity testing (SVT), and confirmatory and proficiency testing. Analytes discussed include amphetamines, cannabinoids, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine, cannabimimetics, and miscellaneous drugs. This practical guide helps users turn knowledge into practice, moving logically from an outline of the problem, to the evaluation of the appropriateness of oral fluid as a test medium, and finally to a consideration of detection methods and their validation and employment.

In Human and Nonhuman Bone Identification: A Color Atlas, Diane L. France, one of the most respected forensic anthropologists in the world, offered a comprehensive handbook of photographs and other information essential for examining skeletal remains and determining species and body parts. Conveniently designed for field use, this compact version of the book presents the major skeletal elements from the same species as the bestselling Atlas. Focusing on the bones most often discovered in field scenarios, the book is divided into two major sections: * General Osteology includes major features of bone growth and development and highlights general comparisons of quadrupedal mammals to human bones. This section includes an introduction to bird skeletal anatomy and some suggestions on how to clean and preserve bones. * Major Bones of the Bodies of Different Animals includes most bones from the cranium to the metatarsal. Filled with more than 1200 annotated, crisp photographs, this handy guide enables law enforcement, medicolegal death investigators, forensic anthropologists, and others in the field and in the lab ready access to the information needed to help solve the mystery of discovered bones.

This well-established book on injury biomechanics has been extensively revised and expanded for this new edition. It now includes a fundamental treatment of the mechanics at a cellular level, written by the new coauthor Prof. Barclay Morrison III from Columbia University. Furthermore, considerably more attention is paid to computer modeling, and in particular modeling the human body. The book addresses a wide range of topics in injury biomechanics, including anatomy, injury classification, injury mechanisms, and injury criteria. Further, it provides essential information on regional injury reference values, or injury criteria, that are either currently in use or proposed by both US and European communities. Although the book is intended as an introduction for doctors and engineers who are newcomers to the field of injury biomechanics, sufficient references are provided for those who wish to conduct further research, and even established researchers will find it useful as a reference guide to the biomechanical background of each proposed injury mechanism and injury criterion.

Prestigious and authoritative, this fully updated fourteenth edition of Simpson's Forensic Medicine remains a classic; one of the world's leading introductory texts in the field of forensic medicine. It presents all that the generalist or student needs to know about the interface between medicine and the law.

Exploring the dynamics between victim and offender is paramount to answering important issues of character and vital for forensic research. This involves examining the role of the victim during and after victimization; this process is especially important for spousal violence because of the interactive process between the victim and the offender. Forensic Psychology of Spousal Violence covers the phenomenon of spousal violence and its different forms, discussing the consequences of abuse, providing research tips to be used in the field, including relevant case studies and much more. The innovative approach of this text fills a void in the current understanding of spousal violence.

Soils have important roles to play in criminal and environmental forensic science. Since the initial concept of using soil in forensic investigations was mooted by Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes stories prior to real-world applications, this branch of forensic science has become increasingly sophisticated and broad. New techniques in chemical, physical, biological, ecological and spatial analysis, coupled with informatics, are being applied to reducing areas of search by investigators, site identification, site comparison and measurement for the eventual use as evidence in court. Soils can provide intelligence, in assisting the determination of the provenance of samples from artifacts, victims or suspects, enabling their linkage to locations or other evidence. They also modulate change in surface or buried cadavers and hence affect the ability to estimate post-mortem or post-burial intervals, and locate clandestine graves. This interdisciplinary volume explores the conceptual and practical interplay of soil and geoforensics across the scientific, investigative and legal fields. Supported by reviews, case-studies from across the world, and reports of original research, it demonstrates the increasing convergence of a wide range of knowledge. It covers conceptual issues, evidence (from recovery to use in court), geoforensics, taphonomy, as well as leading-edge technologies. The application of the resultant soil forensics toolbox is leading to significant advances in improving crime detection, and environmental and national security.

The second edition of Forensic Toxicology: Principles and Concepts takes the reader back to the origins of forensic toxicology providing an overview of the largely unchanging principles of the discipline. The text focuses on the major tenets in forensic toxicology, including an introduction to the discipline, principles of forensic toxicology including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug interactions and toxicogenomics, fundamentals of forensic toxicology analysis, types of interpretations based on analytical forensic toxicology results, and reporting from the laboratory to the courtroom. Also included in the second edition is a Unit focused on the forensic toxicology of individual drugs of abuse.

This volume is comprised of a multidisciplinary assessment of the interplay between asbestos and cancer as well as new research about the biology and treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Chapters on the various types of asbestos and other mineral fibers, epidemiology, history and future of asbestos-related diseases are included. Other reviews present new information about the role of asbestos-related inflammation and genetic factors, including the role of inherited mutations of BAP1, in mesothelioma causation, as well as recent research about gene signatures, cell signaling, and epigenetic mechanisms in asbestos-related diseases. Other chapters provide updates of novel disease biomarkers and prevention, mechanistic lesson from genetically engineered mouse and 3-D models of mesothelioma tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance. Also included are up-to-date reviews of surgical, molecularly targeted chemotherapeutic, and immunotherapeutic approaches for mesothelioma as well as an overview of legal issues.

The insights following in the wake of the Human Genome project are radically influencing our understanding of the molecular basis of life, health and disease. The improved accuracy and precision of clinical diagnostics is also beginning to have an impact on therapeutics in a fundamental way. "Molecular Medicine for Clinics" is suitable for undergraduate medical students as part of their basic sciences training, but is also relevant to interested under- and postgraduate science and engineering students. It serves as an introductory text for medical registrars in virtually all specialties, and is also of value to the General Practitioner wishing to keep up to date, especially in view of the growing, internet-assisted public knowledge of the field. There is a special focus on the application of molecular medicine in Africa and in developing countries elsewhere.

The use of genetics for the resolution of legal conflicts has recently been gaining a higher profile, largely as a result of scientific and technological advancements and the substantial broadening of applications. The theoretical framework underlying forensic genetics is the same irrespective of the materials and technology involved, however a great divide still exists in the manner and processes related to human and non-human analyses.This advanced handbook intends to overcome the historical barriers between the scientific fields of legal medicine, biodiversity and conservation, and food analysis by presenting a unifying, global perspective on the implications of genetic analyses on forensic affairs. This global perspective is presented in three parts: modes of inheritance and reproduction and taxonomic implications; current technological approaches and future perspectives; and a comprehensive systematization of the types of applications and organisms. Finally, a critical revision of the current investigative/expert systems and future perspectives is undertaken.This book provides a collection of international research, thereby constituting a reference platform for the forensic community and an advanced textbook for graduate students. It encompasses the theoretical bases of the field, and presents in the context of both perspectives of forensic action - probative and investigative - a comprehensive coverage of the current applications and technological state of the art.

Introducing the basic concepts of clinical forensic medicine and death investigation, this book covers the main areas of forensic investigation . It provides an introduction to forensic science and coverage of injury patterns, natural disease, accidental trauma, child injury and fatalities, and domestic violence. Anyone who has direct contact with death, crime, and the medicolegal system, including nurses, physicians, attorneys, death investigators, forensic pathologists, and police detectives, will find this an invaluable reference.

This book covers new and exciting topics which have emerged in the area of autopsy recently, including the three different post-mortem CT-angiography systems currently available to practitioners in this field; a highly topical chapter on the role of genetic abnormalities in the handling of drugs within the body and how this can affect the interpretation of toxicological results in relation to how the drug may have caused or contributed to death; an update on the current classification and considerations related to deaths due to hanging; a review of injuries and fatalities caused by animals including post-mortem scavenging; an authoritative review of poisons and toxins from water and the life that inhabits it; and recent advances in knowledge in the use of entomology as an investigative tool as well as knowledge related to colonisation of cadavers by insects, animals and birds. Essentials of Autopsy Practice: Advances, Updates and Emerging Technologies is a multi-subject book, aimed at different grades of practitioners, from different practice areas, covering topics that are currently discussed and anticipated to be discussed in the field of autopsy practice over the next few years.