As gripping as it is gruesome, How to Solve a Murder is a fascinating insight into the career of a forensic scientist. Includes a foreword from Dr Richard Shepherd, bestselling author of Unnatural Causes. FRACTURED SKULLS. GAS MASKS. BRAIN BUCKETS. VATS OF ACID. PICKLED BODY PARTS. Not the usual tools of trade, but for Chief Forensic Medical Scientist Derek and Forensic Secretary Pauline they were just part of a normal day in the office inside the world-famous Department of Forensic Medicine at Guy's Hospital in London. Derek has played a pivotal role in investigating some of the UK's most high-profile mass disasters and murder cases. Derek's innovative work on murder cases, in particular, has seen him credited as a pioneer of forensic medical science, after developing ground-breaking techniques that make it easier to secure a conviction and also identify a serial killer. Warmly recalled and brilliantly told, these intriguing revelations will open your eyes to the dark world inhabited by those who investigate death and murder (typically most horrid), and unveil the secrets of how each case is solved.

A catheter used to transfer vital fluids splits during surgery.
A wheel detaches from a moving car on the highway.
A small gear tooth breaks from a chisel and flies into a mechanic's eye.

How did these accidents occur and were they preventable? Peter Lewis, Ken Reynolds, and Colin Gagg are seasoned forensic engineers who have been commissioned by insurance companies, lawyers, and private clients to investigate a variety of mechanical accidents that allegedly involved faulty equipment. The causes of these failures have varied - from manufacturing defects to user negligence to a combination of both - but their outcomes are often the same: huge financial loss, and sometimes even the immeasurable loss of life.

Case studies are the most valuable source of information for manufacturers striving to improve their products. In Forensic Materials Engineering: Case Studies, the authors offer stories of real accidents and thorough assessments of what went wrong. Unlike other case study presentations, they focus on not just the technical details, but also other vital aspects, including human error, turning points in the investigations, and the litigation involved. Presented in chronological order, each well-illustrated case study includes legal background, reports the case results, and highlights the lessons learned from the case.

New materials and applications appear constantly, and with them, new failure modes. Examining various materials in a range of situations, Forensic Materials Engineering: Case Studies provides an outstanding opportunity to gain virtual experience through up-to-date facts and feedback from forensic engineering practitioners.

The aim of this book is to dissect forensic anthropology and forensic pathology in its various and valuable contributions to contemporary society. It gives answers and approaches key questions to this sciences' growing audience within different countries in the recent years. It aims to provide a practical approach to the investigation of bodies that are not fresh enough to be considered a normal forensic case. The specialists of both areas can have in a single book the useful tools and practical recommendations of these specialities (forensic anthropology and forensic pathology) that are spread among other textbooks.
It proposes original, illustrated, and updated articles on the four parameters of the biological profile; it discusses the factors of individualization; it explains the decay process of a body and the relevance of each step for forensic sciences, providing a useful approach to investigate such corpses; it reviews bone trauma; it facilitate the access to a number of international organizations and protocols related with the subject; it compares the perspectives of expertises from different countries, namely Europe, North America, and Latin America. The majority of the authors found in this volume have quite a lot of experience with the subjects that they discuss. Finally, this book provides a bridge between forensic anthropology and forensic pathology, and brings practical advice from physical anthropology.
Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death presents both forensic anthropology and forensic pathology in their various and valuable contributions to contemporary society. Providing original, illustrated, andupdated articles on the four parameters of the biological profile, this text encompasses the factors of individualization; the decay process of a body and the relevance of each step for forensic sciences; bone trauma; access to a number of international organizations; and protocols related with the subject, all with perspectives of expertise from different countries, namely Europe, North America, and Latin America.
Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death strengthens the contributions of forensic anthropologists in the main stages of forensic work (recovery, identification, and determination of cause of death). Organized in five parts, Part I presents both disciplines-forensic anthropology and forensic medicine focused specially on forensic pathology. Part II contains techniques for age estimation of living individuals for reasons of imputability, one of the growing subfields of forensic anthropology. Part III discusses all the steps of forensic analysis, precisely from recovery to the cause of death. Part IV reviews the state of knowledge on assessing gender, age, stature, and ancestry from skeletal remains, discussing and reviewing the question of personal identity. Part V presents a clear example of the real value of a multidisciplinary investigation, with mass disasters and crimes against humanity highlighted.
Comprehensive and written by experts in the field, Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death offers forensic scientists, anthropologists, medical doctors, and police officers a bridge between forensic anthropology and forensic pathology that will grow and develop veryclosely in the future, whenever humanity has the need.

Law and Evidence: A Primer for Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Legal Studies, Third Edition introduces the complex topic of evidence law in a straightforward and accessible manner. The use and function of evidence in both criminal and civil cases is examined to offer a complete understanding of how evidence principles play out in the real world of litigation and advocacy. This revised Third Edition includes new discussions of rules and case law analysis, forensic cases, and evidentiary software programs. Key Features: Every chapter contains new legal authority that apples to traditional legal principles relevant to evidence law Offers full coverage of evidentiary codes and statutes Provides practical forms, checklists, and additional tools throughout for use by current and future practitioners Course ancillaries including PowerPointTM lecture slides and an Instructor's Manual with Test Bank are available with qualified course adoption.

The taphonomic approach within paleontology, archaeology, and paleoanthropology continues to produce advances in understanding postmortem biochemical and morphological transformations. Conversely, advances in understanding the early and intermediate postmortem period generated in the forensic realm can and should be brought to the attention of scientists who study the historic and prehistoric past.

Building on the success of Forensic Taphonomy: The Postmortem Fate of Human Remains, Advances in Forensic Taphonomy: Method, Theory, and Archaeological Perspectives presents new and updated techniques. It expands the taphonomic focus on biogeographic context and microenvironments and integrates further the theoretical and methodological links with archaeology and paleontology.

Topics covered include:
o Microenvironmental variation and decomposition in different environments
o Taphonomic interpretation of water deaths
o Mass graves, mass fatalities and war crimes, archaeological and forensic approaches
o Updates in geochemical and entomological analysis
o Interpretation of burned human remains
o Discrimination of trauma from postmortem change
o Taphonomic applications at the scene and in the lab

This comprehensive text takes an interdisciplinary and international approach to understanding taphonomic modifications. Liberally illustrated with photographs, maps, and other images, Advances in Forensic Taphonomy: Method, Theory, and Archaeological Perspectives is a valuable source of information for postmortem death investigation.

DNA testing and its forensic analysis are recognized as the "gold standard" in forensic identification science methods. However, there is a great need for a hands-on step-by-step guide to teach the forensic DNA community how to interpret DNA mixtures, how to assign a likelihood ratio, and how to use the subsequent likelihood ratio when reporting interpretation conclusions. Forensic DNA Profiling: A Practical Guide to Assigning Likelihood Ratios will provide a roadmap for labs all over the world and the next generation of analysts who need this foundational understanding. The techniques used in forensic DNA analysis are based upon the accepted principles of molecular biology. The interpretation of a good-quality DNA profile generated from a crime scene stain from a single-source donor provides an unambiguous result when using the most modern forensic DNA methods. Unfortunately, many crime scene profiles are not single source. They are described as mixed since they contain DNA from two or more individuals. Interpretation of DNA mixtures represents one of the greatest challenges to the forensic DNA analyst. As such, the book introduces terms used to describe DNA profiles and profile interpretation. Chapters explain DNA extraction methods, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), capillary electrophoresis (CE), likelihood ratios (LRs) and their interpretation, and population genetic models-including Mendelian inheritance and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. It is important that analysts understand how LRs are generated in a probabilistic framework, ideally with an appreciation of both semicontinuous and fully continuous probabilistic approaches. KEY FEATURES: * The first book to focus entirely on DNA mixtures and the complexities involved with interpreting the results * Takes a hands-on approach offering theory with worked examples and exercises to be easily understood and implementable by laboratory personnel * New methods, heretofore unpublished previously, provide a means to innovate deconvoluting a mixed DNA profile, assign an LR, and appropriately report the weight of evidence * Includes a chapter on assigning LRs for close relatives (i.e., "It's not me, it was my brother"), and discusses strategies for the validation of probabilistic genotyping software Forensic DNA Profiling fills the void for labs unfamiliar with LRs, and moving to probabilistic solutions, and for labs already familiar with LRs, but wishing to understand how they are calculated in more detail. The book will be a welcome read for lab professionals and technicians, students, and legal professionals seeking to understand and apply the techniques covered.

A myriad of different scenarios await those entering the field of forensic pathology, ranging from gunshot wounds to asphyxiation to explosives to death from addiction. Essential Forensic Pathology: Core Studies and Exercises helps prepare pathologists in training by establishing what they must know about the most common death scenes they will encounter. The book begins by discussing the coaching objectives in medical education and follows with a description of the 15 different rotations of the forensic pathology resident. Using a consistent and concise format, the book describes the facility where the rotation takes place, the necessary skills, the laboratory equipment, and other components of the rotation. The main portion of the book presents forensic pathology essentials in the form of learning objectives-each delineated with a code: "M" for items students must know, and "S" for those they must do. This section begins by discussing the government's role, describes medical examiner and coroner systems, and analyzes the academic discipline of forensic pathology. Next, the book focuses on hands-on elements of forensic pathology, with chapters on scene investigation, identification, and postmortem changes (signs of death). Objectives are also presented for various causes of death, including gunshot wounds, stab wounds, asphyxiation, sex-related death, and death from addiction. Additional chapters cover bombs and explosive devices, mental disease, epidemics, and issues related to forensic entomology. Each chapter contains a list of pertinent vocabulary and references for further study. By mastering the objectives contained in each chapter of this manual, forensic pathology students will be ready to pass certification exams and work confidently in the field.

It is an inescapable fact that causation, both generally (in populations), and specifically (in individuals), cannot be observed. Rather, causation is determined when it can be inferred that the risk of an observed injury or disease from a plausible cause is greater than the risk from other plausible causes. While many causal evaluations performed in forensic medicine are simplified by the fact that the circumstances surrounding the onset of an injury or disease clearly rules out competing causes (eg, a death following a fall), there are many cases that present a more complicated picture. It is these types of investigations, in which an analysis of comparative levels of risk from competing causes is needed to arrive at a reliable and accurate determination of the most likely cause, that forensic epidemiology (FE) is directed at. In Forensic Epidemiology, the authors present the legal and scientific theories underlying the methods by which risk is used in the investigation of individual causation. Methods and principles from epidemiology are combined with those from a multitude of other disciplines, including general medicine, pharmacology, forensic pathology, biostatistics, and biomechanics, inter alia, as a basis for investigating the plausibility of injury and disease exposures and mechanisms. The ultimate determination of the probability of causation (PC) results from an assessment of the strength of association of the investigated relationship in the individual, based on a comparison between the risk of disease or injury from the investigated exposure versus the risk of the same disease or injury occurring at the same point in time in the individual, but absent the exposure. The principles and methods described in Forensic Epidemiology will be of interest to those who work and study in the fields of forensic medicine, epidemiology, and the law.

Wildlife forensics is the application of forensic science to the conservation and protection of non-domesticated animals, both in the wild and in captivity. Providing an in-depth introduction to this rapidly evolving field, Wildlife Forensic Investigation: Principles and Practice also chronicles aspects of the history of management, conservation, and environmental protection, with an emphasis on their global importance in the twenty-first century. The book examines the crucial role of wildlife forensic investigation with regard to live animals, dead animals and samples and covers national, regional, and international legislation. While the text particularly focuses on forensic science as it relates to wild animals, it also includes mention of plants and habitats because of their relevance to conservation. The book discusses animal welfare as well as the damage that can be inflicted on humans and property by wildlife. Offering access to sound evidence based on good science and obtained using the best available practices, the book is enhanced by case studies from experts who describe some of their own work. This resource is essential for those involved in a range of endeavours, including investigating wildlife crime, identifying animal remains, ascertaining the circumstances of death of wild species, and other legal proceedings and activities concerning wildlife. The forensic skills described in this book can be applied to a wide range of activities (not necessarily involving the legal process), including environmental impact assessments, insurance claims, governmental and other enquiries, checking of trading standards and the inspection of (for instance) pet-shops, animal boarding establishments, and zoological collections. The authors point out that one of the most important requirements of those persons involved in wildlife forensic work is to retain an open mind. Such personnel should also be conscious of new developments and evolving techniques and be able to anticipate situations where their investigative and scientific skills might be used to advantage-so-called "horizon scanning". Examples of these are given.

Intended for those who train and handle cadaver dogs, this book also encompasses information for those who work closely with them, such as police, death investigators, and anthropologists. Its interdisciplinary approach is useful to any member of a forensic team who regularly participates in or evaluates the results of the human remains search effort. Cadaver Dog Handbook sets out the principles and procedures for the training and handling of dogs for the location of human remains. It explains scent theory and its applications, introduces basic training and searching strategies/tactics, and covers the legal and taphonomic issues associated with dog searches. Intended for those who train and handle cadaver dogs, this book also encompasses information for those who work closely with them, such as police, death investigators, and anthropologists. Its interdisciplinary approach is useful to any member of a forensic team who regularly participates in or evaluates the results of the human remains search effort.

Now in its second edition, Nuclear Forensic Analysis provides a multidisciplinary reference for forensic scientists, analytical and nuclear chemists, and nuclear physicists in one convenient source. The authors focus particularly on the chemical, physical, and nuclear aspects associated with the production or interrogation of a radioactive sample. They consolidate fundamental principles of nuclear forensic analysis, all pertinent protocols and procedures, computer modeling development, interpretational insights, and attribution considerations. The principles and techniques detailed are then demonstrated and discussed in their applications to real-world investigations and casework conducted over the past several years. Highlights of the Second Edition include: A new section on sample analysis considerations and interpretation following a post-detonation nuclear forensic collection New case studies, including the most wide-ranging and multidisciplinary nuclear forensic investigation conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to date Expanded treatments of radiologic dispersal devices (RDDs) and statistical analysis methodologies The material is presented with minimal mathematical formality, using consistent terminology with limited jargon, making it a reliable, accessible reference. The broad-based coverage provides important insight into the multifaceted changes facing this recently developed science.

Practical Analysis and Reconstruction of Shooting Incidents, Second Edition presents a holistic approach to shooting incident analysis and reconstruction, covering the entire spectrum of related sub-disciplines of forensic science. The book reviews basic firearm design and function, ammunition components, and terminology, explaining what constitutes pertinent evidence and appropriate results relative to autopsies, forensic laboratory analysis, and reenactments. The second edition features numerous additions including: Four new chapters Complete and extensive updates to all 16 original chapters Three case studies contributed by renowned professionals in the field New and revised exercises at the ends of chapters, with answers provided An expanded glossary of terminology Nearly 340 figures and illustrations, with several in full color New and updated references and suggested readings Appendices containing relevant terminology, checklists, and other resources The book details the mathematics of shooting reconstruction in clear, precise language that allows readers-both those with and without extensive science backgrounds-to apply a logical thought process to the evaluation of shooting scene evidence in order to establish the probable related events to the shooting incident. This new edition provides up-to-date information for field investigators to recognize, preserve, document, and interpret the physical evidence typically found after shooting incidents. In addition to the hundreds of illustrations, the book uses both case studies and step-by-step outlines to clearly describe the required analytical processes involved in reconstructing and interpreting shooting incident scenes.

This latest edition addresses rape and sexual assaults from all clinical, pathological, medical, and legal aspects. The book focuses on the victim and covers contemporary issues in sexual violence, investigative aspects of rape and sexual assault, offender fantasy, the personality of the offender, collection of evidence, medical examinations, and treatment, as well as trial preparation issues. Special topics include pedophiles, female and juvenile offenders, drug-facilitated rape, sexual sadism, elder abuse, and sexual assault within the military.

The Psychology of Death Investigations outlines definitively how behavioral evidence can often provide the necessary components and "missing pieces" to complement physical evidence as an essential tool for incident reconstruction. In order to determine the direction of an investigation and to prioritize leads, if necessary, death investigators must establish the manner of a death: natural, accident, homicide or suicide. The most overlooked aspect of death investigation is the psychological dimension, which can provide unique leads, correct false assumptions, enhance investigative awareness, and solve cases in surprising ways. In an estimated 10-20% of cases, the manner of death cannot be determined, or worse, has been erroneously categorized. Since many jurisdictions can't afford behavioral consultants, this book has been written to provide practical information for a basic psychological analysis. If the circumstances surrounding a death are equivocal, psychological consultants can compile information retrospectively about a deceased person's mental state and possible motive to assist with unravelling ambiguity about the manner of death. This is the primary function of a psychological autopsy, and, as such, this is the first book of its kind dedicated solely to the topic. In the event that the manner of death is determined to be a homicide, behavioral profiling can help to focus the potential pool of suspects. Professionals and students alike will benefit from the exercise of cognitive awareness and the application of psychological logic presented. Psychologists, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, fraud examiners, law enforcement personnel, death and homicide investigators, and students enrolled in criminal profiling, forensic psychology, and criminal justice programs will find this text to be a compelling and insightful reference to add to their professional toolkit.

This book, the second volume of Crime Scene Management in Forensic Sciences, reviews the role and impact of forensic evidence in criminal investigations. It also addresses the importance of post mortem examination in criminal cases. The book investigates the use of insects and arthropods to estimate post mortem intervals during forensic investigations. Further, it discusses the physiological effects of xenobiotics at the time of death, based on their concentration and distribution in the body at autopsy. Importantly, it also discusses digital forensic investigation, which can be used for the analysis of digital evidence produced at a court of law. Lastly, it defines the structure and legal framework of these forensic evidences for the effective administration of the criminal justice system. It is an excellent source of information for forensics scientists and legal professionals.

This book presents the multidisciplinary field of forensic archaeology as complementary but distinct from forensic anthropology. By looking beyond basic excavation methods and skeletal analyses, this book presents the theoretical foundations of forensic archaeology, novel contexts and applications, and demonstrative case studies from practitioners active in the field. Many of the chapters present new approaches and methods not previously covered in other forensic archaeology books, some of which may be of direct use to those conducting criminal investigations.

The book presents the applications of separation methods, manly chromatography, in forensic practice.
The first part, devoted to forensic toxicology, contains reviews on forensic relevant groups of compounds, like: Opiate agonists, cocaine, amphetamines, hallucinogens, cannabinoids, sedatives and hypnotics, antidepressive and antipsychotic drugs, analgesics, antidiabetics, muscle relaxants, and mushroom toxins.
In these parts, the preliminary immunochemical tests were also included, together with separation methods.
Screening procedures used in forensic toxicology were presented in separate chapters on forensic screening with GC, GC-MS, HPLC, LC-MS, CE, and LC-ICP-MS.
In the part on actual and emerging problems of forensic toxicology, following chapters were included: Analytical markers of alcohol abuse, toxicological aspects of herbal remedies, drugs and driving, analysis in alternative matrices, doping analysis, pharmacogenomics in forensic toxicology, and quality assurance.
The second part presents application of separation methods in forensic chemistry, and comprises chapters on: Explosives, chemical warfare agents, arson analysis, and writing media.
Third part on forensic identification contains chapter on forensic genetics.
All chapters are written up-to-date and present specific information up to 2006. The authors of each chapter are known not only from their scientific activity, but are also reputed experts, proven in everyday forensic casework.
- Wide spectrum of topics presented
- Up-to-date presentation of topics
- Data are presented in comparative mode
- Special stress put on screening procedures

Cyber Security Threats and Challenges Facing Human Life provides a comprehensive view of the issues, threats, and challenges that are faced in the cyber security domain. This book offers detailed analysis of effective countermeasures and mitigations. The financial sector, healthcare, digital manufacturing, and social media are some of the important areas in which cyber-attacks are frequent and cause great harm. Hence, special emphasis is given to the study and analysis of cyber security challenges and countermeasures in those four important areas. KEY FEATURES * Discusses the prominence of cyber security in human life * Discusses the significance of cyber security in the post-COVID-19 world * Emphasizes the issues, challenges, and applications of cyber security mitigation methods in business and different sectors * Provides comphrension of the impact of cyber security threats and challenges in digital manufacturing and the internet of things environment * Offers understanding of the impact of big data breaches and future trends in data security This book is primarily aimed at undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, academicians, and professionals who are interested in exploring their research and knowledge in cyber security domain.

Information Security Policies, Procedures, and Standards: A Practitioner's Reference gives you a blueprint on how to develop effective information security policies and procedures. It uses standards such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and COBIT, and regulations such as HIPAA and PCI DSS as the foundation for the content. Highlighting key terminology, policy development concepts and methods, and suggested document structures, it includes examples, checklists, sample policies and procedures, guidelines, and a synopsis of the applicable standards. The author explains how and why procedures are developed and implemented rather than simply provide information and examples. This is an important distinction because no two organizations are exactly alike; therefore, no two sets of policies and procedures are going to be exactly alike. This approach provides the foundation and understanding you need to write effective policies, procedures, and standards clearly and concisely. Developing policies and procedures may seem to be an overwhelming task. However, by relying on the material presented in this book, adopting the policy development techniques, and examining the examples, the task will not seem so daunting. You can use the discussion material to help sell the concepts, which may be the most difficult aspect of the process. Once you have completed a policy or two, you will have the courage to take on even more tasks. Additionally, the skills you acquire will assist you in other areas of your professional and private life, such as expressing an idea clearly and concisely or creating a project plan.

Written by a team of internationally renowned experts, this book focuses on the application of gas chromatography to various aspects of forensic chemistry. The authors introduce the basic theory of chromatographic separations before discussing specific forensic issues such as drug analysis and fires and explosives. Problems faced by forensic scientists, including degraded samples and small sample size, are also addressed.

Improve your use of tire imprint evidence with the work of an expert. McDonald discusses methods for examining, capturing, and recording imprints, outlines standard procedures for identification, shows how to prepare expert testimony, and provides detailed technical information helpful in identifying imprints.

Gait analysis is the systematic study of human walking, using the eye and brain of experienced observers, augmented by instrumentation for measuring body movements, body mechanics, and the activity of the muscles. Since Aristotle's work on gait analysis more than 2000 years ago, it has become an established clinical science used extensively in the healthcare and rehabilitation fields for diagnosis and treatment. Forensic Gait Analysis details the more recent, and rapidly developing, use of gait analysis in the forensic sciences. The book considers the use of observational gait analysis, based on video recordings, to assist in the process of identification or exclusion. With the increase in use of CCTV and surveillance systems over the last 20 to 30 years, there has been a steady and rapid increase in the use of gait as evidence. Currently, gait analysis is widely used in the UK in criminal investigations, with increasing awareness of its potential use in the US, Europe, and globally. The book details the history of the science, current practices, and of the emergent application to establish best-practice standards that conform to those of other forensic science disciplines. Engagement with the Forensic Science Regulator, and the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences in the UK, and the International Association for Identification has helped to ensure and enhance the quality assurance of forensic gait analysis. However, there remains a fundamental lack of standardized training and methodology for use in evidentiary and investigative casework. This book fills that void, serving as one of the first to describe the current state of practice, capabilities and limitations, and to outline methods, standards of practice and expectations of the gait analyst as a forensic practitioner. Forensic Gait Analysis reflects current research and forensic practice and will serve as a state-of-the-art guide to the use of gait analysis in the forensic context-for both education and training purposes. It will be a welcome addition to the libraries of professionals in the areas of podiatry, gait analysis, forensic video analysis, law enforcement, and legal practice.

This book provides an expert introduction to audio forensics, an essential specialty in modern forensic science, equipping readers with the fundamental background necessary to understand and participate in this exciting and important field of study. Modern audio forensic analysis combines skills in digital signal processing, the physics of sound propagation, acoustical phonetics, audio engineering, and many other fields. Scientists and engineers who work in the field of audio forensics are called upon to address issues of authenticity, quality enhancement, and signal interpretation for audio evidence that is important to a criminal law enforcement investigation, an accident investigation board, or an official civil inquiry. Expertise in audio forensics has never been more important. In addition to routine recordings from emergency call centers and police radio dispatchers, inexpensive portable audio/video recording systems are now in widespread use. Forensic evidence from the scene of a civil or criminal incident increasingly involves dashboard recorders in police cars, vest-pocket personal recorders worn by law enforcement officers, smart phone recordings from bystanders, and security surveillance systems in public areas and businesses. Utilizing new research findings and both historical and contemporary casework examples, this book blends audio forensic theory and practice in an informative and readable manner suitable for any scientifically-literate reader. Extensive examples, supplementary material, and authoritative references are also included for those who are interested in delving deeper into the field.

Serial Killers and the Phenomenon of Serial Murder examines and analyses some of the best known (as well as lesser) cases from English criminal history, ancient and modern. It looks at the lifestyles, backgrounds and activities of those who become serial killers and identifies clear categories of individuals into which most serial killers fall.Led by Professor David Wilson the authors are all experts and teachers concerning the ever-intriguing subject of serial killing: why, when and how it happens and whether it can be predicted. Taking some of the leading cases from English law and abroad they demonstrate the patterns that emerge in the lives and backgrounds of those who kill a number of times over a period. The book is designed for those studying the topic at advanced level, whether as an academic discipline on one of the many courses now run by universities and colleges or as a private quest for understanding. It contains notes on key terms and explanations of topics such as co-activation, Munchausen syndrome, cooling-off period, psychopathy checklist, social construction, case linkage, family annihilation, activity space, rational choice theory, medicalisation and rendezvous discipline. As the first textbook of its kind it will be an invaluable resource for teachers and students of serious crime.