Detection and quantification of trace chemicals is a major thrust of analytical chemistry. In recent years much effort has been spent developing detection systems for priority pollutants. Less mature are the detections of substances of interest to law enforcement and security personnel: in particular explosives. This volume will discuss the detection of these, not only setting out the theoretical fundamentals, but also emphasizing the remarkable developments in the last decade. Terrorist events airplanes blown out of the sky (PanAm 103 over Lockerbie) and attacks on U.S. and European cities (Trade Center in New York and the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, railways in London and Madrid)--emphasize the danger of concealed explosives. However, since most explosives release little vapor, it was not possible to detect them by technology used on most organic substances. After PanAm 103 was downed over Scotland, the U.S. Congress requested automatic explosive detection equipment be placed in airports. This volume outlines the history of explosive detection research, the developments along the way, present day technologies, and what we think the future holds.

- Written by experts in the field who set out both the scientific issues and the practical context with authority
- Discusses and describes the threat
- Describes the theoretical background and practical applications of both trace and bulk explosives detection"

A desperate phone call from an old acquaintance plunges forensic psychiatrist Claire Roget into an explosive situation with echoes in her own past. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Claire Roget finds it impossible to refuse when she receives a desperate phone call from an old acquaintance, obstetrician Charles Tissot. One of his patients, Heather Kimble, alleges that Tissot seduced her at a party and that he is the father of her unborn child. His career on the line, Charles begs Claire to expose Heather's fragile mental state and discredit her wild claims. With a history of making similar false allegations, her two previous babies having suffered unexplained cot deaths, Heather's accusations would appear to be nothing more than the result of a damaged mind. But as Claire delves further, it becomes clear that Charles hasn't been telling her the whole truth. Could Heather's story possibly have some merit? And is her unborn child in danger?

Forensic Firearm Examination provides the reader with a thorough understanding of theory, application, and process of firearm comparison. It is essential in the field of forensic firearm examination to not only understand the marks that examiners are observing, but more importantly learn where these marks come from during the manufacturing process. This book explores the various machining techniques utilized in the manufacturing process and the resulting marks left by those tools. This information will equip the examiner with the knowledge to answer questions posed by the legal system regarding the uniqueness or potential similarity of marks on firearms imparted to fired bullets and cartridge cases. Intended primarily for firearm and tool mark examiners, this valuable resource serves as a primary requirement for the training of firearm and tool mark examiners. Other forensic science disciplines who rely on pattern matching as a primary determining factor whether or not two objects may share a common source would also find utility in this work. Finally, it will be a valuable resource for attorneys who are seeking to understand better the scientific aspects of firearm identification. Written by a foremost expert in the field, Forensic Firearm Examination explores specific firearm manufacturing techniques and the resulting marks, which has not been covered in any book publication. Chris Monturo has over 23 years of experience as forensic firearm and tool mark examiner. Additionally, he is a distinguished member of the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE), a past member of the Scientific Working Group for Firearm and Tool Marks (SWGGUN), past member of the Organization of Scientific Area Subcommittees (OSAC) for firearm and tool marks and has instructed courses in machining for the firearm examiner in the United States and Internationally.

Trends of Environmental Forensics in Pakistan covers a variety of topics, including discussions on alterations in soil chemistry that are related to the malicious effects of pesticides, variations in biosphere and hydrosphere due to deviating toxicological responses, evidence and datasets to highlight potential crimes, and the advent of biological warfare and its effects across the globe, and exclusively in Pakistan. Pakistan, a country comprised of vast climatic zones, ethnic groups, diverse faiths and profound biodiversity is also vulnerable to different devastating incidents, hence this book presents tactics and information that are critical to this region.

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

Wrongful convictions are the result of faulty or false scientific evidence in 50% of the cases. Defense counsel is often at a great disadvantage in defending against evidence based on science. Illusory Evidence: The Psychology and Sociology of Wrongful Convictions is written for the non-scientist, to make complicated scientific information clear and concise enough for attorneys and judges to master. This is obtained by providing case studies to simplify issues in forensic psychology for the legal professional.

Forensic Mental Health Counseling offers a comprehensive understanding of how and why mentally ill clients intersect with the legal system, as victims and offenders. It provides a thorough explanation of how traumatic neurodevelopment, including adverse childhood experiences, result in sometimes maladaptive coping behaviors, discusses diagnostic assessments, and provides research-informed prevention and intervention examples counselors can use in practice. The text pays special interest to socio-political trends related to socio-economic status, gender, race/ethnicity, age, LGBTQI and disability, including attending to institutionalized bias. The intergenerational impact of cycles of victimization and offending are further illustrated through case examples. The first section introduces normal and traumatic neuro-development; discusses the unique ethical and legal issues counselors experience in forensic settings; discusses self-care to decrease vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout; and provides detailed instruction on completing biopsychosocial assessments, assessing stages of change utilizing motivational interviewing techniques, and completing a MSE. The second section discusses developmental aspects of forensics including child abuse/neglect, juvenile offending, and adult offending. The third section provides specific chapters on working with addicted offenders, IPV victims and offenders, sexual assault victims, and sex offenders.

Postmortem Toxicology addresses the various aspects of the practice of forensic postmortem toxicology from a viewpoint of elements which must be taken into consideration for proper interpretation of the toxicological result, not in a vacuum but in a more holistic and global sense. The volume examines pre-analytical factors, storage containers/conditions, prior medical interventions and therapy, along with information from the scene investigation and anatomical findings. This reference also provides explanation of the complicating conditions for the interpretation of the toxicological results due to postmortem decomposition, embalming artifacts and the postmortem redistribution of drugs. Tolerance is also discussed as an aid to interpreting results from a habitual/chronic user of medications and/or drugs of abuse. The book is geared towards the current practitioner; however, it is written to be used as a valuable reference for a graduate or post-graduate level courses in forensic toxicology or forensic pathology.

This textbook provides students and law enforcement officers with the fundamentals of the criminal investigation process, from arrival on the scene to trial procedures. Written in a clear and simple style, Criminal Investigation: Law and Practice surpasses traditional texts by presenting a unique combination of legal, technical, and procedural aspects of the criminal investigation. The hands-on approach taken by the author helps to increase the learning experience.
Criminal Investigation: Law and Practice, Second Edition, has been written to provide future law enforcement officers with a basic understanding of the investigative process. It merges two areas that are crucial to the successful completion of an investigation: the law, both criminal and procedural, and criminal investigative techniques. It is writen to provide the student investigator with the information needed to complete and investigation that can result in a successful prosecution.
- comprehensive coverage of the criminal investigation, from arrival on the scene to trial procedures
-unique combination of legal, technical, and procedural aspects of criminal investigation
-many updated cases, many personally experienced by the author.

Behavioral Analysis, the latest release in the Advanced Forensic Science series, an ongoing reference that grew out of recommendations from the 2009 NAS Report: Strengthening Forensic Science: A Path Forward serves as a graduate level text for those studying and teaching forensic psychology, and is also an excellent reference for forensic psychologists. Coverage includes investigations, death and violence, abuse, other methods and professional issues. Edited by a world-renowned, leading forensic expert, the Advanced Forensic Science series is a long overdue solution for those in the forensic science community.

This book describes the state of the art and future prospects of the most important bio-medicolegal subdisciplines in the post-genomic framework of personalized medicine. Focusing on the three main themes Innovation, Unitariness and Evidence, the book addresses a wide range of topics, including: Bio-Medicolegal and Criminological Sciences, Forensic Pathology and Anthropology, Clinical and Forensic Medicine in Living Persons (from Interpersonal Violence to Personal Injury and Damage, Malpractice, Personal Identification and Age Estimation), Forensic Genetics and Genomics, and Toxicology and Imaging. The unitariness of the "Bio-Medicolegal Sciences", historically founded on the accuracy and rigor of the methods of ascertainment and criteria of evaluation, should be re-established on the basis of molecular evidence, and used to promote Personalized Justice. Taken together, the book's conclusions and future perspectives outline a vision of transdisciplinary innovation and future evidence in the framework of personalized justice.

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

Photographic imagery has come a long way from the pinhole cameras of the nineteenth century. Digital imagery, and its applications, develops in tandem with contemporary society's sophisticated literacy of this subtle medium. This book examines the ways in which digital images have become ever more ubiquitous as legal and medical evidence, just as they have become our primary source of news and have replaced paper-based financial documentation. Crucially, the contributions also analyze the very profound problems which have arisen alongside the digital image, issues of veracity and progeny that demand systematic and detailed response: It looks real, but is it? What camera captured it? Has it been doctored or subtly altered? Attempting to provide answers to these slippery issues, the book covers how digital images are created, processed and stored before moving on to set out the latest techniques for forensically examining images, and finally addressing practical issues such as courtroom admissibility. In an environment where even novice users can alter digital media, this authoritative publication will do much so stabilize public trust in these real, yet vastly flexible, images of the world around us.

The Advanced Forensic Science Series grew out of the recommendations from the 2009 NAS Report: "Strengthening Forensic Science: A Path Forward." This volume, Firearm and Toolmark Examination and Identification, will serve as a graduate-level text for those studying and teaching firearm and toolmark examination and identification. It will also prove an excellent reference for forensic practitioner's libraries or use in their casework. Coverage includes a wide variety of tools and toolmarks, analysis of gunshots, ammunition, gunshot wounds and professional issues they may encounter.

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

If Sherlock Holmes had cracked the O. J. Simpson case, he would have done it with forensic science. Techniques and devices used to analyze crime scene evidence--and their real and fictional practitioners--have long fascinated the public. This reference covers all aspects of forensic science:

Types of evidence

Types of crimes or conditions

Criminal cases

Criminal and civil law

The disciplines of criminal justice

Poisons and drugs

The evolution of forensics

Forensic scientists and officials

Serial killers

Relevant literature, characters, and writers

The study focuses on the criminal and societal effects of forensic science in the United States, with attention paid to major British and French advances. The book also examines historical cases in which new techniques were first applied. Entries are arranged both alphabetically and topically, making them easily accessible to student and amateur sleuth alike.

We are enamored with stories about cops, but rarely do we get a chance to walk in the shoes of one while reading about the personal and spiritual battles waged when one is fighting crime. Jim's narrative will pull you into the moment of each crisis. These stories are the material of movies but they happened in real life. Jim will weave his experiences into the truth taught in Scripture. Whether or not you are part of the law enforcement community, you will be entertained by the adventures. Regardless of your relationship with Christ, you will be challenged to do something with the claims made by Jesus. There is engaging action in this book, but the serious purpose is that it will serve as a challenging devotional guide and bring you closer to Christ.