The body of a woman floats to the surface of a lake with sixty pounds of cinder block and chain attached to her legs. Her killer faces the death penalty if the prosecution can answer one question: Did she drown? A worker for the only U.S. plant licensed to produce anthrax dies, the victim of a heart attack. But what caused his heart to stop beating? Follow veteran medical examiner Dr. Stephen D. Cohle into the world of forensic pathology, as he solves these and many other cases. Written from an insider's view, Cause of Death puts the reader behind Dr. Cohle's shoulder while he examines each victim. The cases range from exotic murder mysteries ripe for a CSI episode to everyday casualties of heart attacks and car accidents. Every victim, though, has a story to tell. Enter a real-life morgue with its strange sights, sounds, and smells, and watch a forensic mastermind as he unravels each victim's cause of death.

Giving the reader an in-depth understanding of DNA evidence in criminal practice, this text explains in clear language how DNA evidence is obtained and how it can be successfully challenged in court to minimize its impact or even dismiss it completely.

Since it first entered the criminal legal practice DNA has become an indispensable tool in fighting crime, as it allows both unambiguous identification of the criminal by traces of biological material left at the crime scene as well as acquitting innocent suspects.

This book:

• outlines the various types of testing used to obtain DNA evidence
• highlights the weaknesses of DNA testing, presenting and discussing defence strategies for refuting DNA evidence
• shows how DNA should be treated as just another piece of evidence and how on its own it is often not enough to convict someone of a particular crime.

This book is essential reading for students and practitioners of criminal law and practice and forensic science and law.

Those tasked with investigating crime scenes come from a variety of backgrounds and varying levels of experience. Crime Scene Investigation Procedural Guide gives the novice investigator the procedures for almost any crime scene imaginable while providing the seasoned pro a ready reference for crimes occurring even under the most unusual of circumstances. Designed as a stand-alone text or as a companion to Ross Gardner's Practical Crime Scene Investigation, the book details the precise steps that need to be taken when processing and analyzing a crime scene. Using a bulleted format for quick, easy access, the authors provide hands-on, concise instruction in a style friendly to a range of professionals. Topics discussed in this practical manual include: Preparation for response, initial response, scene management, and scene evaluation/analysis Scene photography, videography, sketching, and search and processing procedures Steps to be taken prior to releasing the scene Response, documentation, processing, and collection of evidence for specific crimes against persons and property Evaluation, processing, collection, and preservation of all items of evidence encountered at the scene, including friction ridge evidence, two- and three-dimensional impression evidence, and trace and biological evidence Bloodstain pattern documentation and shooting incident documentation Appendices include direction on working with potential blood-borne pathogens and worksheets for documenting and evaluating the scene and processing various types of evidence. A supplemental CD is included with downloadable forms for crime scene investigations. Adherence to the instructions provided in this guide will help ensure investigators that vital evidence is properly documented and pre

The most important part of a CSI's (crime scene investigator) job is accurate documentation of properly collected evidence. Documentation tells the story of the crime and can ultimately prove a suspect guilty. Through an array of specific exercises and actual document templates used in practice, Crime Scene Processing and Laboratory Workbook teaches students the proper physical evidence collection and processing techniques which will enable them to master the skills necessary to become a proficient CSI. Building on prior knowledge and facilitating hands-on experience, this laboratory manual allows students to practice the methods, procedures, and techniques associated with forensic science, crime scene investigation, documentation, and evidence handling. What makes this lab manual unique is that it follows a single hypothetical case to show each of the investigative techniques in the context of a real crime. Highlighting the skills and equipment needed for each assignment, the text presents over twenty separate exercises that alternate between investigating physical evidence specific to the crime scene and evidence specific to the laboratory. The book also provides useful forms, including the laboratory submission request, that duplicate real-world experience and demonstrate how to properly collect, record, and submit evidence. This volume is a useful companion to Gardner's Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation and Fisher's Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation. The exercises are designed to be completed with or without the help of a partner or as a member of a team. The appendices contain supplemental forms and numbered tent cards that can be used during the exercises along with other additional material such as a glossary and instructions on how to accurately write reports.

Many advances have been made since the publication of Drug Testing in Hair. The mid-1990s witnessed the progress in cannabis detection while the late 1990s focused on benzodiazepines detection and the applications in doping control. In more recent years, toxicologists centered on the detection in hair of a single exposure and the related applications in drug-facilitated crimes. Presenting these topics as well as the latest findings from the international community, Analytical and Practical Aspects of Drug Testing in Hair reviews all new developments, the validation of analytical procedures, and the interpretation of data. Written by well-known, international authors, this comprehensive reference provides practical coverage of the best drug testing techniques and examines the drugs themselves. Some of the applications discussed include doping, drug-facilitated crime investigating, workplace testing, and the granting of drivers' licenses. The authors describe specific drugs, such as opiates, cocaine, and cannabis, and discuss the different testing methods for them. The book also covers postmortem toxicology, pitfalls created by passive exposure, and testing for metals, including inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS), hair multielementary analysis, and the new speciation analysis. A complete, up-to-date resource that explains numerous drug testing techniques, Analytical and Practical Aspects of Drug Testing in Hair provides useful information for toxicologists, forensic scientists, sports medicine specialists, and pathologists.

Despite the increasing use of DNA evidence and other sophisticated forensic techniques in crime solving, fingerprints still serve as an indispensable tool of modern-day criminal investigation. This fascinating book, originally published in 1892, represents the first thorough investigation of this anatomical peculiarity and its application in establishing individual identity for use in law enforcement. Sir Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin and a member of the Royal Geographical Society, had already made a reputation for himself as an explorer of Africa and the founder of the new field of eugenics when he turned his attention to the subject of fingerprints. Through extensive research at his "anthropometric laboratory," Galton laid out an elementary system of classifying fingerprints based on observed patterns of arches, loops, and whorls. Using meticulous drawings as well as photographs of ink prints, he showed that "the numerous bifurcations, origins, islands, and enclosures in the ridges that compose the pattern, are proved to be almost beyond change." Thus, he established a sure method of individual identification. Galton's system was later modified by Sir Edward R. Henry, who became chief of police in London. In 1901, Scotland Yard officially adopted the Galton-Henry system of fingerprinting. Today, it is the most widely used system of fingerprint classification in the world. This classic work will make a welcome addition to the libraries of historians, criminologists, and fans of true crime and forensic science.

This book provides an account of the development of forensic identification technologies and the way in which this has impacted upon the legal system. It traces the advent of forensic identification technologies, focusing on fingerprinting and forensic DNA typing, and their growing deployment within the criminal justice system. It also elucidates the ways in which these new technologies are accelerating procedural changes to investigative practices, and shows the ways in which in some areas human rights (such as privacy rights and rights against discrimination) are coming under threat. The use of forensic evidence in criminal investigations and trials is analysed in detail. This book uncovers the way in which this new reliance on forensic technologies has gained a foothold within the criminal justice system, and the risks and dangers that this can pose. The National DNA Database provides a particular focus of attention. The author seeks to move beyond an approach that has seen forensic DNA profiling as error free, situating her analysis within broader risk discourses.

The best storytellers and presenters know that a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures simplify stories. They make stories memorable. They clarify complex concepts and they educate the audience in the easiest way. That is why attorneys work with artists-medical illustrators, to be exact. Injury Illustrated is the first book of its kind. It is the essential guide on medical illustrations used in the legal context. This book examines the creation of visual graphics known as demonstrative exhibits. These exhibits provide an understanding of traumatic injuries, surgeries, and radiology studies for the jury, judges, adjustors, mediators, and the attorneys. These chapters describe how to tell a clear story about gross anatomy, medical malpractice, and/or death investigation in court by using medical images. While medical illustration and injury law are very different professions, illustrators are the ideal partners for lawyers when solving problems and preparing for litigation. Divided into five sections, this book details who medical illustrators are, how they are educated in medicine, the skills and services they can provide to trial lawyers, and the countless benefits resulting from record review and case preparation. Find techniques to best use medical images during all stages of litigation Learn how graphic exhibits engage a jury and empower justice Understand why attorneys win more cases by collaborating with medical illustrators All readers will learn about this unique career and the attorney-illustrator relationship. More specifically, attorneys, artists, animators, law students, medical students, forensic scientists, and medical experts will understand how demonstrative exhibits assist legal proceedings in forensic matters and civil lawsuits. Warning; these images will be graphic and the cases at times will be catastrophic.

The demand for medicinal plants is increasing, and this leads to unscrupulous collection from the wild and adulteration of supplies. Providing high-quality planting material for sustainable use and thereby saving the genetic diversity of plants in the wild is important. In this regard, the methods of propagation of some important medicinal plants are provided along with the traditional methods of propagation. Indian Medicinal Plants: Uses and Propagation Aspects offers a unique compendium of more than 270 medicinal plant species from India with detailed taxonomic classifications based on the Bentham and Hooker system of classification. Salient Features: Provides traditional methods of propagation and discusses the propagation of medicinal plants Presents plant properties, plant parts and chemical constituents Describes the medicinal uses of more than 270 medicinal plant species from India This book is of special interest to practitioners of alternative medicine, students of Ayurveda, researchers and industrialists associated with medical botany, pharmacologists, sociologists and medical herbalists.

The 20th century saw the unlawful killing of approximately 200 million civilians. Sadly, the conflicts and tensions that gave rise to these deaths continue into the 21st century and the task of those involved in investigating mass murder, war crimes and genocide is larger than ever.;"Forensic Archaeology, Anthropology and the Investigation of Mass Graves" provides clear theory and practice for investigators in training, and aims to establish best practice by forensic practitioners. Offering detailed advice on locating and excavating graves, the analysis of human remains, and the surrounding social, political and legal contexts - this book, is a useful reference.

British author Diana Wynne Jones has been writing speculative fiction for children for more than thirty years. A clear influence on more recent writers such as J.K. Rowling, her humorous and exciting stories of wizard's academies, dragons and griffins, many published for children but read by all ages, are also complexly structured and thought provoking critiques of the fantasy tradition. This book will be of interest to Jones's many admirers and to those who study fantasy and children's literature. With the rise in interest in Harry Potter, there has been an accompanying renaissance of critical interest in Jones's work. This book, however, is the first sustained, single-author study of Jones's work, written by a renowned science fiction critic and historian. In addition to providing an overview of her work, Farah Mendlesohn also examines Jones's important critiques of the fantastic tradition's ideas about childhood and adolescence.

The case studies provided in Case Studies for Advances in Paleoimaging will provide the reader with real-world scenarios and case examples that will help prepare researchers to discover new ways to apply the various modalities associated with the technology. This book is a follow-up to the Beckett and Conlogue's classic work Paleoimaging (2009) and companion to their new contribution Advances in Paleoimaging (2020). The case studies outlined demonstrate the problem-solving nature of imaging research and the application of critical thought to unique problems. Further, Case Studies for Advances in Paleoimaging demonstrates the incredible depth of application of these modalities including photography, endoscopy, x-ray fluorescence, plane radiography, digital radiography, and advanced imaging modalities like multi-detector computed tomography, micro-computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Of particular note, case study seven, Contrast Media Injections, informs the researcher regarding methods to bring out specific anatomic structures that may be the target of a given research question. Intended for students, faculty, and seasoned researchers, Case Studies for Advances in Paleoimaging presents actual cases from the authors' vast experience in the application of paleoimaging modalities in order to answer unique research problems. The book also serves as a field manual for current and future researchers as they approach similar or new cases that present unique challenges. These cases demonstrate how the varied imaging methodologies can provide data which greatly enriches our understanding of the subject at hand, be it ancient cultural remains, forensic recovery, museum holdings, or other anthropological and archaeological artifacts.

'ASTONISHING AND ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING' - LYNDA LA PLANTE 'Engrossing, emotionally honest and forensically fascinating' - Dr Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes EVERY BODY LEAVES A MARK In Traces, Professor Patricia Wiltshire will take you on a journey through the fascinating edgeland where nature and crime are intertwined. She'll take you searching for bodies of loved ones - through woodlands and plantations, along hedgerows and field-edges, from ditches to living rooms - solving time since death and how remains were disposed of. She will show you how pollen from a jacket led to a confession and how two pairs of trainers, a car and a garden fork led to the location of a murdered girl. She will give you glimpses of her own history: her loves, her losses, and the narrow little valley in Wales where she first woke up to the wonders of the natural world. From flowers, fungi, tree trunks to walking boots, carpets and corpses' hair, Traces is a fascinating and unique book on life, death, and one's indelible link with nature.

Combining theory and practice, this book is a comprehensive analysis of suffocation, asphyxiation, and neck pressure deaths. It includes important developments in the field such as lung histomorphology in fatal strangulation, systematic dissection of the larynx, biochemical findings, and postmortem imaging. Significant challenges arise in accurately diagnosing these deaths when compared to other forms of external violence. International experts explain the pitfalls and subtleties of identifying such cases making this an important resource for readers involved in such investigations. Tables, statistics, scientific and historical evidence throughout further validate the value of this book. Provides a comprehensive introduction to every major topic of asphyxia and neck pressure death Features more than 300 figures to aid understanding and facilitate accurate diagnosis of these death types Includes the important topic of postmortem radiology findings Navigates the reader through the potential pitfalls and misdiagnoses of asphyxia and neck pressure deaths with expert guidance About the Editor Professor Burkhard Madea MD, Director, Instiute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bonn, Germany, is a world-renowned forensic pathologist and the author of more than a dozen books and 600 papers.

This Element examines progress in research and practice in forensic authorship analysis. It describes the existing research base and examines what makes an authorship analysis more or less reliable. Further to this, the author describes the recent history of forensic science and the scientific revolution brought about by the invention of DNA evidence. They chart the rise of three major changes in forensic science - the recognition of contextual bias in analysts, the need for validation studies and shift in logic of providing identification evidence. This Element addresses the idea of progress in forensic authorship analysis in terms of these three issues with regard to new knowledge about the nature of authorship and methods in stylistics and stylometry. The author proposes that the focus needs to shift to validation of protocols for approaching case questions, rather than on validation of systems or general approaches. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Security Controls Evaluation, Testing, and Assessment Handbook, Second Edition, provides a current and well-developed approach to evaluate and test IT security controls to prove they are functioning correctly. This handbook discusses the world of threats and potential breach actions surrounding all industries and systems. Sections cover how to take FISMA, NIST Guidance, and DOD actions, while also providing a detailed, hands-on guide to performing assessment events for information security professionals in US federal agencies. This handbook uses the DOD Knowledge Service and the NIST Families assessment guides as the basis for needs assessment, requirements and evaluation efforts.

Fundamentals of Medical Practice Investigation fills an important gap in the resources for criminal investigators. Appropriate for novice medical investigators as well as seasoned investigators looking to sharpen their skills, this book unites step-by-step fundamentals with up-to-date research reviews of critical issues in the field, including sexual misconduct, patient abuse, drug use among medical practitioners, and unethical or illegal prescription practices. An essential tool for law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals, Fundamentals of Medical Practice Investigation will improve the quality of all types of medical investigation.

Those tasked with investigating death scenes come from a variety of backgrounds and varying levels of experience. Whether a homicide detective, crime scene investigator, medico-legal death investigator, coroner or medical examiner, Death Scene Investigation: Procedural Guide, Second Edition provides the investigator best-practice techniques and procedures for almost any death scene imaginable, including for deaths occurring even under the most unusual of circumstances. This Second Edition is fully updated to include new coverage on shallow graves, human remains at crime scenes, poisonings, expanded coverage of projectile weapons, videography, touch DNA, death notifications, and a newly added chapter dedicated to sexual deaths. In addition, the book serves as an on-scene ready reference which includes instructions on procedure including the initial notification of a death, processing the scene and body, the investigator's role at autopsy, and analyzing the scene indicators to place evidence into context. Topics discussed include: Initial response and scene evaluation Death scene management including documentation, sketching, photography, videography, observations, and search procedures A special death investigation matrix that walks the investigator though a decision tree to help in ambiguous deaths Contains discussion of all manners of death, including accident, suicide, natural and homicide Coverage of recovery of human remains from open field, aquatic, and buried sites including estimating the time of death. Wound dynamics and mechanisms of injury that covers asphyxiation, sharp and blunt force trauma, chopping injuries; handgun, rifle, and shotgun wounds, electrical injuries, and more The bulleted format and spiral binding allows for easy use and reference in the field with sections that are self-contained and cross-referenced for quick searches. With its thorough and detailed approach, Death Scene Investigation, Second Edition will be a must-have addition to any crime scene and death investigator's tool kit.

In Forensic Science: An Illustrated Dictionary, the author of the critically acclaimed Forensic Science Glossary expands his coverage to provide the widest possible view of this growing discipline. He defines words in the forensic areas of pathology, ontology, anthropology, entomology, computer crime, arson investigation, engineering, and psychology. He also expands the word-base for DNA, questioned documents, fingerprint technology, and all other areas of criminalistics. With over 150 photographs and line drawings, this dictionary provides clear, concise definitions easily understood by non-scientific professionals.

The legalities of particular religious practices depend on many factors, such as the type of occult or religious activity, the current laws, and the intention of the individual practitioner. Written by the director of the Institute for the Research of Organized and Ritual Violence, Investigating Religious Terrorism and Ritualistic Crimes is the first complete resource to assist in crime scene identification, criminal investigation, and prosecution of religious terrorism and occult crime. It analyzes occult and religious terrorist practices from each group's theological perspective to help you understand traditional and contemporary occult groups and domestic and international terrorist religions, demarcate legal religious practice from criminal activity, and acquire techniques specific to occult and terrorist religion crime scene investigation.

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.

Because of the sensitive nature of sex crimes, police officials must develop a specialized set of interviewing skills to effectively investigate them. Written by former Commanding Officer of the Manhattan Special Victims Squad Thomas P. Carney, Practical Investigation of Sex Crimes: A Strategic and Operational Approach provides a day-to-day guide for investigating sex crimes. Using actual case histories, this comprehensive resource demonstrates the need for policymakers to create separate sex crime units within their jurisdictions and provides law enforcement officials with the tools necessary to thoroughly investigate these unique crimes.

"Doyle's modesty of language conceals a profound tolerance of the human complexity"-John Le Carre "Every Writer owes something to Holmes." -T.S. Eliot While the controversy of Psychic Photography was gripping the early 20th Century United Kingdom, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set out to investigate the most notable cases. In The Case for Spirit Photography, he aimed to defend the validity of capturing images of spirits with a camera. The spectacle of spirit photography had become popular in the late 19th Century, but by the 1920's The Crewe Circle, an infamous English spiritualist group had become the center of a national controversy attacking spirit photography as a hoax. Doyle, a leader of the Spiritualist movement, wrote this investigation in defense of the group, and conjointly looks at other cases of supernatural incidences. As we face current public figures dismissive of empirical scientific evidence, this is a fascinating look at the intrigue of conviction. As the writer of one of fictions most colorful and abiding detectives, Doyle's deductions in The Case for Spirit Photography are enthralling. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Case is both modern and readable.

Power: Police Officer Wellness, Ethics, and Resilience collectively presents the numerous psychic wounds experienced by peace officers in the line of duty, including compassion fatigue, moral injury, PTSD, operational stress injury, organizational and operational stress, and loss. Authors describe the negative repercussions of these psychic wounds in law enforcement decision-making, job performance, job satisfaction, and families. The book encompasses evidence-based strategies to assist law enforcement agencies in developing policy programs to promote wellness for their personnel. The evidence-based techniques presented allow officers to get a more tangible and better understanding of the techniques so that they apply those techniques when on and off-duty. With forewords authored by Dr. John Violanti (Distinguished Police Research Professor) and Dr. Tracie Keesee, Vice President of the Center of Policing Equity, this book is an excellent resource for police professionals, police wellness coordinators, early career researchers, mental health professionals who provide services to law enforcement officers and their families, and graduate students in psychology, forensic psychology, and criminal justice.

In recent years, the use of illegal substances has increased, particularly 'designer' drugs which have rapidly become part of youth culture. The need for all involved in drug control to have up to date information about the subject has never been greater. This book helps meet this need by providing a chemical background to the legal controls on drugs of abuse. Although focussed on the UK, some of the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act derive from international treaties; the discussion of technical aspects is therefore of wider relevance. Apart from the Act itself, the book also deals with certain aspects of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations. There is detailed coverage of 'designer drugs' and the generic legislation that was introduced to tackle them. The more recent addition of 35 'Ecstasy'-like substances is covered in depth. The significance to the legislation of terms such as salt, base, stereoisomer, ester, ether, derivative, homologue and isotope are described, and the text is supplemented by 23 Tables and over 80 chemical structures. There are eleven Appendices covering topics such as precursor chemicals, related legislation, stated cases, sentencing guidelines and the chemical characteristics of commonly-abused drugs. Up-to-date lists of controlled drugs, with cross references to their status in UN treaties, are provided and a number of pending and other possible changes to the Act are included together with a guide to nomenclature and synonyms. Although primarily aimed at forensic scientists, this book will be of great benefit to all bodies concerned with drug control, including the police, customs officers, lawyers and government departments.