Children are suffering from a hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect. Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children. The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations - losing on average between four and seven children every day to child abuse and neglect. The WHO reports that over 40 million children, below the age of 15, are subjected to child abuse each year. Domestic violence in the home increases that risk threefold. Child Abuse Investigation Field Guide is intended to be a resource for anyone working with cases involving abuse, neglect or sexual assault of children. It is designed to be a quick reference and focuses on the best practices to use during a child abuse investigation. The guide explains the Minimal Facts Interview, the Forensic Interview, and the entire process from report to court. It is understood that every state has different statutes regarding these topics; however the objectives of recognizing, reporting, and investigating cases of this nature are the same. Just as every crime scene is different, every case involving a child is different. Best practices and standard procedures exist to help ensure cases are discovered, reported and investigated properly, to ensure good documentation is obtained to achieve prosecution and conviction. This field guide will be a useful tool for law enforcement, child protective services, social service caseworkers, child advocates, and other personnel and agencies working for the welfare of children.

"Google Earth Forensics" is the first book to explain how to use Google Earth in digital forensic investigations. This book teaches you how to leverage Google's free tool to craft compelling location-based evidence for use in investigations and in the courtroom. It shows how to extract location-based data that can be used to display evidence in compelling audiovisual manners that explain and inform the data in contextual, meaningful, and easy-to-understand ways.

As mobile computing devices become more and more prevalent and powerful, they are becoming more and more useful in the field of law enforcement investigations and forensics. Of all the widely used mobile applications, none have more potential for helping solve crimes than those with geo-location tools.

Written for investigators and forensic practitioners, "Google Earth Forensics" is written by an investigator and trainer with more than 13 years of experience in law enforcement who will show you how to use this valuable tool anywhere at the crime scene, in the lab, or in the courtroom.
Learn how to extract location-based evidence using the Google Earth program or app on computers and mobile devicesCovers the basics of GPS systems, the usage of Google Earth, and helps sort through data imported from external evidence sourcesIncludes tips on presenting evidence in compelling, easy-to-understand formats

As scholars have by now long contended, global neoliberalism and the violence associated with state restructuring provide key frameworks for understanding flows of people across national boundaries and, eventually, into the treacherous terrains of the United States borderlands. The proposed volume builds on this tradition of situating migration and migrant death within broad, systems-level frameworks of analysis, but contends that there is another, perhaps somewhat less tidy, but no less important sociopolitical story to be told here. Through examination of how forensic scientists define, navigate, and enact their work at the frontiers of US policy and economics, this book joins a robust body of literature dedicated to bridging social theory with bioarchaeological applications to modern day problems. This volume is based on deeply and critically reflective analyses, submitted by individual scholars, wherein they navigate and position themselves as social actors embedded within and, perhaps partially constituted by, relations of power, cultural ideologies, and the social structures characterizing this moment in history. Each contribution addresses a different variation on themes of power relations, production of knowledge, and reflexivity in practice. In sum, however, the chapters of this book trace relationships between institutions, entities, and individuals comprising the landscapes of migrant death and repatriation and considers their articulation with sociopolitical dynamics of the neoliberal state.

Forensic Document Examination enlightens forensic document examiners, forensic investigators, attorneys, and others using the services of forensic document examiners with basic principles, current trends in the area, and standards and methodologies which were non-existent 20 years ago. Instrumentation has moved beyond the microscope and the magnifying glass to digital cameras, digital microscopes, video spectral comparators, electrostatic detection devices for the development of indented writing on paper, scanners, and software programs like Write-On 2(r) and Photoshop(r). All of this equipment and these various techniques are covered here, and more.
Covers basic principles and methodologies used in forensic document examinationContains state-of-the-art techniques and new trendsIncludes research over the last ten years and describes the future direction of forensic document examination

DNA typing has revolutionized criminal investigations and has become a powerful tool in the identification of individuals in criminal and paternity cases. "Forensic DNA Biology: A Laboratory Manual" is comprised of up-to-date and practical experiments and step-by-step instructions on how to perform DNA analysis, including pipetting, microscopy and hair analysis, presumptive testing of body fluids and human DNA typing. Modern DNA typing techniques are provided, reflecting real life, where not all institutions and crime labs can afford the same equipment and software. Real case studies will be used throughout and the author will provide an Instructor Manual and PowerPoint lecture slides.
* Provides practical step-by-step instruction on how to perform forensic DNA analysis
* Includes analysis of hair, presumptive testing of body fluids, human DNA typing and statistics
* Covers techniques such as pipetting, microscopy and DNA extraction
* Pre- and post-lab exercises and questions assist the reader in learning the material
* Report writing templates assure the reader learns real world crime lab procedure

Computational Intelligence techniques have been widely explored in various domains including forensics. Analysis in forensic encompasses the study of pattern analysis that answer the question of interest in security, medical, legal, genetic studies and etc. However, forensic analysis is usually performed through experiments in lab which is expensive both in cost and time. Therefore, this book seeks to explore the progress and advancement of computational intelligence technique in different focus areas of forensic studies. This aims to build stronger connection between computer scientists and forensic field experts.

This book, "Computational Intelligence in" "Digital Forensics: Forensic Investigation and Applications," is the first volume in the Intelligent Systems Reference Library series. The book presents original research results and innovative applications of computational intelligence in digital forensics. This edited volume contains seventeen chapters and presents the latest state-of-the-art advancement of Computational Intelligence in Digital Forensics; in both theoretical and application papers related to novel discovery in intelligent forensics. The chapters are further organized into three sections: (1) Introduction, (2) Forensic Discovery and Investigation, which discusses the computational intelligence technologies employed in Digital Forensic, and (3) Intelligent Forensic Science Applications, which encompasses the applications of computational intelligence in Digital Forensic, such as human anthropology, human biometrics, human by products, drugs, and electronic devices.

The recent National Research Council's report on forensic science calls for more fundamental education and training in the science behind the discipline. Nowhere is this need greater than in crime scene investigations. Long seen as merely "bagging and tagging," crime scene investigation and processing is now a complex process, involving numerous sciences and methods. "The Science of Crime Scenes" addresses the science behind the scenes and demonstrates the latest methods and technologies in depth.

The "Science of Crime Scenes" covers the philosophy of crime scenes as historical events, the personnel involved at a scene (including the media), the detection of criminal traces and their reconstruction, and special crime scenes, such as mass disasters and terroristic events. Written by an international trio of authors with decades of crime scene experience, "The Science of Crime Scenes" is the next generation of crime scene textbooks.
* Offers a science-based approach to crime scene investigation
* Includes in-depth coverage of disasters and mass murder, terror crime scenes, and CBRN (chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear) - not covered in any other text
* Written by an international trio of authors with decades of crime scene experience
* Instructor website with lecture slides, test bank, outlines, definitions, and activities, and a student companion site with an image collection

This book provides a line of communication between academia and end users/practitioners to advance forensic science and boost its contribution to criminal investigations and court cases. By covering the state of the art of promising technologies for the analysis of trace evidence using a controlled vocabulary, this book targets the forensics community as well as, crucially, informing the end users on novel and potential forensic opportunities for the fight against crime. By reporting end users commentaries at the end of each chapter, the relevant academic community is provided with clear indications on where to direct further technological developments in order to meet the law requirements for operational deployment, as well as the specific needs of the end users. Promising chemistry based technologies and analytical techniques as well as techniques that have already shown to various degrees an operational character are covered. The majority of the techniques covered have imaging capabilities, that is the ability to visualize the distribution of the target molecules within the trace evidence recovered. This feature enhances intelligibility of the information making it also accessible to a lay audience such as that typically found with a court jury. Trace evidence discussed in this book include fingermarks, bodily fluids, hair, gunshot residues, soil, ink and questioned documents thus covering a wide range of possible evidence recovered at crime scenes.

As computer and internet technologies continue to advance at a fast pace, the rate of cybercrimes is increasing. Crimes employing mobile devices, data embedding/mining systems, computers, network communications, or any malware impose a huge threat to data security, while cyberbullying, cyberstalking, child pornography, and trafficking crimes are made easier through the anonymity of the internet. New developments in digital forensics tools and an understanding of current criminal activities can greatly assist in minimizing attacks on individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Digital Forensics and Forensic Investigations: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice addresses current challenges and issues emerging in cyber forensics and new investigative tools and methods that can be adopted and implemented to address these issues and counter security breaches within various organizations. It also examines a variety of topics such as advanced techniques for forensic developments in computer and communication-link environments and legal perspectives including procedures for cyber investigations, standards, and policies. Highlighting a range of topics such as cybercrime, threat detection, and forensic science, this publication is an ideal reference source for security analysts, law enforcement, lawmakers, government officials, IT professionals, researchers, practitioners, academicians, and students currently investigating the up-and-coming aspects surrounding network security, computer science, and security engineering.

A broad understanding of bone and tooth microstructure is necessary for constructing the biological profile of an individual or individuals within a population. Bone Histology: An Anthropological Perspective brings together authors with extensive experience and expertise in various aspects of hard tissue histology to provide a comprehensive discussion of the application of methods, current theories, and future directions in hard tissue research related to anthropological questions.

Topics discussed include:

• The biology underlying skeletal growth and development leading to adult skeletal morphology
• Current research in understanding in bone modeling
• Histological features of dental hard tissues and their utility in biological anthropology
• Histological analysis as a means to differentiate human from nonhuman bone and for the purpose of age estimation
• The biomechanics of cortical bone
• Histotaphonomy and how postmortem microstructural change can be used for taphonomic inquiry
• The application of light microscopy in paleopathology to classify pathological conditions
• The histological study of bone tissue of archaeological origin
• Researchers' access to collections of bone samples with known demographic information
• Technological aspects of hard tissue histology, including laboratory requirements and high-resolution imaging

In most cases, the physical remains of humans available to bioarchaeologists, paleopathologists, and paleontologists are limited to skeletal material. Fortunately, these hard tissues are a storehouse of information about biological processes experienced during the life of an individual. This volume provides an overview of the current state of research and potential applications in anthropology and other fields that employ a histological approach to the study of hard tissues.

The most exhaustive book on forensic dentistry, the fourth edition of this volume covers the latest advances in the field, including regulations affecting forensic dental practice and procedures in light of the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act, updated ABFO guidelines, and new digital radiographic and photographic developments. The book also discusses computer-assisted record management, multiple fatality incident preparedness, and Disaster Mortuary Operation Response Team in a post-9/11, tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina world.

"Digital Forensics for Legal Professionals" provides you with a guide to digital technology forensics in plain English. In the authors years of experience in working with attorneys as digital forensics experts, common questions arise again and again: What do I ask for? Is the evidence relevant? What does this item in the forensic report mean? What should I ask the other expert? What should I ask you? Can you explain that to a jury? This book answers many of those questions in clear language that is understandable by non-technical people. With many illustrations and diagrams that will be usable in court, they explain technical concepts such as unallocated space, forensic copies, timeline artifacts and metadata in simple terms that make these concepts accessible to both attorneys and juries.

The authors also explain how to determine what evidence to ask for, evidence might be that could be discoverable, and the methods for getting to it including relevant subpoena and motion language. Additionally, this book provides an overview of the current state of digital forensics, the right way to select a qualified expert, what to expect from a qualified expert and how to properly use experts before and during trial.
Includes a companion Web site with: courtroom illustrations, and examples of discovery motionsProvides examples of direct and cross examination questions for digital evidenceContains a reference of definitions of digital forensic terms, relevant case law, and resources for the attorney"

Dr. Henry C. Lee is highly regarded throughout the law-enforcement community as one of the most talented and experienced forensic scientists in the world. He has also received widespread public recognition and media attention through his association with sensational criminal investigations, including the JFK assassination, the suicide of White House counsel Vincent Foster, the Chandra Levy homicide, the O.J. Simpson and JonBenet Ramsey cases, and, most recently, the Caylee Anthony case. In this new book, Dr. Lee and critically acclaimed mystery writer Jerry Labriola, MD, team up again to present another true-crime page-turner on five notorious incidents:
- The Phil Spector case: Legendary music mogul Phil Spector was charged with murder in the death of actress Lana Clarkson, found slain in his mansion. But has Dr. Lee produced forensic evidence suggesting her death was a suicide?
- The Brown's Chicken massacre: The savage murder of helpless employees of a restaurant in Palatine, Illinois, was left unsolved for over a decade until the painstaking forensic skills of Task Force and Dr. Lee eventually identified the killers.
- Murder in the Sacristy: The brutal murder of a nun in a Toledo, Ohio, church had bizarre ritualistic overtones and remained unsolved until a priest was prosecuted twenty-six years later--the same priest who had conducted the nun's funeral service Dr. Lee testified at the trial of the priest and here he demonstrates how the perseverance of law enforcement officials and forensic scientists eventually solved the crime.
- The shooting of a Connecticut state trooper and the shooting death of a fourteen-year-old young man: Dr. Lee discusses the dual hazards of police work--being killed or injured in the line of duty and the accidental killing of innocent victims or suspects. In Hartford, while racial tensions threatened to spin out of control, Dr. Lee reconstructed the shooting of a young African American by a police officer. His diligent work defused hostilities that nearly led to a riot.
- Genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Dr. Lee discusses his role in the excavation and, in some cases, the identification
of hundreds of bodies in the former Yugoslavia. The evidence he uncovered was later used to build a case against suspects indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal.
Combining fascinating details of forensic science with a vivid narrative, Shocking Cases from Dr. Henry Lee's Forensic Files is must reading for true-crime readers and forensic science lovers.

Criminalistics is that sub-field of Forensic Science dealing with the collection, preservation, examination, and interpretation of physical evidence. Introduction to Criminalistics: The Foundation of Forensic Science covers the basics of Criminalistics in a textbook for a one or two semester course with the intention of preparing the student for a future in forensic science. The role of the Criminalist is to analyze, compare, identify, and interpret physical evidence in the crime lab. These crime labs, or forensic labs, have two primary functions: identifying evidence, and linking suspect, victim, and crime scene through physical evidence. This new primer introduces the learner to the structure and organization of the crime lab and to the role of the Criminalist. Topics covered include how to process a crime scene and preserve evidence, the basic principles of firearm examination, latent fingerprints, and rudimentary toxicology, or how to determine the presence or absence of drugs and poisons.
Well organized and methodical, this colorful textbook, written by an eminent professional, has the potential to become the standard text for applying techniques of the physical and natural sciences to examining physical evidence.
* Uses real cases recent and historic to illustrate concepts
* Colorful pedagogy clearly defines chapter elements and sets this text apart from next best
* Presents the basics of forensic sciences in a one-semester or one-year course
* Offers excellent preparation for professional examinations
* Delivers the latest in laboratory technique while acknowledging the limits of technology"

While there is no such thing as a perfect match in the field of forensic comparative science, "Forensic Comparative Science: Qualitative Quantitative Source Determination of Unique Impressions, Images, and Objects" provides the experience, understanding, and judgment, necessary for concluding whether two unique images share common origin from a unique and persistent source. Knowing there will be ranges of different levels of details throughout images, the expert must be able to comprehend when a sufficient quality and quantity of details is reached to render a judgment. By utilizing a process of analyzing the first image, analyzing the second image, comparing them to each other, and evaluating the significance of the analyses and comparisons based on expertise, the comparative scientist will be able to recognize the belief and believe the recognition that occurs during comparative examinations. "Forensic Comparative Science" presents a philosophical and theoretical approach to explaining the cognitive process of comparative measurements and source determination. Science is about understanding and generalizing nature. This book is about generalizing comparative science.
Brings the comparative sciences under one philosophy of understanding in regards to terminology, examination method and standards for conclusions

Provides standards for conclusions including sufficiency vs. insufficiency for comparisons, individualization, agreement vs. disagreement, and levels of detail required

Not only helps gaining scientific and technical knowledge but also helps to understand and appreciate the importance of the comparative sciences to the criminal justice system A must read for any forensic science student with an interest in comparative sciences, all trainees in forensic laboratories, and active examiners throughout the world wanting a compilation of many disciplines under one generalized philosophy of examination"

The identification of fibers is important to the textile industry, forensic science, fashion designers and historians among others. Identifying fibers involves observing the physical and chemical properties of the fiber for which there are a wide diversity of instruments available. This book provides a comprehensive review of fiber structure, the diversity of instruments available to identify fibers and applicications for a range of industries.
The first part of the book examines the main fibers, their structure and characteristics. Part two focuses on methods of fiber identification, ranging from microscopic to DNA analysis. Specific applications, including how textiles are identified in forensic investigations.
Identification of textile fibers is an important text for forensic scientists, police and lawyers who may be involved with the use of textile fibers to provide evidence in criminal cases. It will also be relevant for textile designers, technologists and inspectors wishing to assess fiber quality and understand fiber damage.
Provides a comprehensive review of the main types of fibre together with their structure, characteristics and identificationAssesses methods of fibre identification from optical microscopy to DNA analysis as well as instruments available to identify fibres

"Understanding Forensic Digital Imaging" offers the principles of forensic digital imaging and photography in a manner that is straightforward and easy to digest for the professional and student. It provides information on how to photograph any setting that may have forensic value, details how to follow practices that are acceptable in court, and recommends what variety of hardware and software are most valuable to a practitioner.
In addition to chapters on basic topics such as light and lenses, resolution, and file formats, the book contains forensic-science-specific information on SWGIT and the use of photography in investigations and in court. Of particular note is Chapter 17, "Establishing Quality Requirements," which offers information on how to create a good digital image, and is more comprehensive than any other source currently available.
A companion website offers exercises for the student and practicing professional.
* Covers topics that are of vital importance to the practicing professional
* Serves as an up-to-date reference in the rapidly evolving world of digital imaging
* Uses clear and concise language so that any reader can understand the technology and science behind digital imaging

"A Litigator's Guide to DNA" educates litigators, judges, criminalists, students, and others about all aspects of the use of DNA evidence in criminal and civil trials. It includes discussions of the molecular biological basis for the tests, essential laboratory practices, probability theory and mathematical calculations. It presents issues relevant to all parties involved in trying a case, from the prosecution and the defense, and to the judge and jury. The book is also extremely useful as a text for students aspiring to careers in forensic science and criminal law.
The authors provide a full background on both the molecular biology and the mathematical theory behind forensic tests written specifically for people with little or no science background. No other book relates the foundational information on molecular biology and statistics to legal practice issues as extensively as this book does.
* "Recapping the Main Point" boxes provide a simple and concise summary of the main points
* Includes a glossary of essential terms and their definitions
* Contains a full-color insert with illustrations that emphasize key concepts

The study of fire debris analysis is vital to the function of all fire investigations, and, as such, "Fire Debris Analysis" is an essential resource for fire investigators. The present methods of analysis include the use of gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, techniques which are well established and used by crime laboratories throughout the world. However, despite their universality, this is the first comprehensive resource that addresses their application to fire debris analysis.
"Fire Debris Analysis" covers topics such as the physics and chemistry of fire and liquid fuels, the interpretation of data obtained from fire debris, and the future of the subject. Its cutting-edge material and experienced author team distinguishes this book as a quality reference that should be on the shelves of all crime laboratories.

* Serves as a comprehensive guide to the science of fire debris analysis
* Presents both basic and advanced concepts in an easily readable, logical sequence
* Includes a full-color insert with figures that illustrate key concepts discussed in the text

"Introduction to Environmental Forensics" helps readers unravel the complexities of environmental pollution cases. It outlines techniques for identifying the source of a contaminant release, when the release occurred, and the extent of human exposure. Written by leading experts in environmental investigations, the text provides detailed information on chemical "fingerprinting" techniques applicable to ground water, soils, sediments, and air, plus an in-depth look at petroleum hydrocarbons.
It gives the environmental scientist, engineer, and legal specialist a complete toolbox for conducting forensic investigations. It demonstrates the range of scientific analyses that are available to answer questions of environmental liability and support a legal argument, and provides several examples and case studies to illustrate how these methods are applied.
This is a textbook that would prove useful to a range of disciplines, including environmental scientists involved in water and air pollution, contaminated land and geographical information systems; and archaeologists, hydrochemists and geochemists interested in dating sources of pollution.
* Co-edited by one of the experts from the Civil Action case in Woburn, MA
* Provides essential information about identifying environmental contaminants responsible for millions of deaths per year
* Contains the latest information and coverage of issues crucial to both forensics investigators and environmental scientists

Oil Spill Environmental Forensics provides a complete view of the various forensic techniques used to identify the source of an oil spill into the environment. The forensic procedures described within represent various methods from scientists throughout the world. The authors explore which analytical and interpretative techniques are best suited for a particular oil spill project.
This handy reference also explores the use of these techniques in actual environmental oil spills. Famous incidents discussed include the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989 and the Guanabara Bay, Brazil 2000. The authors chronicle both the successes and failures of the techniques used for each of these events.
Dr. Zhendi Wang is a senior research scientist and Head of Oil Spill Research of Environment Canada, working in the oil and toxic chemical spill research field. He has authored over 270 academic publications and won a number of national and international scientific honors and awards. Dr. Wang is a member of American Chemical Society (ACS), the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC), and the International Society of Environmental Forensics (ISEF).
*International experts show readers the forensic techniques used in oil spill investigations
*Provides the theoretical basis and practical applications for investigative techniques
*Contains numerous case studies demonstrating proven techniques

CD and DVD Forensics will take the reader through all facets of handling, examining, and processing CD and DVD evidence for computer forensics. At a time where data forensics is becoming a major part of law enforcement and prosecution in the public sector, and corporate and system security in the private sector, the interest in this subject has just begun to blossom.
CD and DVD Forensics is a how to book that will give the reader tools to be able to open CDs and DVDs in an effort to identify evidence of a crime. These tools can be applied in both the public and private sectors. Armed with this information, law enforcement, corporate security, and private investigators will be able to be more effective in their evidence related tasks. To accomplish this the book is divided into four basic parts: (a) CD and DVD physics dealing with the history, construction and technology of CD and DVD media, (b) file systems present on CDs and DVDs and how these are different from that which is found on hard disks, floppy disks and other media, (c) considerations for handling CD and DVD evidence to both recover the maximum amount of information present on a disc and to do so without destroying or altering the disc in any way, and (d) using the InfinaDyne product CD/DVD Inspector to examine discs in detail and collect evidence.
*This is the first book addressing using the CD/DVD Inspector product in a hands-on manner with a complete step-by-step guide for examining evidence discs
* See how to open CD's and DVD'd and extract all the crucial evidence they may contain
* Included free is a trial version of author's market leading software "CD/DVD Inspector"