This text offers an innovative approach to learning about crime scene investigation, taking the reader from the first response on the crime scene to documenting crime scene evidence and preparing evidence for courtroom presentation. It includes topics not normally covered in other texts, such as forensic anthropology and pathology, arson and explosives, and the electronic crime scene. Numerous photographs and illustrations complement text material. A chapter-by-chapter fictional narrative also provides the reader with a qualitative dimension of the crime scene experience. Crime Scene Investigation is further enhanced by the contributions of such recognized forensic scholars as William Bass and Arthur Bohannon.

DNA does not solve criminal cases-people do. Investigators must document every action, photograph every item of evidence, and create a complete case file that can be used to convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent. Each chapter begins with an overview of the felony investigated in the case study and highlights a key area of crime scene investigation. You will then use the case studies to walk through the investigative process and learn by example to create accurate case files.

Learn crime scene investigation through original case studies that show you how to process and document a criminal investigation from first response to sending a report to the prosecutor s office.Get up to speed on the state-of-the-art investigative techniques employed in the cases.Practice your investigative and report writing skills in the "Your Turn" chapter.Develop your critical thinking skills with questions that explore the nature of the case, the conclusions drawn, and alternative outcomes.Access video, photos, and forms on the website."