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The Science of Crime Scenes
1st Edition
Authors:
Max Houck
Frank Crispino
Terry McAdam
eBook ISBN: 9780123864659
Hardcover ISBN: 9780123864642
Imprint: Academic Press
Published Date: 6th July 2012
Page Count: 400
Description
The Science of Crime Scenes addresses the science of crime scene investigation and processing, including the latest methods and technologies. This book 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 terrorist events. Written by an international trio of authors with decades of crime scene experience, it is the next generation of crime scene textbooks.
The book provides in-depth coverage of disasters and mass murder, terror crime scenes, and CBRN (chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear) – topics not covered in any other text. It includes an instructor website with lecture slides, test bank, outlines, definitions, and activities, along with a student companion site with an image collection.
This text will be of interest to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in forensic science programs, as well as to forensic practitioners and crime scene technicians.
Key Features
- 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
Readership
Advanced undergraduate and graduate students in forensic science programs; forensic practitioners and crime scene technicians
Table of Contents
Dedication
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Section 1 The Science of Crime Scene Investigation
Chapter 1.0. The “Forensic Mindset”
Forensic Professionals Are Knowledge Workers
Hunting as an Origin for Forensic Science
Trifles, Traces, and Clues
From Science to Art to Literature
Evidence Is Proxy Data
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 1.1. From Scene to Laboratory to Court
Access to the Scene
Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
Downstream Effects
Documentation
Chain of Custody
Submitting Evidence for Analysis
Conclusion: Evidence in the Courtroom
References and Bibliography
Chapter 2.0. What Is a Crime Scene?
Introduction
A Definition
Staged Crime Scenes
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 2.1. Crime Scene Intelligence
Connections through Contact: Transfer and Persistence
Classification and Resolution
Individualization of Evidence
Relationships and Context
Known and Questioned Items
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Section 2 Personnel and Procedures
Chapter 3.0. Personnel
Forensic Scientist Focus
Time and Money
Contamination
Logistics
Building the Team
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 3.1. First Responder on the Scene
Competing Responsibilities
Securing the Scene
Preserving the Scene
Releasing the Scene
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 3.2. The Investigator in Charge
Security at the Crime Scene
Leadership at the Scene
Conclusion
References
Chapter 3.3. The Forensic Team
A Forensic Team
Conclusion
Reference
Chapter 3.4. Nonforensic Personnel
Information: Two Points of View
The Public as Reporters
Communicating to Superiors
Conclusion
Bibliography
Chapter 4.0. General Crime Scene Procedure
Chapter 4.1. “Freezing” the Scene and the Three R’s (Recognize, Recover, and Record)
Death Investigations
Preliminary Search
Recognizing Evidence
Recovering Evidence
Recording Evidence
Conclusion
Chapter 4.2. The Chain of Custody
A Chain of Custody Example
Problems with Chains of Custody
Conclusion
Chapter 4.3. Recording the Scene
Crime Scene Photography
Video
Measurements
Sketching
Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and Crime Mapping
Conclusion
Reference
Section 3 Detection and Reconstruction
Chapter 5.0. Searching for Evidence
From Trace to Proof, or Why Only Finding a Trace Is Not Sufficient
Which Evidence Is Useful?
The Search for Evidence
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 5.1. Detecting
What Is Light and How Do We See an Object?
Luminescence
From Theory to Practice: The Forensic Light Source
General Crime Scene Screening
Photoluminescence
Specific Crime Scene Screening
References and Bibliography
Chapter 5.2. Collection
Types of Evidence to Collect
Materials and Containers
Available Techniques to Collect Evidence
References and Bibliography
Chapter 5.3. Preserving
Threats to Evidence
Safety at the Scene
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 5.4. Submitting Evidence to the Laboratory
General Submission Guidelines
Biological Evidence
Trace Evidence
Impression Evidence
Explosives
Physical Match
Firearms Evidence
Toolmark Evidence
Latent Prints Evidence
Chapter 6.0. Evidence Types and Enhancement
Chapter 6.1. Chemical Evidence
Drugs
Arson
Explosives
GSR
Restoration of Serial Numbers
References and Bibliography
Chapter 6.2. Biological Evidence
DNA and Trace DNA
References and Bibliography
Chapter 6.3. Impression Evidence
Object Traces
References and Bibliography
Chapter 6.4. Other Types of Evidence
Questioned Documents
Computers, Cellphones, and Other Mass Storages
Pollen
Bones
Insects and Time Since Death
Diatoms
Odors
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 7.0. Crime Scene Reconstruction
Conclusion
References and Bibiliography
Chapter 7.1. An Archaeological Approach
Of Artifacts and Evidence
Terminology
Time and Space
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 7.2. Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
Directionality
Grouping Bloodstains
Droplet Size and Force
Types of Bloodstains
Conclusion
Reference
Chapter 7.3. Photogrammetry and 3D Reconstruction
Photogrammetry
3D Laser Scanners
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Section 4 Special Crime Scenes
Chapter 8.0. Special Crime Scenes
Chapter 8.1. Disaster and Mass Fatalities
The Disaster Scene
Human Remains
Conclusion
Bibliography
Chapter 8.2. Terrorist Crime Scenes
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 8.3. CBRN Crime Scenes
Preparing for Forensic Collection
Collecting Relevant Evidence
Entering the Hot Crime Scene
An Operative Flowchart
Conclusion
References and Bibliography
Chapter 8.4. Underwater and Underground Crime Scenes
Underwater Scenes
Locating the Scene
Working the Scene
Preservation of Materials in Water
Underground Scenes
Conclusion
Reference and Bibliography
Index
Details
- No. of pages:
- 400
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Academic Press 2012
- Published:
- 6th July 2012
- Imprint:
- Academic Press
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780123864659
- Hardcover ISBN:
- 9780123864642
About the Author
Max Houck
Dr. Max M. Houck is an international forensic expert with over 25 years of experience. Houck has experience in the private sector, academia, local government, and worked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory Division. He has worked as a forensic anthropologist, a trace evidence analyst, a researcher, and has managed millions of dollars in grants and awards. Most recently, he was the inaugural Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences in Washington, D.C., overseeing 150 employees and managing the forensic science laboratory, the public health laboratory, and crime scene sciences for the nation’s capital. Houck has worked on a number of mass casualty scenes, including the Branch Davidian Investigation and the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon. Widely published, Houck has dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and is the author and editor of numerous books. He is co-author of the best-selling Fundamentals of Forensic Science, Science of Crime Scenes, and Success with Expert Testimony, among others. He is the editor of the Advanced Forensic Science series of books. Houck is also founding co-editor of Forensic Science Policy and Management (the official journal of ASCLD), the only journal that addresses the management, policy, and administration of forensic science. Houck has served on numerous committees, including for the National Academies of Science, NIST, Interpol, The Royal Society, the Director of the FBI, and the White House. He is a popular public speaker and has given presentations at NASA, the Max Planck Institute, an Oxford Roundtable, as well as keynote talks at numerous international conferences. Houck has taught at several universities, including West Virginia University and University of Tampa. His research topics include management, leadership, and policy implications for forensic organizations. Houck has a Bachelors and Masters degree in anthropology from Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry Summa Cum Laude from Curtin University in Perth, Australia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Affiliations and Expertise
Vice President, Forensic and Intelligence Services, LLC, Virginia, USA
Frank Crispino
Dr Frank Crispino served for 25 years in the French Gendarmerie, one of the two State Police forces of France under military status. He retired with the rank of Colonel in 2012. A graduate from the French Air Force and Gendarmerie Academies, he joined l’Institut de recherche criminelle de la gendarmerie nationale (IRCGN), the Gendarmerie Forensic Institute, in 1993 to create the forensic anthropology department, as the core of the French Disaster Victim Identification Unit. Dr. Crispino is a graduate from the French War College (2003-2004), has a Ph.D. in forensic science from Lausanne University, School of Criminal Sciences (2006). He commanded two Criminal Investigation Departments at regional levels (serious/organized crimes and terrorism) in central and southwestern France (Bourges from 2002 to 2003 and Bordeaux from 2007 to 2011) and served as Deputy Head of the Antiterrorist Bureau at the General Headquarters of the French Gendarmerie in Paris (2003-2007), where he joined the G8 counter-terrorist group and other relevant EU bodies. He concluded his military career as representative of the Division General in charge of the Forensic and Intelligence Hub of the French Gendarmerie (2011-2012) to launch a new forensic academic curriculum in the Bachelor in Chemistry at l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). Professor Crispino is author or co-author of two books, 8 book chapters, more than 40 peer-reviewed articles. He is the director of the Laboratoire de recherche en criminalistique (www.uqtr.ca/LRC) – Forensic Research Group – at the UQTR, regular researcher at the International Centre for Comparative Criminology (http://www.cicc.umontreal.ca/en).
Affiliations and Expertise
Chemistry-Biology Department, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada
Terry McAdam
Terry McAdam is the Director of the Washington State Patrol Seattle Crime Laboratory. He has been a practicing forensic scientist for 39 years. He began his career with the State Crime Laboratory in Northern Ireland where he worked for 10 years in the testing of blood alcohols, breath alcohol, toxicology, fire debris, explosives, and trace evidence,. In the United States he has worked in many other disciplines in forensic science including, drug analysis, bloodstain pattern interpretation, and crime scene reconstruction. He has attended over 300 crimes scenes, and was a major participant in the crime scenes and the trace evidence analysis associated with the Green River homicides. He has assessed many crime laboratories throughout the world and in 2014 he was the recipient from the American Society of Crime Lab Directors, of the inaugural Longhetti/Keaton Assessor Excellence Award.
Affiliations and Expertise
Laboratory Manager, Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Seattle, Washington, USA
Reviews
"The Science of Crime Scenes is a good reference for the crime scene investigator. It incorporates excellent tables, charts, and illustrations which can be a great aid when processing a scene…It does a good job in describing the total spectrum of factors which can impact crime scenes and provides the reader with the necessary knowledge and tools to successfully evaluate and process the scene of a crime." --Journal of Forensic Sciences, July 2013
"The text provides in-depth detail of the science behind the scene and demonstrates the latest methods and technologies - as well as the philosophy and history behind crime scene work." --Evidence Technology Magazine, July-August 2013
"…The Science of Crime Scenes is a good reference for the crime scene investigator. It incorporates excellent tables, charts, and illustrations which can be a great aid when processing a scene." --Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2013
"…The Science of Crime Scenes fits well within the framework of crime scene training and documents the nuances of the challenging tasks required of these specialized personnel. This reviewer’s recommendation is that forensic laboratories add The Science of Crime Scenes to their training literature, and allow analysts to garner invaluable insight from the highly experienced trio of authors." --Crime Scene, Volume 39, Issue 2, Spring 2013
"A half century has not dimmed skeptics' suspicions about the death of Marilyn Monroe at age 36, but the intervening decades have seen technological leaps that could alter the investigation were it to occur today… ‘The good news is we're very advanced from 50 years ago,’ said Max Houck, a forensic consultant and co-author of ‘The Science of Crime Scenes.’ ‘The bad news is, we're still trying to put it in context,’ he said." --Associated Press article on the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death carried on multiple publications and sites incuding CBSNews.com
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