THE ULTIMATE READERS’ GUIDE TO THE ART OF FORENSICS!

An intrepid investigator crawls through miles of air conditioning ducts to capture the implicating fibers of a suspect’s wool jacket . . . A forensic entomologist discovers insects in the grill of a car and nails down a drug dealer’s precise geographical path . . . A gluttonous criminal’s fingerprints are lifted from a chocolate truffle. . . .

Filled with these and many other intriguing true stories, and packed with black and white illustrations and photographs, The Forensic Casebook draws on interviews with police personnel and forensic scientists—including animal examiners, botanists, zoologists, firearms specialists, and autoposists—to uncover the vast and detailed under workings of criminal investigation. Encyclopedic in scope, this riveting, authoritative book leaves no aspect of forensic science untouched, covering such fascinating topics as:

• Securing a crime scene
• Identifying blood splatter patterns
• Collecting fingerprints—and feet, lip, and ear prints
• Interpreting the stages of a body’s decay
• Examining hair and fiber evidence
• Trace evidence from firearms and explosives
• “Lifting” DNA prints
• Computer crime and forensic photography
• Career paths in criminal science

Lucidly written and spiked with real crime stories, The Forensic Casebook exposes the nitty gritty that other books only touch upon. Here is a reference book as addictive as a page-turning novel of suspense.

This latest edition of Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation examines concepts, field-tested techniques and procedures, and technical information concerning crime scene investigation. It has been widely adopted by police academies, community colleges, and universities and is recommended for preparation for certification exams. Written in an easy-to-read style, this comprehensive text offers up-to-date technical expertise that the author has developed over many years in law enforcement. Includes check-off lists, case studies, and 16 pages of full-color illustrated photos. Also included is an appendix on equipment for crime scene investigations.
Book Info
Text examines the concepts, field-tested techniques and procedures, and technical information of crime scene investigation. Includes a new discussion of professional ethics, crime scene health and safety issues, supplemental photographs in color and black and white, and more. For students and professionals. Previous edition: c2000. DLC: Crime scene searches.

Revealing the very latest high-tech techniques of forensic detection, Crime Scene: The Ultimate Guide to Forensic Science is a truly absorbing book that uses case studies and amazing digital imagery to show how science helps uncover the truth about how crimes were committed and who carried them out.

Amazon.com - The mightiest fortresses in the world can fail, and when that happens all you can do (you being the person responsible for castle security) is figure out what went wrong, what damage was done, and by whom. If the castle was located in the right kind of kingdom--to take a metaphor too far--you can hope to prosecute the perpetrator. Computer Forensics: Computer Crime Scene Investigation explains how to gather evidence of computer crimes in such a way that it will be more likely to lead to a conviction in a criminal court. It's an interesting legal area--after all, it's almost always you, and not any law enforcement agency doing the surveillance and evidence-gathering on your computer systems--and John Vacca has done a fair bit of research. This book will probably expand your thinking on the subject of information security.
On the other hand, though Vacca gives good general advice (don't lose volatile information by shutting a compromised machine down midattack; do be prepared to translate memory dumps into jury-readable form), he sometimes meanders into generalizations and irrelevancies. The fact that terrorists distribute their plans via public Web sites is certainly scary, but hardly helpful to someone wanting to prosecute the guy who vandalized the corporate Web site. Similarly interesting, but practically irrelevant to most of us, are discussions of high-energy radio frequency (HERF) and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons that can knock out information systems from a distance. More focus on evidence collection in organizational computing environments would make this book useful, rather than just generally informative. --David Wall

Software Forensics standout feature is a categorized list of references, which provides expert guidance and commentary on books, research papers, Web sites and tools that every forensic programmer should be familiar with...an excellent choice for those...who need to understand digital forensics issues at a non-technical level.

"Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent. Only its interpretation can err. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value." -Presiding Judge, Harris v U.S., 331 U.S. 145 (1947) HOW TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CRIME SCENE WHILE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers is a training guide and reference for patrol officers and criminal investigators, who conduct preliminary investigations of crime scenes, to aid in identification, collection, and booking of physical evidence. Written by a veteran of 24 years of law enforcement, the book stresses the importance of understanding the critical nature of physical evidence and preservation of the crime scene as part of the case against a criminal defendant. This book is an important tool for police academies that train recruits and veteran patrol officers, as well as for students of criminal justice who seek guidelines for proper collection and handling of physical evidence.

Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation is a single-source reference for proven crime scene processing methods and procedures. Focusing on the day-to-day aspects of crime scene processing, this field-friendly guide describes what the crime scene investigator does, details the steps in the process, and explains how to decide on the order of the methods. After an overview of theory and ethics, the author guides readers through the methods, motives, and motions needed to secure the crime scene - and the investigation. Discussions on crime scene procedures, detailed figures, and real-life examples enhance understanding and demonstrate precisely how to apply the techniques and tools of the trade.

Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction is a comprehensive textbook for courses offered in crime scene investigation and reconstruction. It is suited for students enrolled in all levels of law enforcement training. The textbook is a necessary supplement to courses in criminal investigation, criminalistics, and a wide range of other forensic science courses. Law enforcement agencies will also find this book to be a valuable reference manual. The reader is introduced to crime scene reconstruction, which is one of the primary goals of crime scene investigation, and an important tool in criminal investigations and prosecutions. Actual cases are presented throughout the text, which illustrate how the collection of physical evidence is so valuable in helping to solve crimes and eventually bringing the offenders to justice.

The following features of this book are of exceptional interest:

Introduction to the crucial concepts of physical evidence, as they apply to its collection and its forensic laboratory examination and interpretation by the forensic scientist
Comprehensive procedures methodologies for crime scene searches, photography, sketching, and collection of all major physical evidence categories
Chapters on the primary types of physical evidence, including their laboratory examinations and interpretation
Extensive chapter on sexual assault investigations, including physical evidence collected from the crime scene, the victim, and from the suspect
Comprehensive chapter on homicide scene investigations, including the procedures essential to the forensic autopsy
Crime scene reconstruction chapter, incorporating the various types of physical evidence used in reconstructions

Unlike other such manuals, this one combines specialized info from dozens of scientific and investigative references in one handy volume. A must for detectives, pathologists, attorneys, crime scene technicians, reporters, EMTs, PIs and mystery buffs.