Criminalistics: Print Resources
Case Studies
Print Resources
Cults by
Mystery. Manipulation. Murder. Cults are associated with all of these. But what really goes on inside them? More specifically, what goes on inside the minds of cult leaders and the people who join them? Based on the hit podcast Cults, this is essential reading for any true crime fan. Cults prey on the very attributes that make us human: our desire to belong, to find a deeper meaning in life, to live everyday with divine purpose. Their existence creates a sense that any one of us, at any time, could step off the cliff's edge and fall into that daunting abyss of manipulation and unhinged dedication to a misplaced cause. Perhaps it's this mindset that keeps us so utterly obsessed and desperate to learn more, or it's that the stories are so bizarre and unsettling that we are simply in awe of the mechanics that make these infamous groups tick. The premier storytelling podcast studio Parcast has been focusing on unearthing these mechanics--the cult leaders and followers, and the world and culture that gave birth to both. Parcast's work in analyzing dozens of case studies has revealed patterns: distinct ways that cult leaders from different generations resemble one another. What links the ten notorious figures profiled in Cults are as disturbing as they are stunning--from Manson to Applewhite, Koresh to Raël, the stories woven here are both spellbinding and disturbing. Cults is more than just a compilation of grisly biographies, however. In these pages, Parcast's founder Max Cutler and national bestselling author Kevin Conley look closely at the lives of some of the most disreputable cult figures and tell the stories of their rise to power and fall from grace, sanity, and decency. Beyond that, it is a study of humanity, an unflinching look at what happens when the most vulnerable recesses of the mind are manipulated and how the things we hold most sacred can be twisted into the lowest form of malevolence.
Call Number: 209 CUTISBN: 9781982133542Publication Date: 2022-07-12
The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping Trial by
Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Charles Lindbergh experienced every parent's worst nightmare when their twenty-month-old son, Charlie, was kidnapped, taken from his crib in the family's home in rural New Jersey. Despite every effort by his parents and police to secure his safe return, little Charlie Lindbergh was eventually found, dead. Was Bruno Richard Hauptmann the kidnapper, or was he unfairly convicted? That question is still debated today.
Call Number: 345.73 MONISBN: 0766013898Publication Date: 2000-01-16
Hidden Evidence by
"This is a monumental work."-- Science Books and Films (on the first edition) "The writing is lively but succinct, complete without being morbid. The illustrations and photos complement the text and go a long way in explaining sophisticated techniques... Highly recommended for public libraries."-- Library Journal (on the first edition) This revised and updated history of forensics is expanded to include eight recent high-profile cases. David Owen takes readers to the scenes of 50 infamous crimes and provides detailed accounts of the scientific procedures used to catch criminals. The high-profile cases range from as early as 1775, when Paul Revere used dentures to identify a slain soldier, to as recent as the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Most cases will be familiar to readers, such as the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Kennedy investigation and Ted Bundy. The book describes the established forensic methods -- dental records, ballistics, toxicology, hair sampling and blood typing -- and covers the latest technologies, including: Computerized fingerprinting and handwriting analysis Mass DNA testing and digital DNA analysis Familial searching and DNA screening Fiber and paint databases Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry Compound and electron microscopes. Hidden Evidence presents the facts and steers clear of speculation. The book is comprehensive in scope, thoroughly researched and expertly compiled -- a timely update of a fascinating book that will attract a wide range of readers.
Call Number: 363.25 OWEISBN: 9781554075409Publication Date: 2009-09-25
Print Resources
Silent Witness by
"Bones have an uncanny knack of holding important clues as to the fate of the individuals to whom they belonged." As portrayed in mystery novels and more than nine television shows including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, American Justice and City Confidential, forensic anthropologists work in an environment where the stakes are high, the pressure is intense, and their findings are vital in criminal investigations. It's a fascinating and often dramatic world. Go behind the scenes with forensic anthropologists and learn about their techniques, how they locate a body, how they carefully uncover evidence, and how the unique characteristics of each body bears silent witness to age, sex, cause of death and clues as to who or what was responsible. With 29 real-life case studies and more than 350 color photographs and illustrations, Silent Witness is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the world of forensics.
Call Number: 363.25 FERISBN: 1552976254Publication Date: 2002-09-07
Dead Reckoning by
In a forty-year career Michael Baden has conducted more than 20,000 autopsies. Considered one of the world's leading forensic pathologists, he was New York City medical examiner from 1960 to 1985 and is now co-director of the New York State Police Medicolegal Investigation Unit. The host of the popular program Autopsy on HBO, Dr. Baden brings riveting stories and expert analysis to Dead Reckoning. The authors go to the crime scene, take readers to the autopsy table in the morgue and practically place the scalpel in the reader's hand to show how advances in forensic science are solving crimes as never before. They visit cases both famous and ordinary to explain why the first hour at a crime scene is crucial. They reveal for the first time how a key clue to the killer of Nicole Brown Simpson was lost during the transportation of her body to the morgue. In another case, they show how something as obscure as the imprint of a button on a dead man's skin was overlooked until months later when, while reviewing the crime-scene photos, Dr. Baden saw it, causing the case to take an astonishing turn. Baden and Roach invite readers to be pres
Call Number: 363.25 BADISBN: 0684867583Publication Date: 2001-09-11
Cracking Cases by
Truly a legend in his own time, Dr. Henry C. Lee is considered by many to be the greatest forensic scientist in the world. He gained widespread public recognition through his testimony in the televised O. J. Simpson trial. Since that time he has helped with the Jon Benet Ramsey case and the investigations of mass murder in Croatia. This book will take the reader through the entire investigative process of five murder cases, with Dr. Lee as the tour guide. The cases include: the O. J. Simpson case, in which Dr. Lee's analysis of the blood evidence at the crime scene revealed that the Los Angeles Police Department had missed several blood drops on the back of Nicole Simpson, a footprint belonging to a second possible assailant, and the physical improbability of Mr. Simpson's climbing a fence to return to his home. the "woodchipper murder," in which an Eastern Airlines pilot murdered his wife and then put her body through a woodchipper in an attempt to dispose of the remains. the Mathison murder, in which a veteran Hawaiian police sergeant claimed to have accidentally run over his wife after she fled the family van during a dispute. the Ed Sherman murder, in which a college English professor attempted to disguise the time of his wife's death by turning up the air conditioning unit in their house and then using the alibi that he was away from the home sailing on the day the crime allegedly took place. the McArthur murder, in which a police sergeant shot and killed his wife, but then tried to make it appear that she had accidentally killed herself. In each case, Dr. Lee presents in scientific detail how he investigated the murders, analyzed the evidence, and used techniques that played a critical role in bringing criminals to justice. He discusses how the criminalist examines blood spatter evidence and uses blood identification, DNA analysis, and other forensic technologies developed in the world's best laboratories. This is a fascinating insider's look by a world-renowned expert into the pursuit of justice in some of the most grisly criminal cases of recent times.
Call Number: 363.25 LEEISBN: 1573929859Publication Date: 2002-04-01
Print Resources
Profiling by
The true stories of how professional profilers help catch serial killers. Profiling reveals the confidential arsenal of tactics that real-life FBI investigators used to solve some of the most horrific murders in modern history. It begins with an overview of how profiling was first developed as a viable technique, followed by illustrated chapters that describe the specific parts of the profiling process: The FBI's crime scene analysis procedure Crime scene facts and evidence The organized and disorganized classifications of violent serial offenders Geographical profiling Types of rape and the clues they leave A serial killer's crime signature Identifying child abductors and abusers Profiling criminals through written documents How profilers work with other investigators and interrogators Profiling focuses on 50 notorious true crimes to explain profiling, describing how crime scene evidence is processed and revealing the psychological clues and how the profilers helped to solve the case. Some of these headline-grabbing cases are: The Black Dahlia murder investigation David Carpenter, the Trailside Killer Robert Hansen, a highly organized killer who abducted prostitutes and left them in the Alaska wilderness so he could hunt them with a rifle Ted Bundy Jeffrey Dahmer Profiling is the gripping behind-the-scenes story of a topic that has had fans of Criminal Minds and the CSI series glued to their television screens for many years.
Call Number: 363.258 OWEISBN: 9781554077250Publication Date: 2010-09-30
Crime Scene by
Revealing the very latest high-tech techniques of forensic detection, "Crime Scene" uses case studies and amazing digital imagery to show how science uncovers the truth about how crimes were committed and who carried them out. Full color.
Call Number: 363.25 PLAISBN: 0789488914Publication Date: 2003-05-19
Encyclopedia of Forensic Science by
If Sherlock Holmes had cracked the O. J. Simpson case, he would have done it with forensic science. Techniques and devices used to analyze crime scene evidence--and their real and fictional practitioners--have long fascinated the public. This reference covers all aspects of forensic science: * Types of evidence * Types of crimes or conditions * Criminal cases * Criminal and civil law * The disciplines of criminal justice * Poisons and drugs * The evolution of forensics * Forensic scientists and officials * Serial killers * Relevant literature, characters, and writers The study focuses on the criminal and societal effects of forensic science in the United States, with attention paid to major British and French advances. The book also examines historical cases in which new techniques were first applied. Entries are arranged both alphabetically and topically, making them easily accessible to student and amateur sleuth alike.
Call Number: R 363.25 CONISBN: 1573561703Publication Date: 2002-06-30
Print Resources
The Encyclopedia of Crime Scene Investigation by
Recent years have brought numerous developments in crime and crime fighting, such as DNA evidence, designer drugs, computer viruses, and online fraud and theft. As criminals get more sophisticated, police must develop new techniques to stop them.""The Encyclopedia of Crime Scene Investigation"" is a comprehensive, accessible reference to one of today's most fascinating topics. More than 300 clearly written entries cover all aspects of crime scene investigations, including ballistics, counterfeiting, forensic medicine, firearms, hijacking, identification, poisons, scandals, sex crimes, smuggling, tool marks, and trace evidence. This comprehensive reference also features many case studies that highlight facets of criminal investigation, as well as historical and biographical entries about key breakthroughs and pioneers in the field of forensic science.
Call Number: R 363.2 NEWISBN: 9780816068142Publication Date: 2008-01-30
The Encyclopedia of American Crime by
In this comprehensive and objective reference to America's criminal past, the author offers 2000 A-to-Z entires covering significant crimes, criminals and law enforcement figures and techniques. Entries are chosen based on their symbolic or historical relevance and consist of biographies, definitions and detailed accounts of criminal activities. The second edition features new and updated entries on such figures, topics and events as the Oklahoma City bombing; Lee Harvey Oswald; bank robberies; serial killers, such as Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Andrew Cunanan, as well as female serial killers; the O.J. Simpson case; the World Trade Centre bombing; the Unabomber/Theodore Kaczynski; the Hillside Stranglers; Jean Harris and the Scarsdale Diet Doctor; the Sunset Slayer; the treatment of sex criminals; white collar criminals, such as Charles Keating and Michael Milken; and wrongful convictions.
Call Number: R 364.973 SIFISBN: 0816040400Publication Date: 2000-12-31
The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers by
An objective look at a fascinating criminal phenomenon—updated. Praise for the hardcover edition: "...recommended..."—American Reference Books Annual The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, Second Edition provides accurate, unglamorized information on hundreds of serial murder cases—from early history to the present. Written in a non-sensational manner, this comprehensive encyclopedia debunks many of the myths surrounding this most notorious of criminal activities. New major serial killers have come to light since the first edition was published, and many older cases have been solved (such as the Green River Killer) or further investigated (like Jack the Ripper and the "Zodiac" Killer). Completely updated entries and appendixes pair with more than 30 new photographs and many new entries to make this new edition more fascinating than ever. New and updated entries include: "Axe Man of New Orleans" BTK Killer Jack the Ripper Cuidad Juarez, Mexico John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, the Sniper Killers Gary Leon Ridgway, the Green River Killer Harold Frederick Shipman ViCLAS Coral Watts Aileen Wuornos Robert Lee Yates Jr. and more.
Call Number: R 364.152 NEWISBN: 9780816061969Publication Date: 2006-02-01
