Category Archives: Forensics
With prime time TV full of shows such as CSI, Crossing Jordan, Bones and Law and Order, dramatizing criminal investigations and forensic science, writers need to know the latest techniques used by law enforcement.
Experts in the Field
1. Forensic Psychologists and Psychiatrists offer insight into the criminal mind. They may suggest a psychological profile to assist [...]
The smallest bit of evidence left at the scene of a crime can be used to identify and convict perpetrators. According to Wikipedia, the Locard Exchange Principle states:
“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his [...]
Forensic Files is a television show on TRU TV and it’s a great resource for crime or mystery writers. Each episode highlights a real case and demonstrates how forensic science is used to find and process evidence. Unlike other shows which dramatize police investigations and have a small group of characters who do it all, [...]
“The transfer of hairs and fibers and their discovery as trace evidence can be critical in associating a suspect to a victim or to a crime scene.” 1
Tiny red fibers discovered on three discarded bodies lead police to a serial killer. The fibers were microscopically analyzed and compared; using a Scanning Electron Microscope, microanalysts noticed [...]
Mary Lou Pratt, a known prostitute, was shot in the head, her partially clad body left in the street, her eyes removed. Two more women were killed and mutilated before a tip led police to the home of Charles Albright. Police were able to link Albright to the crimes using hair samples and carpet fibers [...]
Forensic anthropologists specialize in the examination of skeletal remains to assist in the detection of crime and identification of victims, especially in cases where other methods of identification are unavailable. Forensic anthropologists are able to evaluate bones for determination of sex, age and ethnicity, as well as, previous injuries which can help identify individuals. A few [...]
We’ve all heard about DNA testing, but what is it exactly? DNA is the genetic code for all living organisms and it is made up of four chemicals, Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and Cytosine, abbreviated as A, T, C and G. These chemicals are like teeth on a zipper, joining two sides of the DNA strand [...]
There are many experts who play a role in the successful apprehension of a criminal, but none so popularized in fiction, television and movies as the Forensic Pathologist. Of course, with so much information available, writers will have dig, sift and sort through piles of garbage to find a valuable scrap of truth.
According to Deborah [...]
Forensic investigations often yield evidence in crimes used to convict perpetrators. If your story includes forensic investigations, be sure to research the method and means of gathering, handling and analyzing evidence. The following notes were taken from The New Detectives, a documentary series on the Discovery Channel. Real life cases are reenacted, providing excellent insight [...]
A body is not a body, it is a crime scene and to medical investigators, it will tell a story. Readers today are very technology savvy, so you must learn about forensic science if you intend to write about police investigations. Don’t rely on CSI episodes for your research material, since the procedure and responsibilities depicted are [...]
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