Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists Book

Foreword to the First Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
Introduction

1- Process
What criminalists face at a crime scene; how evidence is collected; who has what job and how they all interact.

2- Blood Will Tell
Interpreting blood spatter patterns; sketching the scene and reconstructing events.

3- Scenes of Crime
Jigsaw fits and other matches; packaging and cataloging of evidence; chain of custody issues.

4- Perishable Evidence
Serology and sexual assault evidence; rape kit processing.

5- Clues in the Dust
Trace evidence collection; looking for clues in the clothing of suspects and victims.

6- Tools of the Trade
How the scientific instruments work; gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, How IR and UV spectra are put to use; how some evidence in the O.J. Simpson trial was unfortunately presented.

7- Trace Evidence
The examination and testing of microscopic particles of hair, paint and glass; the Shroud of Turin as an example of a trace evidence case; how the polarizing light microscope works.

8- Blood Will Tell and Tell
How ABO blood grouping was replaced by DNA testing; human genetics introduction; species identification.

9- Life's Little Instruction Book
How DNA is amplified and tested; how the DNA results are read; how the product rule is applied.

10- Chemical Vice
How powders, tablets, plants and body fluids are examined and tested for the presence of controlled substances; Photo Essay: Beautiful and Dangerous.

11- Impressions
How firearms are examined and bullets matched. How toolmarks are compared; the NIBIN and IBIS systems; Photo Essay: Teeth and Jaws.

12- Credibility
What it's like to testify as an expert; how to be an effective witness; the role of the criminalist and the future of the profession; certification and accreditation issues.

Appendices: Practical Exercises
Classroom exercises in forensic science; questions for discussion.
Acknowledgments
Further Study
Picture Credits
Index