In the two years since this text was first published, there has been a dramatic increase in awareness regarding crime scene evidence.
High profile court cases as well as television shows have raised the general public's awareness of crime scene evidence and criminal investigation.
New scientific technologies and breakthroughs in DNA testing and evidence collection have continued to put forensic science on the map and proved it to be a fast-growing discipline for both professionals and students alike in law enforcement, forensic, biological, and chemical sciences. The first edition introduced thousands of readers to this exciting field and helped them deal with handling and gathering crime scene evidence.
This new edition also addresses this growing need by expanding on the original to raise the skill of the existing reader base while providing the introductory materials that new readers require.
The book continues the tradition of the first edition in covering in detail how to manage a crime scene, collect information, search for, collect and preserve physical evidence, conduct field tests, and reconstruct the sequence of events.
It outlines the latest chemical and instrumental techniques, covers new topics, and shows how to overcome the most commonly encountered problems.
It also includes numerous checklists and worksheets, logic trees to help evaluate the evidence, and useful appendices including lists of crime scene equipment and manufacturers, reagent recipes, and references.
Readers will find it easy to follow this systematic approach that uses proven methods. Further, there have been a number of additions to the Second Edition that reflect the changes to the legal landscape as the result of recent court cases, as well as the development of scientific tools and technology.
Some of the new features include the addition of a comprehensive course Instructor's Manual for professors, three new real-world case studies, and completely updated information and references.
Other updates include: Chapter 3 includes updates in legal aspects as far as the litigation & decisions since the first edition regarding the field and science - particularly legal issues relative to reconstruction.
Also, added coverage is given to the insurgence of cases in identifications sections and especially fingerprints. Chapter 4 covering scene documentation includes the latest techniques as well as emerging ones including digital data (video and use of digital imaging), the collection and preservation of physical evidence, and fingerprint techniques.
Additional coverage includes explanations on the use of field test and enhancement reagents. Chapters 7 and 10 include the addition of complete coverage on motor vehicle and accident reconstruction.
The coverage is in-depth and includes logic trees, special scene techniques, with particular emphasis in Chapter 10 on crime scene reconstruction.
A case study on a motor vehicle accident is also provided in the case studies in the back of the book.
Chapter 10 also includes expanded explanation and descriptions of the various sub-disciplines in crime scene reconstruction.
