Jennifer Chase's Blog, page 113

Family of Slain Girl Sees Accused Killer Brought to Justice

You often hear that the first twenty-four hours are the most crucial in any crime investigation. While this certainly is true, it sometimes can take months or even years before the evidence collected by law enforcement develops into a comprehensive case against an alleged criminal. Somer Thompson's family knows this to be the case, as the murder of their little girl went without someone charged being held accountable for the crime for several painful months.

Somer Thompson, a seven-year-old gi...

Spring is Officially Here!

Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year, especially in California along the coast. I love the crisp mornings followed by sunny days. It's also a great time for me to take more nature photographs. Flowers are blooming everywhere. Color is bursting from every corner of the nature palette. Baby animals are being born in the wild. And yes, it's the puppy and kitten time of the year too!

Spring is also the time of year to clean out the garage and closets. It makes for a fresh start to get e...

Who is Vigilante Detective Emily Stone?

Emily Stone was first introduced in my debut novel Compulsion where she tracked down serial killers and child pedophiles anonymously. Her life became even more complicated when two serial killers began hunting women in her hometown. It was too close for comfort, but she eventually met up with Detective Rick Lopez and the story really began to heat up.

Dead Game continues with Emily Stone hunting down serial killers. This is her toughest case to date with a killer that stalks his victims throug...

Florida Teenager in Coma over Text Messages

In my new release, Dead Game , the crime victims are discovered and stalked in an online social community. This novel certainly could not have been written twenty years ago and even a decade ago most people could not tell you much about cyberspace. But now, courts across the country are striving to keep up with interpreting how laws should apply to this new world. Internet stalking and bullying are rampant, particularly among young people, with the participants often desensitized from the cons...

What's the Bug Deal?

One of the more interesting or perhaps creepy crawly facts about crime scene investigation is that forensic entomology is used more and more to help solve crimes. This type of work within the crime scene condition is definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart. It sometimes makes me shudder just thinking about it.

Forensic entomology is the study of insects and how it relates to the condition of a decomposing body. This can be a crucial piece to the puzzle in homicide investigations. An...

How Long Does it Take to Write a Novel?

This is a good question. It's a solid, straight to the point question about writing. It's a question that I've been asked quite a bit lately.

How long does it take to write a novel?

I've heard answers from it takes a lifetime to however long it takes you to read a book times five hundred. These responses make me laugh and are honest, but sometimes the length of writing a novel basically depends on what the writer really wants to do. Does the writer really want to write and finish a novel or no...

Should Graphic Crime Scene Photos Be Published?

Imagine that you are the parents of a young woman who was brutally murdered. You listened when the police officers who visited your home shared the news about the crime committed against your child. You sat in the courtroom while the admitted killer was sentenced, with photos of the crime scene placed prominently before the judge. You have relived the moment of her death over and over again. And now, a reporter has requested photos of the dead body to be published in a national magazine. Oh, ...

The Chemistry That Exists Between Crime-Fighting Partners

In my first novel, Compulsion , vigilante detective Emily Stone works alone to gather evidence against the child rapists and murderers who terrorize her community and then quietly hands over the information to law enforcement so that justice can be done. In my new release, Dead Game , Emily is joined by former police detective Rick Lopez in the hunt for criminals.

Creating the chemistry that existed between Emily and Rick as I developed the details of the storyline in Dead Game got me thinking a...

Emily's Crime Watch – Tip #16 (Personal Safety Devices)

There are many types of security products available now to carry as personal safety devices. It's a good idea to have at least one of the recommended devices to carry with you. By carrying a security product, it will not guarantee to prevent crimes, but it will serve you well and most likely help to divert any criminal activity.

It's always a good idea to be prepared. In addition to personal security devices, make sure that you're always aware and vigilant of your surrounding at all times. Sta...

Interview with a Top New York Forensic Video Specialist

It's a sincere privilege for me to have friend and retired New York police officer Mike Lyons stop by to talk about his investigative work in the high-tech world of forensic video analysis. He's truly one of the "real" CSI forensic specialists that works hard to bring the bad guys to justice.

Jennifer Chase: Welcome Mike Lyons. Thank you for stopping by to chat with me. Please tell us a little bit about your background in law enforcement before we jump into forensic video analysis.

Mike Lyons: ...