Jennifer Chase's Blog, page 55

Identify this Tree and WIN a FREE e-Copy of DARK MIND!

I often spend my off time taking photographs around the incredible California outdoors. Recently, I visited a mission, saw this fantastic tree, and took several photos. I settled on this image but…

Now, I need your help…

Here is your CSI mission if you choose to accept it:

Identify the California tree (photo above). Click on photo for a larger image to investigate.
Leave a comment in this post with your answer. Don’t be shy!
13 lucky winners will receive a Kindle copy, Smashwords coupon, or pdf fi...

Forensics – The Past Meets the Present

It is often thought that police forensics has been a relatively new contribution to interpreting, reconstructing, and solving crimes in our society. Quite the contrary, police forensics, or more accurately described as forensic science, has been a part of history for more than a hundred years.

What is forensic science?

The word “forensic” comes from the Latin word “forensis”, which simply means forum. Today, the area of police forensics is split into two major working categories: criminalistic...

Serial Killer Who Operated "Torture Truck" Avoids Death Penalty

In a state that is known for expediting the death of convicted criminals who have been given such a sentence by the court, one serial killer has reached a deal that will keep him alive but behind bars for the rest of his life.

A West Texas judge agreed to give Robert Ben Rhodes two life sentences for murdering a hitchhiking couple two decades ago.  He already is serving a life sentence for killing a 14-year-old girl in Illinois, who he murdered with baling wire and a piece of lumber, so there ...

Boosting Creativity for Writing Crime Thrillers

I thought I'd lighten things up today with a break from crime scenes, serial killers, fiction thrillers, and forensic breakthroughs.  I love to share all of this information.  I forget sometimes that I find all of these things fascinating and maybe it might be a little depressing at times.

So hang in there, I'm switching gears today…

Writing is tough work, but at the same time it's a bug that I can't seem to shake.  It's get into your bones and you seem to live, eat and breathe it.  I can't...

Manson Prepares for Yet Another Parole Hearing

Did you know that one of our nation's most notorious killers gets his twelfth shot at parole next week, on April 11?  Considering he has been in prison for forty years for crimes that rocked our nation and prison officials share that he hasn't exactly been a model inmate, the chances of this man breathing free air are quite small.  But, the fact remains that a parole board will once again spend at least a few minutes discussing the merits of choosing to let Charles Manson back into society.

Al...

Criminal Profiling – An Overview of a Threshold Assessment

It's no secret that my primary interest is in the mind of a criminal – more specifically, the mind of a serial killer as well as the behavioral aspects of a crime scene.

My latest crime thriller Dark Mind delves deeper into the psyche of a serial killer known only as Keo to readers until his identity is revealed.  Vigilante detective Emily Stone uses her innate abilities and creates a profile of the killer using these techniques.

In Compulsion, Emily Stone's love interest Rick Lopez uses a...

Do you Know Your Crime History?

Calling all CSI lovers out there, I've got a challenge for you.

I love finding interesting tidbits and fun facts when I'm researching for my books.  I came across a ten-question quiz related to crime.  I or should I say, Emily Stone missed one – number #9.

These are actually tough.  Try your luck and see how well you know crime history.  I've posted the answers at the bottom.

Good luck!

1. These _____ realities remain fluid and often contentious.

a.                   Jacques Derrida

b...

Chicago Sheriff Wants to Dig for More Gacy Victims

The stories of most serial killers continue to evolve long after they are put to death through our justice system or manage to live the duration of their existence undetected by authorities.  The anguish of the families continue, the questions as to how someone could commit such heinous acts are sometimes impossible to answer, and the possibility that more undiscovered victims could be out there . . . somewhere . . . lingers in the minds of those who investigated the crimes.

In the case of...

Still a Child, but Serving Life in Prison

It's a sad fact that kids are not only the victims of tragic violence in our country, but that they also are sometimes the perpetrators.  We've all seen stories of children who gun down their classmates in the middle of a school day or attack their parents or act out in dangerous ways against siblings or peers on the neighborhood.  Our justice system has long struggled with how to punish these youngest of offenders.  At what age can a kid committing an adult act of violence be considered an a...

What Does Catawampus Have to do with a Crime Thriller?

I've received many wonderful reviews for my latest crime thriller Dark Mind and a few comments about one of the scenes in the beginning of the book.  In Chapter Three, my heroine has a physical confrontation with a couple of slave traders that kidnapped a little girl.  There's quite a bit of action and suspense to set the stage for the rest of the story.  To make a long story short, without any spoilers of course, I used the word catawampus to describe a decrepit and uneven porch.

One of the b...