Jennifer Chase's Blog, page 85
February 20, 2011
Cold Cases with Cubanarama and Gumersindo Vidot -With Special Guest Award Winning Author and Criminologist Jennifer Chase
Cold Cases with Cubanarama and Gumersindo Vidot Tuesday - 2/22/2011 - 8:00pm CST Special Event
We dedicate our first "Cold Cases Show" Jodi Huisentruit, a young girl whose dreams and aspirations to become the best Journalist she could be were cut short when she disappeared without a trace. I have always been bothered by cases of missing people. I have felt sorrow and despair for the victims and their families. This is my chance to do something about it.
I have thought what if it was me or a family member? I would never want to be forgotten. Like our casualties of war and this is a war against predators and against evil. All those who assist us in bringing to light each case are people who join together to remember and speak for those who cannot speak, we seek the truth and we seek justice. Cubanarama
My guests are:
Gumersindo Vidot: Author of "You Only Live Twice" A true story of courage, faith, and endurance that is neither taught in schools, or found in textbooks. One man's passionate story of survival, and constant battles with drugs, guns, gangs, racism corruption, demons, and a failed system. Retired Boxers Organization
Jennifer Chase an Award Winning Author and Criminologist, Ms Chase holds a bachelor's degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is also an affiliate member in the criminology section of the Academy of Behavioral Profiling.
Books: "Compulsion" - "Dead Game" - "Silent Partner"- "How to Write a Screen Play"
Gale St John has been a practicing psychic since she was a child. She has been teaching psychic development classes and also doing private psychic readings for over 20 years now. Gale has more recently been featured on Gerald Rivera's 'At Large', Larry King Live, CNN's 'Nancy Grace' and Psychic Detectives, (Court TV ), "A Fateful Friendship" as an active working psychic detective. Gale spends a lot of time working on murder and missing person cases.
Gary Peterson is a long time investigative reporter that has been working on the Jodi Huisentruit case for over years, Gary was a crime reporter on the north side of Minneapolis working for KSTP which required working the streets 24 hours a day and is certified by the Air Force in ground search and rescue techniques and procedures. He is also a Death Scene Investigator for the Minnesota Regional Medical Examiners Office. He is a member of Texas EquuSearch assisting in locating missing people worldwide.
February 19, 2011
Many States Haven't Reported Mentally Ill to National Database for Gun Purchases
In the wake of the horrific massacre that took place on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007 , a federal law was enacted that requires states to share the names of mentally ill people with services that provide background checks for the purchase of weapons. Anyone who has been deemed mentally incompetent by a judge or who has been committed to an institution was to be included on this list . The three-year deadline for complying with the law has just passed, and very few states have submitted the entirety of their records.
Nine states have not submitted a single name, while seventeen other states have offered fewer than 25 names to the database. This renders the law's efforts to stop mentally ill individuals from buying guns virtually useless. Many argue that the lack of compliance is tied to the fact that the federal government has only released a small portion of the funds promised to help with the recordkeeping process. Without that federal assistance, it is cheaper for some states to accept the penalty of diminished grant money than it is to pay for the cost of gathering the names themselves.
Another problem is the wide variation in recordkeeping that exists between the states. Some local and state agencies still keep their paperwork in boxes that must be combed through, while others have a more automated system. For those in the former category, the process can be cumbersome and time-intensive.
Forensic psychology research can provide compelling evidence to show that many men and women who commit brutal acts of violence, such as the recent shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that left six others dead, are dealing with some sort of mental illness. I hope that a method for effectively cataloguing and sharing these names, while also respecting each individual's privacy , will soon lead to decreased number of guns in the hands of people who are not competent to own them.
February 17, 2011
From the Archives of Serial Killers… Innocent Victims
From the personal diary of convicted killer Frederick Baker on August 26, 1867, "Killed a young girl. It was fine and hot."As I've been reading through true crime books and looking up serial cases for research, both for my novels and articles on criminology, I've found that there have been some hideous cases in the 1800s. Many times we forget that serial killers have been around as long as there have been people.
In my Emily Stone Series , she takes her anonymous job seriously and hunts down child abductors and serial killers with a vengeance. Her hope is to find the child alive and be able to return them to their families, but that isn't always the case. I couldn't help but think of Emily Stone when I read about a particular case in 1867.
It was a summer afternoon in Alton, Hampshire when seven-year-old Fanny Adams, her sister and friend decided to go outside and play. Frederick Baker, a twenty-nine year old solicitor's clerk, met up with the girls and gave them candy and three half pence to run races with him. He then took Fanny Adams into the hop fields.
Baker then proceeded to murder and mutilate the little girl. When family and neighbors later found Fanny Adams, her bloody head had been stuck on a hop-pole with eyes gouged out and one ear torn off. Her chest had been severed at the diaphragm with the heart scooped out. It was beyond gruesome by any standards.
According to accounts of the investigation, it appeared that Fanny was battered in the head with a stone and then cut apart with a small pen knife. Baker was arrested and still had blood on his shirt and trousers that he couldn't explain. He protested his innocence throughout the trial. However, later he did write a letter to the family to express his sorrow for what he had done "in an unguarded hour" and was seeking their forgiveness.
A jury found Frederick Baker guilty of willful murder in only fifteen minutes. On December 24, 1867, Baker was hanged.
I can't help but speculate that this was a psychopathic fantasy for Frederick Baker and wonder how long he lived the gruesome events in his mind before he acted upon them. He worked as a solicitor's clerk, but we will never know what horrific thoughts went through his mind until that fateful day on his tea break that he decided to take young Fanny Adam's life.
Were there any warning signs? Did he exhibit any outcast type of behavior or aggressiveness? What was his family life like growing up? What did "unguarded hour" mean? What if they didn't catch him for Fanny Adam's murder? Would he have gone a rampage?
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist
Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: www.emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
Books: Compulsion = Dead Game = Silent Partner = Screenwriting
All are available in Paperback or Kindle Format, How to write a screenplay is availabe in Kindle Format Only
February 16, 2011
Who is your Silent Partner?
In my most recent novel, Silent Partner , I introduce my readers to Deputy Jack Davis. He is a detective who has been charged with investigating a series of grisly crimes and who comes to discover that his troubled childhood friend may know more about the events in question than she wants to reveal.
With Jack through every moment of his dangerous work is his K-9 dog Keno. As I hope I effectively captured in the book, these two share a special relationship that is built on mutual trust and concern. As the book's title describes, Keno really is Jack's silent partner . Jack cannot imagine his work or his life without his beloved companion by his side.
In honor of the bond that exists between Deputy Jack Davis and Keno, I would like to ask you if you have a silent partner in your own life. Maybe you have a pet that is a member of your family and has been there to offer comfort in difficult times and jump and celebrate with you during times of joy. Or, perhaps your silent partner is a certain book that carries great meaning for you, a friend who has been an inspiration without ever knowing it, or a song that you always put in your stereo to find a place of serenity after a long day.
We all have people or animals or things we rely on to get us through the day—to offer that familiar sense of belonging or being needed. I hope you will consider sharing yours!
If you haven't had a chance to read my new release, Silent Partner , I hope you will consider it. For those of you already familiar with my work, it offers the same psychological thrills you've come to expect but also takes you in a somewhat different direction than I've done before.
Let me know what you think of it!
" Silent Partner " Paperback ( Purchase Here )
" Slient Partner " Kindle Format ( Purchase Here )
February 15, 2011
Award Winning Author and Criminologist Jennifer Chase is Writing Again!
Mr Bookworm is stating that you need to catch up with Jennifer Chase's other books so you will be ready for her next release.
"Compulsion" - The beginning of the Emily Stone Novels
Paperback: $16.15 (Purchase Here)
Kindle Format: $2.99 (Purchase Here)
"Dead Game" - Part Two of the Emily Stone Novels
Paperback: $17.95 (Purchase Here)
Kindle Format: $2.99 (Purchase Here)
"Silent Partner" - Cop Thriller
Paperback: $11.96 (Purchase Here)
Kindle Format: $4.99 (Purchase Here)
"How To Write a Screenplay"
Kindle Format $9.99 (Purchase Here)
Outlining Characters and Beginning a Summary Outline For a New Novel Project
As a writer, author, and criminologist, I find that I wear a variety of hats throughout my working day. Writing, editing, promotion, researcher, and expert are just to name a few. One of my favorite hats is when I'm beginning a new book – that particular hat is outliner and researcher merged together. I get really excited all over again, just like it's my first novel.
The BIG question I hear more than most, "How long does it take to write a novel?" I can confidently say on average it takes eight months to a year for a feature, full-length book project – at least for me.
I'm at the beginning stages of my third Emily Stone novel, "Dark Mind". I thought it would be fun to share some of my writing procedures as I move through this project. I've been bouncing around the storyline for some time and creating new characters to round out the cast in my head. I've also written out free style paragraphs of the beginning, middle, and ending for this story.
Keep in mind that sometimes the storyline can take an unsuspected turn or a minor character may decide to be more to the story. It depends upon which way my creative muse will take me. I've ironed out subplots and most of the story evolution.
Basically, I have a preliminary outline (before a complete outline) that consists of:
Character backgrounds and profiles in as much detail as possible. It's almost like I'm writing a full profile of all of the information included for each character – even the minor characters. Settings and research areas; making lists of what I need to research and how I will go about it. Research is a funny thing because there are always those little, nagging things that you need to research that you didn't originally note. Basic plot outline in paragraph format. Summary outline that includes, beginning, middle, and ending of the story. I begin to see if I have a story that will support my main theme and subplots. At this point, sometimes I have to rework if I need to or I can go full steam ahead. Miscellaneous notes that include crime timelines (motive, clues, etc.), fact sheets, character background timelines, and subplots.
Once I feel satisfied with the above areas, I move into my plot evolution. This is where I examine the pacing and begin to think about individual chapters. Sometimes, I make changes if something in the storyline bothers me or it doesn't seem to fit. I keep moving forward and fine tuning my outline that will eventually become my choppy first draft.
Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist
Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: www.emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
February 14, 2011
How Can We Prevent Wrongful Convictions?
Crime and justice is the standard that establishes our civilized society. Justice should be swift and efficient. In other words, the punishment should fit the crime. There are so many heated discussions about crime, punishment, and the death penalty. It's an area that should be discussed and given solid theories, facts, and working examples.
But what happens when someone gets wrongfully convicted? How can we learn from this process? And, keep this injustice from happening again?
There are a variety of reasons that can cause wrongful convictions:
Eyewitness Identification
This is the most consistent factor in wrongful conviction cases. Eyewitness misidentification is common and should be taken as one of the pieces of evidence in a case, instead of "the only" piece of evidence in a case. Juries are usually receptive to eyewitness testimony of someone who saw the defendant commit the crime. There are many contributing factors than can effect the positive identification of a defendant, such as stress effect, weapons effect, manner in which the lineup was conducted, and procedural problems.
Errors in Forensic Science & Fabricated Evidence
Forensic science has amazing and very credible evidence to offer any case. As with anything, there can be "human errors" and purposeful errors and fabrications. To add to the problems, there is usually a large backlog, poor standards, of evidence that needs to be examined.
False Confessions and Guilty Pleas
Confessions and guilty pleas are the damaging evidence that can be presented in court. It makes the juries believe that it's an open and shut case. It's imperative that confessions and guilty pleas are backed up by facts and evidence.
Informants
Government Misconduct
Inexperienced Lawyers
The criminal justice system carries a heavy burden to convict the guilty, seek justice for the innocent, and to protect the innocent from wrongful imprisonment. That's why it's so important to identify, study, and learn from wrongful convictions. Checks and balances, along with Innocence Projects will help to begin to eliminate these potential problems.
What does this mean for criminologists?
Criminologists are both behavioral and social scientists. They serve as a valuable asset in case examination and research into wrongful convictions. Aside from studying the social, psychological, economic, and biological aspects that produce crime, criminologists can study with great success and research how wrongful convictions occur and what polices or laws that can help to minimize the problem.
What are your views and opinions on wrongful convictions?
Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist
Blog: http://authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: http://jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: http://emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
February 13, 2011
Accused Serial Killer faces Death Penalty in Pennsylvannia
Pennsylvania has not executed a criminal in over a decade has only put three people to death since 1976, but prosecutors in Philadelphia to seek the death penalty against an accused serial killer who stood in court this past Wednesday.
Antonio Rodriguez, who is only 21 years old, has confessed to strangling and sexually assaulting three women at the end of last year. His written confession was read by two police detectives during this week's preliminary hearing. Officially, he has been charged with three counts each of murder, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse , and abuse of a corpse.
Forensic psychologists who have studied the case say that Mr. Rodriquez fits the personality profile of a serial killer. Louis B. Schlesinger , an expert in the field, said that strangling is a common method of violence for such killers because it is up close and personal and the perpetrators are able to control the speed at which a victim dies.
As Mr. Rodriguez has admitted to being the case in his own mind, the acts played out by serial killers are often sadistic fantasies for years before anything ever takes place in reality. And, also fitting the profile, all of Rodriguez's victims fit a similar demographic. These killers usually have a specific type of person in mind when playing out their fantasies of terror and do not swerve from this vision.
Antonio Rodriguez was named as a suspect after DNA evidence linked him to the women, and a phone call from an anonymous source shortly thereafter led police to the alleged killer. Now, we will wait and see if his confessions and the compelling DNA results prove enough to convince a judge that death is the appropriate punishment.
February 12, 2011
"Silent Partner" - Cop Thriller - Award Winning Author and Criminologist Jennifer Chase
Paperback Edition $ 17.95 Purchase Here
Product Description
One Cop, One Serial Killer, One Witness Who Will Survive? California's elite Police K9 Units arrive at an abandoned warehouse after a high-speed chase and apprehend two killers after they have fled a grisly murder scene. This barely scratches the surface of a bloody trail from a prolific serial killer that leads to unlocking the insidious secrets of one family s history, while tearing a police department apart. Jack Davis, a top K9 cop with an unprecedented integrity, finds himself falling for a beautiful murder suspect and struggling with departmental codes. Megan O Connell, suffering from agoraphobia, is the prime murder suspect in her sister's brutal murder. Darrell Brooks, a psychopath who loves to kill, is on a quest to drive Megan insane for profit. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone has a secret. Someone else must die to keep the truth buried forever. Silent Partner is a suspense ride along that will keep you guessing until the bitter end.
February 11, 2011
You Can Join the Growing List of Authors on Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle has broken records and expectations last year with whooping sales in the millions. Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO, stated that millions of avid readers own an Amazon Kindle. Currently, there are more than 410,000 book titles listed in the Kindle bookstore. The president also confirmed that there is 6 Kindles sold for every 10 physical books. That's amazing!
There are estimates for 2011 that Amazon Kindle sales could reach 8 million, or even as high as 12 million in sales. Wow! The Kindle store has made their royalty option for the author at 70%. That's more than a fair deal for authors. It has been a wonderful source for me to sell my own books and I would like to see more authors benefiting from this great opportunity. You can join the growing list of successful authors on Amazon Kindle and begin selling your book today.
I have a few tips to help you get your book ready for Amazon Kindle:
I have been assisting authors with getting their books on Amazon Kindle. It's one of the things that I love to be able to do for fellow authors.
Here are some Kindle specials I'm offering:
$49 for up to (2) titles on Amazon Kindle
$99 for up to (5) titles on Amazon Kindle
$199 Author's eBook Deal
Includes: Free manuscript evaluation, cover design (2 versions to choose from), cover scribing, and Amazon Kindle set up)
For more information and publishing services, check out: JEC Press
I wish you much success with your writing ventures! Happy Writing!
Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist
Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch: www.emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com/
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
