Forensic Science: Crime Scene Analysis

by David Elio Malocco

True crime and serial killer expert David Elio Malocco (author of Who’s Who Serial Killers, The Top 100) has produced a magic little book here on Forensic Science and Crime Scene Analysis.

The author is a former top criminal lawyer with dual degrees in law and psychology and diplomas in criminal profiling and forensic science.

The book is essentially an introduction to Forensic Science and is the perfect companion for anyone interested in studying forensic science or crime scene analysis; anyone who writes about crime; lawyers, solicitors and barristers involved in criminal law; anyone involved in law enforcement or, in fact, anyone who reads crime novels or watches crime programs on television.

Just how accurate are crime programs like New York, True Detective, Criminal Minds and Dexter? Apparently, there are far removed from reality and mask the clear division of labor which exists between crime science investigators and law enforcement operatives.

The book is packed full of information and is written in a very easy to read and witty style – nothing like a text book. It also contains a very helpful Glossary of Terms at the back as well as a comprehensive list of reference books for the serious student.

The first part of the book deals with crime scene analysis – what happens at a crime scene, or as David Elio Malocco puts it – “what’s supposed to happen” and covers the basics like crime scene definition, recognition and documentation. It lists exactly the sort of evidence crimes scene investigators look for at a crime scene.

The second part is an introduction to forensic science. Once the evidence is collected at the crime various procedures and tests are carried out in the laboratory to help link the evidence to the crime. It covers such diverse topics as fingerprints, firearms, ballistics, computers, autopsies, forensic pathology, poisons and forensic toxicology, the identification of decaying bodies and skeletons, cranio-facial reconstruction, serology, fraud, DNA and cyber crime as well as providing a very comprehensive section on search warrants and other aspect of law and criminal evidence.

But, perhaps the most enjoyable chapter is the tongue in cheek one entitled Committing the Perfect Crime which could have been called Everything You Need to Know about How Not to get Caught but were Afraid to Ask.

The book is a classic companion for anyone interested in crime.

Genres: Science

142 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2014

Reviews

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I packed this in at 18%. A pity as it could've been an intriguing read but it's presented horribly with clearly no professional editing done and therefore not for this reader. I was taking in all he'd written and would then get totally distracted by a spelling mistake !! Highly irritating.
This line baffled me completely-";the recording of evidence recovery plans the documenting actions at the scene"-it just sounds like waffle and then accurate was used when accurately was meant and photograph and not photographer and when I read this line-"...CS investigators will only to spray luminol as a last resort"......I'd seen enough by then.

[Tshepang · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an interesting book

[J-mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

You: What’s next a textbook?
Me: Yes

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember, nothing vanishes without a trace!

If you're thinking about taking up a life of crime, better stick to shop-lifting. According to this author getting by with murder is harder than it sounds. And all those cute tricks you THINK you know to cover up the evidence are as useless as boobs on a bull.

Don't bother trying to wash the blood away. Luminol will show up even tiny spatters, which can then be tested to determine if it's blood. Wiping surfaces with a cloth doesn't destroy fingerprints completely. That requires strong bleach. And don't waste your time filing the serial number off the murder weapon. There are at least three methods to retrieve those numbers and the odds are not in your favor. Getting nervous?

The author compiled this information for the benefit of those who need an introduction to forensic science and to correct some of the mis-information that viewers pick up from television shows and movies. It's been so long since I watched TV (think DRAGNET) I'm no expert here.

I remember seeing small screen cops using handkerchiefs to open doors and picking up guns with a pencil stuck in the barrel. Both of these are no-no's and more likely to destroy evidence than to preserve it. Wearing gloves is the preferred technique, which explains why cops now seem to live in latex gloves. They're not just for body cavity searches anymore.

I was particularly impressed with the section on forensic photography, never having realized its scope and importance. I've read many classic detective stories, including Hilary Waugh's famous police procedurals. I guess the gruff, grizzled old police chief calling the local newspaper photographer down to take a few pictures of the body before it's moved is a thing of the past.

Going back even further than that, I recall stories that involved a matching pair of dueling pistols and the confusion of trying to figure out which one was used. Turns out the striation marks produced by a firearm are as individual as fingerprints.

There's a lot of information packed into this well-written book and some readers may want to skim and skip around a bit. I thought it was fascinating and I can't believe how much I learned from it.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite well-done and quite interesting...

[Brooklynn Durham]

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

: )

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has very good and interesting content, but also has many grammatical errors. This makes it very difficult to read.

[Auston Nolan]

I think this is a very good book. If you plan to go into any field of criminal justice this is a good and interesting book to read. It tells how crime scenes are investigated and how they find evidence to these cases. From blood spatter to fingerprints nothing is left unnoticed. It explains how they can find even the smallest traces and make them into evidence against the suspects.It also tells some jobs that help this including crime scene investigators, blood spatter analysts, and many more. It tells the legal stand points of how to undergo investigating and the sciences required to do so. Crime scenes go from where the crime happened all the way back to a lab. In the lab they use microscopes and many other tools to debunk all the evidence they find to tell if it is reliable or not. It explains how they can take partial finger prints to tell who did it. They also use blood spatter to tell how it is done. Each drip of blood helps decide what kind of killer did it. The crime scene is one of the most important parts of a crime and needs to be left alone exactly how it is. This book is definetly a good read for anyone interested in this field.