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Forensic Handwriting Identification: Fundamental Concepts and Principles teaches the law enforcement and legal communities the major principles involved in handwriting and hand-printing analysis as applied to many types of investigations, including fraud, homicide, suicide, drug trafficking/clandestine labs, sexual offenses, threats and extortion, blackmail, arson, bombings, and theft. Lawyers and investigators will learn how to interpret an examiner's report, the significance of various handwriting opinions and the influencing factors which must be considered. - Reviews basic concepts that affect a person's writing, demonstrates how to obtain handwriting specimens and evidence, and provides the appropriate ASTM and SWIGDOC standards and procedures - Ideally suited for forensic science and legal professionals, investigators working with document examiners, and law enforcement students and professionals - Includes model specimen handwriting forms

Commingled human remains are encountered in situations ranging from prehistoric ossuaries to recent mass fatality incidents. Commingled Human Remains: Methods in Recovery, Analysis, and Identification brings together tools from diverse sources within the forensic science community to offer a set of comprehensive approaches to resolving issues associated with commingled remains. This edition focuses on forensic situations, although some examples from prehistoric contexts are also addressed. Commingling of bones and other body parts is a major obstacle to individual identification that must be addressed before other forensic determinations or research can proceed. Regardless of the cause for the commingling (transportation disaster, terrorist attack, natural disaster, genocide, etc.) it is critical that the proper experts are involved and that the proper techniques are employed to achieve the greatest success in making identifications. Resolution of commingling nearly always requires consideration of multiple lines of evidence that cross the disciplinary lines of modern forensic science. The use of archaeology, DNA, and forensic anthropology are several areas that are critical in this process and these are core topics presented in this book. Even a relatively'simple mass fatality event can become very complicated once body fragmentation and commingling occur. Expectations associated with all phases of the process from recovery of remains to their final identification and release to next of kin must be managed appropriately. - A powerful resource for those working in the forensic sciences who need to plan for and/or address the complex challenges associated with commingled and fragmentary human remains - Written by an international group of the foremost forensic scientists presenting their research and candid experiences of dealing with commingled human remains, offering recommendations and providing'lessons learned'which can be invaluable to others who find themselves facing similar challenges - Contains chapters on remains recovery, laboratory analysis, case studies, and broader topics such as mass fatality management and ethical considerations

This book provides an account of the development of forensic identification technologies and the way in which this has impacted upon the legal system. It traces the advent of forensic identification technologies, focusing on fingerprinting and forensic DNA typing, and their growing deployment within the criminal justice system. It also elucidates the ways in which these new technologies are accelerating procedural changes to investigative practices, and shows the ways in which in some areas human rights (such as privacy rights and rights against discrimination) are coming under threat. The use of forensic evidence in criminal investigations and trials is analysed in detail. This book uncovers the way in which this new reliance on forensic technologies has gained a foothold within the criminal justice system, and the risks and dangers that this can pose. The National DNA Database provides a particular focus of attention. The author seeks to move beyond an approach that has seen forensic DNA profiling as error free, situating her analysis within broader risk discourses.

This book contains a series of original criminal suspect identification studies using experimental and analytic methods. Facial feature categories are developed which can be used as a training manual for police officers as a basis for developing mug shot storage and retrieval systems for developing sophisticated facial compositors, as stimuli for other psychological, anthropometric, and sociological studies as an aid to elicit better descriptions of suspects from witnesses.

Addressing itself to all the significant problems and issues of individual identification, this book provides an overview of the types of physical evidence that may be applied to the identification of suspects or of the unknown remains of crime or disaster victims. The text is not intended as a detailed training manual. It is a basic survey of the principles upon which various methods of identification are predicated. Such a perspective makes this book valuable to everyone involved in criminal justice as well as to attorneys, government officials, and interested members of the general public.