Practical Homicide Investigation Checklist and Field Guide (Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigations) 2nd Edition

This book is great for Detective or Detective Supervisors. The information can also be helpful for forensic investigators. Even the best minds need a checklist to ensure they have taken all of the necessary steps. I highly recommend it for the new investigator as well as the seasoned veteran.

Crime scene control

Great information, easy to read

Great tips for investigations to refer to during a case- highly recommend to help get case rolling!

Outstanding Tool of knowledge and reference.

As promised.

Practical Homicide Investigation: Checklist & Field Guide Second EditionThis newly revised Practical Homicide Investigation Second Edition Checklist & Field is a must for any death or investigator homicide investigator as well as Coroners, Medical Examiners and other first responders such as Patrol Officers or Emergency Medical Technicians.This Checklist & Field is primarily formatted as an approach to recognizing different crimes scene and utilizing the check off lists, to develop well defined steps to take during the course of your investigation.Vernon Geberth, an internationally renowned authority on homicide, first developed the checklist approach to murder investigations in his first edition of the Practical Homicide Investigation: Checklist and Field Guide in 1996 based on his seminal textbook Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques.At that time it was a logical companion text to his premier text, Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques (3rd Edition) now available as the 4th edition published in 2006).This Field Guide summarizes and prioritizes the basic fundamentals of Homicide and Death Investigations, and places them in an easy to use field guide to insure that vital and necessary steps at a crime scene, were not overlooked. This Field Guide will allow the user to develop a logical and standard approach to investigating crime scenes, which will enable the investigator to "Do it right the first time."This newly revised practical how-to guide contains many of the checklists from Practical Homicide Investigation Fourth Edition that leads you step-by-step through procedures, tactics, and forensic techniques used in sudden death and violent death investigations.It is laid out in an easy to use, spiral bound binding, printed on heavy laminated card stock to insure a long life.This Checklist & Field has been thoroughly updated from the First edition, and highlights steps in recovering digital evidence from computer and cellular devices, which were still in their infancy back in 1996. Digital photography in crime scene documentation was nonexistent in 1996, and this guide addresses the acceptance and incorporation of its use in modern crime scene processing.It also features updates and additional chapters in suicide and equivocal death investigations, Autoerotic fatalities and other sex-related deaths, SIDS and Munchausen syndrome by proxy.The content is well organized and, fittingly, uses full color, medicolegal art to allow visualization of the many topics covered. The writing is concise and easy to understand.There are many practical recommendations made in this field guide that will contribute to thorough, quality investigations. I personally highly recommend that the dedicated homicide cop avail themselves of this invaluable resource.Detective Mark CzworniakViolent Crimes Unit.Area North Detective BureauChicago Police Department

Detective Jeff Locklear, Police Specialist, Fayetteville Police HomicideOver the years I have attended all three of Vernon's courses , Practical Homicide Investigation, Advanced Practical Homicide Investigation and Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation. In addition to attending the courses I have purchased all three text books and they serve as the core of my investigative ideology. Simply put , if you aren't using the principles and methods taught in these text books you're probably doing it wrong. Vernon's ability to get your attention , keep it and then have you retain the information is top shelf to say the least. The information is written in such a manner that a rookie patrol officer could very easily take the checklist to an active crime scene, employ the techniques and principles provided within and then later testify in court as to what he did and why. The book is built in a robust , sturdy fashion that can withstand the rigors of everyday police life. The larger binder and bigger rings make it that much more user friendly. You can tell this book was constructed with use at the crime scene in mind and not just to look pretty on someone's desk. I highly recommend the Practical Homicide Investigation checklist and field guide to anyone tasked with investigating suspicious death. There is a reason Vernon Geberth's books are considered the definitive publications when it comes to death investigation, there are none any better. If I could have only one series of books available to me during a homicide investigation it would hands down be Vernon Geberth's series. I highly recommend the checklist and strongly urge anyone working in the fast paced ever changing field of Homicide investigation to get it and more importantly use it.