Crime Scene Investigations

Undercover operations are valuable ways for law enforcement agencies to gain information and investigate crimes from inside the worlds criminals inhabit. These operations can be dangerous, and readers learn about the risks inherent in this line of work as they explore the fascinating history of undercover operations. Enlightening sidebars, informative fact boxes, and detailed photographs provide readers with additional information, including tips for preparing for a career that could involve undercover work. Readers are also introduced to fascinating facts about the technology used in undercover operations and how that technology has changed over time.

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a horrific event that stunned the world and left Americans deeply shaken. There are many conspiracy theories surrounding this crime and its aftermath, but readers will discover the facts as they take a closer look at the shooting and the events that followed with the help of fact boxes, detailed sidebars, and primary source photographs. Essential historical information is presented in an engaging way, as common facts taught in history classes share space with gripping details of the investigation of one of the most infamous crimes of the 20th century.

Who was the Zodiac Killer who terrorized residents of California during the 1960s and 1970s? The answer is still unknown. Readers take an in-depth look at the investigation that continues to fascinate Americans, discovering the details of the crimes and the search for the person who committed them. Additional information is presented through engaging sidebars and eye-catching fact boxes. Historical and contemporary photographs, including primary source images, help readers place themselves in the middle of one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in American history.

When a crime is committed with a firearm or an explosive, the first people the police turn to are often ballistic analysts. By examining angles, bullets, and explosive residue, these scientists analyze the behavior of projectiles, such as bullets. Readers learn both how ballistics research is performed and how law enforcement officials use these findings to solve crimes. The detailed main text is supplemented with engaging fact boxes, unique sidebars, and photographs that give readers an up-close look into the scientific world of ballistic studies.

One of the greatest scientific breakthroughs ever for law enforcement agencies was the discovery of DNA analysis. This relatively new science allows police to catch a criminal from evidence as small as a human hair. Informative text gives readers a basic understanding of DNA and how forensic analysts can examine criminal evidence and create a genetic chain that leads to the perpetrator. This complex topic is made easy to understand through engaging fact boxes and informative sidebars, and the science is brought into sharp focus through eye-catching photographs.

The drug trade is a lucrative business, and drug traffickers find inventive ways to protect their investments. Smugglers have a variety of means available to them to move large amounts of drugs between countries, including underground tunnels, secret pockets, and even the postal service. This means law enforcement officials must be clever and creative in their pursuit of these criminals. Readers learn how police target drug traffickers and what they can do to pursue a similar career. Informative sidebars, fact boxes, and full-color photographs give a full picture of the work that law enforcement officials do to apprehend drug traffickers.

Many crime shows and movies deal with the topic of a mysterious disappearance, but fictional stories often sensationalize the topic in order to catch the viewer's interest. In reality, finding a missing person can be hard work for detectives, as there are sometimes few clues left behind. Readers discover how police use math and science to solve this puzzle. Full-color photographs, informative sidebars, and by-the-numbers fact boxes augment the compelling text, giving readers a more accurate understanding of the process of searching for missing persons than they will find on television or at the movies.

The mafia's code of silence has long made it difficult for police to convict major mafia figures. Low-level members who are caught in criminal activities rarely turn evidence on those above them, choosing instead to do their time. Police have had go to great lengths to take down the bosses, in many cases giving up their own lives to go undercover. Joe Pistone, the undercover FBI Agent known as "Donnie Brasco," was an FBI agent for 27 years. He spent 20 of those years as an undercover agent, sacrificing his own identity to bring justice to the mob. This book provides background information on organized crime, and gives your readers a revealing look into the tools and techniques used by investigators in mafia cases. Sidebars provide first-person accounts and biographies of famous criminals and investigators.

Tracking serial killers is a difficult job, but the men and women who do it help put brutal murderers in jail. As readers explore gripping main text, detailed photographs, and informative fact boxes and sidebars, they discover how the methods used to track serial killers have changed throughout history. They also discover the importance of science and technology in this line of work. Readers interested in pursuing a career in this kind of crime scene investigation are presented with valuable information to help them begin preparing now for such a challenging career path.

When human remains are found at a crime scene, forensic anthropologists examine them to determine the time and cause of death, as well as the identity of the victim. How do they know the answers to these questions? Body farms are facilities where specialists can study the ways bodies decompose under different conditions, which helps forensic anthropologists solve crimes more effectively. Informative fact boxes, full-color photographs, and engaging sidebars offer a closer look at these little-known research facilities. Readers are sure to be captivated by stories of farms unlike any they have ever heard of before.

Identity theft is sometimes considered a victimless crime, but readers will discover the truth about this damaging kind of crime as they learn about its history and the ways identity thieves work today. Essential facts about the methods identity thieves use-including stealing mail and hacking computers-are presented through comprehensive main text, comprehensive sidebars, and informative fact boxes. Readers also discover the ways the latest technology is used to find and stop identity thieves and how people can pursue a career in investigating identity theft. Detailed photographs are included to enhance this engaging reading experience.

Computers can be powerful tools for creating positive change, but in the wrong hands, they can also be destructive weapons. Cybercrime is a growing field of criminal activity, and it is important for readers to know as much as possible about it to avoid becoming a victim. Readers learn valuable information through detailed main text, fact boxes, and helpful sidebars. They also discover what they can do now to prepare for an exciting career investigating cybercriminals. Full-color photographs are included to show readers the technological advances used to combat the many forms of cybercrime-from sextortion to cyberterrorism.

Before police can solve a crime, they need to find their suspects. In especially difficult cases, law enforcement officials use criminal profiling to help catch their perpetrators. The science of criminal profiling combines forensics and psychology to understand the type of person who commits crimes. Through thoroughly-researched text, including informative quotes from experts in the field and statistical fact boxes, readers learn how profilers are able to use evidence to accurately determine an offender's age, motives, and state of mind. They also learn what to do to pursue a career in this field in the future.