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Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures and Forensic Techniques
Author: Vernon Geberth
This review written by Bryan Nelson

If you can purchase a single text as a reference tool for studying violent crimes, this would be it. Make no mistake; this is a textbook with graphic photos and case descriptions of violent crime. Yet, in my opinion, this text is one of the most important contributions to learning about this subject that someone can own. As the title implies, this text is about homicide investigation and covers the subject in every aspect. To provide the reader with an idea of the content, below are the chapters presented in the text.

1. The Homicide Crime Scene
2. First Officer's Duties: General
3. First Officer's Duties: Specific
4. The Preliminary Investigation at the Scene: The Detectives
5. Specific Investigative Duties at the Scene
6. The Crime Scene Photographs
7. The Crime Scene Sketch
8. The Homicide Crime Scene Search
9. Estimating Time of Death
10. The Identity of the Deceased
11. Death Notifications: The Surviving Family as Secondary Victims
12. Modes of Death
13. Suicide Investigation
14. The Investigation of Sex-Related Homicides
15. Homosexual Homicides
16. Narcotic-Related Homicides
17. Collection of Evidence
18. The Autopsy
19. The News Media in Homicide Investigations
20. Identification of Suspects
21. Investigative Assessment: Criminal Personality Profiling
22. Practical Homicide Investigation: Supervision and Management of the Homicide Investigation
Glossary
Index

When attempting to think of those who would find this text beneficial, I thought of the visitors of this site. I am certain that the many professionals and students at the site can benefit from this text. I then thought of the many writers that stop by on a regular basis to get ideas about police procedure and the crimes committed by violent offenders. Again, I believe this text would be of great interest to all of you. Visitors interested in true-crime may or may not find this text valuable because…it is a text.
Although there are many case examples provided that give facts of a case, it is not presented in a way that you are accustomed to reading. I would recommend it however, if you were looking to complement your current reading with in-depth knowledge about investigations.

Just as I began, I will say; if you are interested in homicide investigations, profiling, forensics or all of the above, and could buy one book, this is it. If you can check it out from a library or borrow it from a friend, do so, because this text is not cheap. If those are not options, call it an investment and get it anyway, I think you will be glad you did.

E-mail your questions or suggestions to Bryan Nelson

Last Updated: 01/03/2011