So You Think You Can Be a CSI?

Posted on October 8, 2012 by jchasenovelist

I’ve been deep in the trenches with my next book and a little bit preoccupied, but I wanted to post something fun to test your CSI knowledge.  It’s been a tough process creating Emily Stone’s current adventure in Dead Burn, but rest assured it will be out before the holidays.

There are many aspects that make up forensics and crime scene study.  Some are more technical and scientific, while others are just standard common sense, but everything works with one another as an intricate puzzle piece to solve a crime.  I love the science of forensics!

I’ve posted below Ten Questions and One Bonus Question with the answers listed at the end of the post.

Good luck!

***

  1. __________ is a type of bloodstain pattern, which is a small volume of blood from a larger wet blood drop.

a. Spatter

b. Smudge

c. Smear

d. None of the above

 

  1. The process of emission of light by an object at temperature is called __________.

a. incandescence

b. florescence

c. alternative light source

d. None of the above

 

  1. A _________ is the structure of the DNA molecule.

a. polymerase chain reaction

b. double helix

c. necleotides

d. None of the above

 

  1. __________ is not necessarily the same as postmortem interval (PMI), since a person may have died and was later placed into the water.

a. Postmortem Aqua Submerge (PMAS)

b. Perimortem Submerge Interval (PMSI)

c. Postmortem Submerge Interval (PMSI)

d. None of the above

 

  1. The sequential process that occurs after death and ends with skeletonization is called __________.

a. putrification

b. rigor mortis

c. decomposition

d. None of the above

 

  1. The roughly linear fractures that form at an impact site in glass and move outward is called _________.

a. radial fractures

b. conchoidal fractures

c. concentric fratures

d. None of the above

 

  1. __________ uses the unique physical characteristics for individual identification by an automated system.  Some examples of uses are the pattern of blood vessels (retinal scan), facial features, and speech recognition.

a. Biometrics

b. Griess test

c. Micrometer

d. None of the above

 

  1. _________ is a form of impression evidence created when a tool with softer metal or with wood or paint.

a. Toolmarks

b. Fragments of tools

c. Wear patterns

d. None of the above

 

  1. __________ occurs in material by wear or by some unintentional or unrepeatable circumstances during manufacture.  Some examples are found in tires, bullets, treads, shoe soles, glass, etc.

a. Individual characteristics

b. Accidental characteristics

c. Identification

d. None of the above

 

  1. _________ (1847-1915) coined the term criminalistics.  He viewed forensic science with a holistic approach and believed that experts should contribute to the analysis of physical evidence in order to solve crimes.

a. Edmund Locard

b. Francois Vidocq

c. Hans Gross

d. Alphonse Bertillon

**BONUS QUESTION**

This is for all you diehard CSI fans – this is a tough one!

  1. __________ is a chemical structure or species capable of absorbing electromagnetic radiation that is used in spectropotometric analysis.

a. Chromophore

b. Chloroform

c. Chemiluminescence

d. Coleoptera

***

How did you do?  How many questions did you already know?

 

Answers:
1.(b), 2.(a), 3.(b), 4.(c), 5.(c), 6.(a), 7.(a), 8.(a), 9.(b), 10.(c), 11.(a)

  * * *

Author Blog: https://authorjenniferchase.com/
Crime Watch Blog: http://emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk:  http://blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
Books: Compulsion  Dead Game  Dark Mind  Silent Partner  Screenwriting
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Husband Gets Violent over Politics

Posted on October 5, 2012 by jchasenovelist

It is that time again.  Every four years the chosen candidates from each political party take to our television screens and county fairs, walk onto debate stages, and fly across the country repeatedly in order to convince voters that he (or occasionally she) should be the president of the United States.

I don’t really discuss politics on this blog and have no intention of starting, but there was a moment this week when politics and crime intersected.  (I know . . . some would say that happens every day.)

Peter Schwartz apparently is quite passionate about President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney and what each man brings to the Oval Office.  Unfortunately, this passion turned violent when he slapped his wife’s face during a political argument on Tuesday night.  Schwartz told Broward County Judge John “Jay” Hurley that his wife was not pleased with his support for Romney and said she did not like him anymore.  Schwartz’s wife, twenty-eight years his junior, told him that his Republican leanings reminded her of her mother.

The wife refused to file a complaint, but Schwartz was arrested anyway.  He is allowed only telephone contact with his wife and he must stay at least 500 feet from her until this matter is resolved.

Violence inflicted by a husband onto his wife is certainly never acceptable.  The seemingly primal instinct to lash out in violence is one that sometimes, unfortunately, requires an intervention by the legal system.   However, I’m not so sure what the result will be here.  Earlier this year, the judge in the case ordered a man accused of domestic violence to take his wife out to dinner and buy her flowers.  Not sure if that is a good long-term solution.  We’ll see what happens this time.

  * * *

Author Blog: https://authorjenniferchase.com/
Crime Watch Blog: http://emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk:  http://blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
Books: Compulsion  Dead Game  Dark Mind  Silent Partner  Screenwriting
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Quirkiness of Writers Woven into Novels

Posted on October 2, 2012 by jchasenovelist

There is no doubt that the daily routine of a writer has its ups… and… downs.  I keep my eye on the prize of completing another novel and really (and honestly), I try to enjoy the challenge of the journey.  It really is all a part of the process.

Everyone is individual in so many ways.  Just because people can share some similar traits, mannerisms, and interests doesn’t mean that any two people are exactly alike.  I like to think of it as a unique recipe dished out generously to make life a little more interesting.

One of my favorite quotes (Crime Science, Methods of Forensic Detection by Nickell & Fischer) that illustrates individuality perfectly is actually taken from the forensic individual perspective, but I think it can apply to the individuality of fiction writers.

***

No two things that happen by chance ever happen in exactly the same way.

No two things are ever constructed or manufactured in exactly the same way.

No two things ever wear in exactly the same way.

No two things ever break in exactly the same way.

 ***

Everyone, including writers, have a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives.  If you really take the time to analyze any fictional writing project, you’ll notice subtle if not blatant quirks, and even your own personality traits woven into the story.  It could be something like the type of food or candy the main character enjoys to strong political views.

For me, my love for large Labradors, sense of duty to finding missing children, and particular methods to search an old crime scene comes out in my main character.  I’m sure there are more traits and beliefs that manage to weave their way into my stories that I’m not consciously aware of at the moment.

Isn’t if funny how these “quirks” are woven into fiction?

When I decided to write the Emily Stone Series, I knew that I wanted her to be knowledgeable about forensics and criminal profiling, but I also wanted her to do what most cops couldn’t or wouldn’t attempt.  If I looked deeper into my writing, I started to see some of my personality traits subtly intertwined into the plot and subplots.

Here are a few of my life experiences that definitely had some influence into the Emily Stone character:

  • On one of my police ride alongs to get to a domestic call, the patrol car reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.
  • On two different occasions from complete strangers, I was threatened with a gun and shotgun pointed directly at me.
  • I assisted a police department to find and arrest an individual with a felony warrant.
  • Threatened and stalked by a psychopathic neighbor for more than two years.
  • After witnessing a serious car accident, I directed traffic until the emergency vehicles arrived.
  • Outraged by the number of missing children each day; even more outraged by the estimated number of missing children not reported.
  • Feel strongly that law enforcement needs specialized training into cold cases and all types of serial cases.

Even though these aren’t really quirks, but rather experiences, they still manage to influence my crime fiction writing.

What are some of your quirks or experiences that have woven into your writing?

  * * *

Author Blog: https://authorjenniferchase.com/
Crime Watch Blog: http://emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk:  http://blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
Books: Compulsion  Dead Game  Dark Mind  Silent Partner  Screenwriting
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The Criminal Mind is Different

Posted on September 28, 2012 by jchasenovelist

You probably have seen an episode of Law and Order: SVU or Criminal Minds during which the police psychologist explains a brain scan of an accused criminal to a packed courtroom.  It makes for great television, but does this premise reflect real science?  The answer appears to be yes.  With that affirmation comes perhaps the more difficult question – what do we do with that information?

Research published over the last several years shows both physical and behavioral indicators of likely criminal activity.  Scans done on a group of men and women with antisocial personality disorder, a trait that has shown some correlation with criminal conduct, have revealed reductions in two areas of the brain’s frontal lobe and in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that controls emotion.  A long-term study that followed young children into adulthood showed that those who displayed a lack of fear and a callous or detached attitude when kids more often earned a criminal record as they grew into teens and young adults.

So, what should law enforcement, and medical professionals, do with this evaluation?  Can pediatricians suggest early brain scans and then put certain kids on a watch list?  If a serial murderer kills women across several states before finally being captured, can he show a picture of his brain to the jury and claim that he just couldn’t help it?

It is fascinating and helpful to be able to study a criminal’s mind and hopefully use what we learn to prevent violence in the future.  But, we must be careful to balance these discoveries with the need to maintain privacy and a sense of responsibility for one’s own actions.

What do you think? 

How should knowledge about the likely differences in a criminal’s brain be used by attorneys, police officers, educators, etc.?

  * * *

Author Blog: https://authorjenniferchase.com/
Crime Watch Blog: http://emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk:  http://blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
Books: Compulsion  Dead Game  Dark Mind  Silent Partner  Screenwriting

Posted in Criminology, Forensic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Passing Motorist Finds Body in Abandoned Car

Posted on September 26, 2012 by jchasenovelist

I have to say that this scenario gives life to many crime fiction writers’ vivid imaginations…

Let me pose a scenario to you and ask what your reaction might be.

It’s the middle of the night.  You are driving on a road with your wife and infant child when you notice an idling car in a ditch.

Do you keep driving and give no further thought to that car?  Do you call police to let them know there may be a stranded motorist on your road?  Or, do you get out of your car and start opening doors to the vehicle about which you know nothing in hopes of finding something worth stealing?

If the last option is your action of choice, then you are in the same company with a man from Houston who approached an abandoned car that had the keys in the ignition and the windshield wipers moving.  After removing the keys, he decided to check out the rest of the car for valuables.  While it’s still unclear whether or not he found his desired speakers, he did find a body in the trunk.

The victim, who has been identified as Donald Michael Lapointe, had been shot in the chest and also appeared to have been beaten.  A bag of pills was stuffed down his pants, leading police to believe that the killing could be drug-related.

However, no official motive has been determined.  And, while the cause of death is still under investigation, I do appreciate this statement from Jack Harvery with the Houston Police Department, “At this time, it is not apparent what caused the death of this man. However, given the circumstances of the death and the fact he is in the trunk of the car, it appears to be unnatural.” I would say so.

While the passing motorist’s initial interest in the car may not have been a noble one, his desire to engage in theft and his subsequent decision to do the right thing and call authorities perhaps will lead to getting a much more dangerous criminal off the streets.

Have you ever witnessed something that seemed suspicious with a car on the side of road at night?  What did you do?

  * * *

Author Blog: https://authorjenniferchase.com/
Crime Watch Blog: http://emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk:  http://blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase
Books: Compulsion  Dead Game  Dark Mind  Silent Partner  Screenwriting
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Vigilante Detective Emily Stone Gives a Rare Interview about Dark Mind

Posted on September 24, 2012 by jchasenovelist

(Received permission to repost from Character Interviews with Stacy Eaton)

 Welcome to Author’s Spotlight on World Literary Cafe

Character Interviews

with Stacy Eaton

Today we have Emily Stone from Dark Mind  written by Jennifer Chase.

Welcome Emily – Great to have you here! I’m looking forward to hearing about Dark Mind… Tell us more.

My name is Emily Stone and I realized I was different from other children before the age of twelve.

Really? How is that?

I wanted to make a difference in the world in some way, but I never knew that it would take the unsolved murders of my parents to propel me into the dark and sinister world of serial killers and child predators.

Um.. Yeah – that is different.

I gave up the “typical” family life with a home and children to work alone, covert and anonymously, to gather evidence for the police in some of the most horrifying cases of murder.

That is quite a switch.

Law enforcement never turns away any hard evidence from my undisclosed emails. I use every means that is available to me from my thorough knowledge of criminal profiling and psychology to gathering forensics and detailed analysis from the crime scene areas.

That is very interesting… You know I am in law enforcement so I love this stuff! Tell us more.

I find that I have an edge compared to law enforcement; I don’t have a boss, budget restrictions, or have to worry about where the case takes me.

Must be nice… lol…

I may overstep my bounds at times, but it’s all worth it. I feel that I’m one of the lucky ones because I have the love of my life Rick Lopez working with me now. An incredible man, an ex-police detective, that I met my chance. Maybe it was fate?

Always nice to be able to work with the one you love.

The only worry I have is some of the sticky situations I get myself into and every case has its challenges that I’m not prepared to handle. Even though I’m capable of handling firearms, hand-to-hand combat, and complicated rescue strategies, there’s always something new that even surprises me.

lol… I can understand that – happens to me too.

My newest case entailed a search for a nine-year-old child abducted from the San Francisco area that caught my full attention.

I bet it did. What did you do?

I followed the clues from California to the island of Kauai and my fears were realized – slave brokers orchestrated the kidnapping and they weren’t going to stop anytime soon. As I found myself deep in the jungles on a daring rescue mission, simultaneously a serial killer had taken his first victim on the island paradise.

Kidnapping and serial killer…. wow!

The killer stalked the island and took his victim in a brutal frenzy of ancient superstitions and folklore. I knew there would be more victims and I could not leave the island until I solved the case.

Dedication… I love that.

The locals weren’t prepared for what was going to happen next. And, I couldn’t investigate this case alone…

I’m taking a guess here… but I’m thinking your partner and love helped you out. Ok Emily, answer a few questions for me.

We all want to be different, so what is the one thing you wish Jennifer had done differently with you?

Sometimes I wish that I didn’t care so much about these investigations and it’s an overwhelming burden to carry each day with every new case and another victim. There are some days I wish I was normal, where my only stress was going to work and keeping the bills paid.

lol.. Nice thought.. but I can’t see you being happy doing that.

If you could have added something to the story, and your creator would have let you, what would that have been?

I would have wanted my creator to have added more celebrations – or just a really fun party once in a while. I am only human – right?

Oh yeah… we all need a little fun sometimes!

What do you love best about yourself? What do you like least?

I’m extremely capable and trained and love my work, but my high drive makes me vulnerable to many situations and people. I hate feeling vulnerable.

I can totally relate.

What part of the book was the hardest for you and your creator to work through?

The parts in the book dealing with serial killers – the killings, the loss, and the realities of what these monsters do to our humanity.

Is there a sequel for this book? If so, what do you want to accomplish in the next book. If not, do you wish you could continue your story?

My story creator informed me that I’m destined to be part of a series and I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard yet. There are too many killers out there that need to be brought to justice. I’m more than game, but I could use some cheering once in a while.

Well I hope Jennifer takes a peak at this interview – maybe she will be willing to put a little celebration into the next book.  Thanks for stopping by Emily – A real pleasure and keep up the hard work – we need more women like you out there!

Watch the Video Trailer:

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Stacy Eaton, Author

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Thriller Thursday Guest — Author Stephen Woodfin

Posted on September 20, 2012 by jchasenovelist

It’s that day again — Thriller Thursday!  I’m pleased to introduce a very talented author Stephen Woodfin with his exciting thriller Last One Chosen.  Let us now take a look inside a high-octane thriller and see how good versus evil pans out.

***

Book Blurb:

Homeland Security agents raid a small East Texas town and arrest a humble blue-collar worker for domestic terrorism and espionage. When two country lawyers take on his defense and fight to prevent their client’s execution, they learn that he holds the secret of a doomsday device, a secret he will not divulge, even under torture. At the trial’s astonishing conclusion, they realize for the first time that their struggle was not only about justice, but also redemption.

LAST ONE CHOSEN chronicles what can happen when one person motivated purely by the desire to do good for his fellow human beings is willing to give his life to oppose the forces of evil.

Purchase Last One Chosen

***

Jennifer Chase: If your main character was trapped in an elevator with three other people, how would your hero devise a plan to escape? Would they take any of the people with them?

Stephen Woodfin: He’s an air conditioning and heating repair man as well as a brilliant scientist. So he would improvise a chute made of the prisoners’ clothing.  Anyone who was too good to strip to save his fellow elevator detainees would have to remain behind.

Jennifer chase: How do you get inside your main character’s head when writing?

Stephen Woodfin: This is a tough one because it is just a matter of feel for me.  I have a conception of the things that make a character tick, the things that are inviolate for him or her.  I try to put the character in an impossible situation where he has never been and let him work his way out. It is usually as much of a surprise for me as it is for the reader.  So, I suppose I go at from the perspective of what I know she won’t do and then let her figure out what she will do.

Jennifer Chase: What’s your specific genre? If you could write in any other genre, what would it be and why?

Stephen Woodfin: Legal thrillers.  These come naturally for me because I have spent twenty-five years trying cases in the courtroom.  Recently, I took a break from it and, on a dare wrote a 5,000 word satirical, fictional memoir about a lawyer turned vampire who faced a moral dilemma when he became a born-again Christian.  I had more fun writing that than anything I have done in a while.  However, the title has yet to catch on:  God’s Love Sucks:  A Brief Memoir of a Born-Again Vampire. 

Jennifer Chase: So why should readers pick up Last One Chosen?

Stephen Woodfin: Because it is a fun read that also carries a powerful message about how we should treat each other.  The characters are the sort of people no one expects to be heroic, who nevertheless show how the power of love and loyalty can conquer anything.

Jennifer Chase: What types of emotions will readers experience when they read your book?

Stephen Woodfin: I hope they laugh and cry and get mad.  Most of the reviewers expressed that they found it exciting, but also heart-warming. Although it has tragic elements, in essence it is about friendship and the human values that drive us to help each other and to sacrifice to do the right thing.  It is also a cautionary tale about the brute power of government and how it attempts to crush anyone who gets in its way.

Jennifer Chase: Now, please bear with me, it’s time to play word association with your main character. Please respond with one word that comes to mind (in your main character’s voice) to the words listed below.

Stephen Woodfin:

Plot                      Conspiracy
2012                     70 AD
Predator              Politician
Giggles                Friends
Rural                   Home
Omnipresence   Love

Thank you so much Stephen!  I appreciate you dropping by today to chat about Last One Chosen.  Congratulations on being a Finalist for Best 2012 Mystery/Thriller at The Kindle Book Review!

Author Bio:

Stephen Woodfin holds a BA in religion from Dallas Baptist University, graduating magna cum laude in 1974, as well as a Master of Divinity Degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC (1979) where he received the Cullen Midler Theology Award for the best paper submitted in Systematic Theology. In 1985, he graduated from Baylor Law School with a JD and gained admittance to the State Bar of Texas. He has practiced law for the last twenty-six years. He often tells juries that he went to seminary to get the Lord on his side and to law school to get the Devil on his side.

Woodfin has appeared as a featured speaker at state and national legal seminars, authoring papers for these appearances and for the Texas Paralegal Journal.  His presentation at the American Bar Association Annual Seminar on Class Actions was one of the highest ranked of the seminar.

In 2008, Woodfin’s courtroom short story, The Promiscuity Defense, appeared in the Northeast Texas Writers’ Organization (NETWO) Anthology.  Also in 2008, Writer’s Digest published his story, He Ain’t Leaving; He’s Gone, in its 2008 Short Short Story Collection. The story, which features a protagonist suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, ranked 15th out of over 7,000 submissions.

Woodfin is the author of five legal thrillers, a collection of short stories and standalone satirical five thousand word piece about a lawyer turned vampire who faces an ethical dilemma when he becomes a born-again Christian.

For more information:

Blog

Twitter

Amazon

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