Author Jennifer Chase

FBI Launches New Phone App to Help Find Missing Kids

Posted on August 10, 2011 by jchasenovelist

Are you the type of person who always has the latest apps downloaded to your smart phone? Or, do you consider yourself someone who doesn’t see the excitement in using your cell phone to do anything besides make a call? Either way, if you are a parent of a small child you might be interested in this new offering from the FBI.

The “Child ID” phone application, which currently is available only for iPhones, allows you to download photos and essential physical information about your child that can be shared with mall security, police officers, the FBI, or any other members of law enforcement who may be able to help you in the moment that you child goes missing.

For anyone who has ever gone just a few seconds without knowing where their child was, you know the sense of panic that can set in. Simply being asked to give your child’s hair color can seem overwhelming when your head is spinning with the possibilities of what has happened to him or her. If you can remember that all of that information is stored on your phone, a quick push of a few buttons can have critical details out where they need to be.

This application is free and the FBI plans to expand the service to other platforms in the future. Many applaud this move as a great way to keep our kids safer. There are some, though, who believe it instills an unnecessary state of fear in parents. Writer Lenore Skenazy says that in a country in which only 115 children are abducted by strangers every year, this app can make parents think that child snatching is happening every second of the day.

What do you think? Is this a safety tool you will be purchasing for your phone and family?

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Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch Blog: www.emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase/
Books: Compulsion = Dead Game = Silent Partner = Screenwriting

Posted in crime | Tagged author jennifer chase, child ID smart phone, child safety, crime, fbi, missing kids, phone app | 2 Comments

What Do Crime Scenes Tell Us?

Posted on August 8, 2011 by jchasenovelist

Understanding and interpreting a crime scene is much like a three-dimensional puzzle, generally with more questions than answers. However, the exigent circumstances are that the investigator needs to come up with some answers immediately and hopefully the name and whereabouts of the perpetrator. This is most crucial during a homicide investigation when there’s a killer on the loose.

Basically, the crime scene in the preliminary investigative stage is divided into four categories: evidence, witness(es), suspect(s), and crime theory. After the carefully orchestrated crime scene investigation is completed, the investigator or forensic examiner must begin the task of putting the pieces together in order to tell the story of what happened and why.

Discussion should be open to and remedied in regard to the observer effects and forensic examiner bias when it comes to interpreting crime scene evidence.

An observer effect is basically when the results of evidence at a crime scene are distorted due to the mental state of the examiner. This can happen when a particular examiner is influenced by expectation and desires. This can have an effect on the law enforcement and prosecution objectives to the investigation.

Evidence is interpreted based on the experience of the examiner. This is can be a potential problem. Forensic examiners must confront ambiguity and subjectivity of the evidence. It sounds simple enough, but can prove to be a challenge for anyone.

There have been some great recommendations to curb the observer effects when interpreting crime scene evidence. It’s basically a checks and balances approach. First, being aware of the potential for bias. It’s also important to filter the irrelevant information, such as the victim and witness’s statements and backgrounds, investigative and attorney theories, results of the forensic examination, and the type of offense that was committed. Another helpful tactic would be to restructure the crime lab to have different personnel perform the various duties of response, assistance, evidence examination, and crime scene reconstruction.

Undoubtedly, working any crime scene is demanding, challenging, and difficult. There are so many things that incorporate into this working condition. I respect all those hard working individuals who take this challenge every day.

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Posted in crime, Forensic | Tagged author and criminologist jennifer chase, crime fiction, crime scene, emily stone series, investigation, observer effect | 2 Comments

Change the Perspective of Your Characters

Posted on August 6, 2011 by jchasenovelist

When I began developing my characters for my Emily Stone Series, I found it quite helpful to outline the main characters from various perspectives. Sometimes with recurring characters, a scene might become flat and you’re not sure why. When you look at a specific character from another character’s perspective or a different point of view, sometimes an amazing epiphany takes place.

Some helpful writing exercises to change the perspective of a scene or character:

Write from first person or even the present tense.
Write from another character’s point of view and in a completely different setting.
Write from a reporter’s point of view or reader’s point of view.
Write from an animal’s point of view.
Write as if the character only has a moment to live.

It helps me to build characters with more depth and to answer various questions about their personalities instead of just a list of traits, likes, dislikes, and internal/external conflicts.

How would a certain character handle a situation or if the roles were reversed?

This idea came to light when I was visiting the Santa Barbara Zoo in California on a trip. This wonderful, small zoo located in the heart of Santa Barbara has always been an enjoyable visit for me. This beautiful 30-acre, 500 animal zoo is one of my favorite attractions and I always try to make the time to have a casual lunch there and then walk around the park. It makes for a nice leisurely couple of hours and I highly recommend it if you get a chance to visit.

One particular exhibit made an impression on me and I actually changed the way I develop my characters as a result. As I walked down to the gorilla exhibit, I made my way to the observation room that has a plexiglass wall to allow visitors to view the gorilla habitat.

There were about two-dozen people crowded in the room craning their heads to view the gorillas. I stood in the back and I could see a couple of gorillas that were trying to go about their day eating and staying a bit hidden from view, ignoring all of the human faces pressed up against the glass that were waving and giggling.

It suddenly struck me.

What must it be like to be scrutinized through this window? What’s their perspective of us? How would we feel if their roles were reversed?

Finally, everyone filtered out of the observation room and I was alone to view one of the magnificent creatures. I moved toward the glass and I instantly felt an awe that I was able to be close to these animals that should have been in deepest jungles instead of on a stage just for human entertainment.

This particular gorilla moved toward the glass with a banana. He actually walked right up to the glass and shyly looked at me and then continued with his afternoon treat. It was an incredible experience for me. I was able to snap a quick photo without a flash or zoom to document my new writing discovery.

You could say that incident was one of my light bulb moments in writing. From that point, I decided to outline my characters from all different perspectives and conditions to help to develop them further in my stories.

I strongly feel that by changing the perspective of characters during the creative process you can delve deeper into their psychology and ultimately give them more depth in the story and for readers to enjoy.

How would you change your character’s perspectives?

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Posted in Dead Game, Writing | Tagged author jennifer chase, character's perspective, dead game, emily stone series, novels, writing | Leave a comment

Discovered Vial of Serial Killer’s Blood May Connect More Victims

Posted on August 5, 2011 by jchasenovelist

My area of specific interest may be forensic psychology, but I am fascinated by forensics in all of its applications. I am regularly amazed by how experts can use a piece of clothing, a strand of hair, or a few drops of blood to build a case. It was recently reported that forensic evidence stored in Florida may be the key to unlock the connection between one of our country’s most infamous serial killers and multiple cold cases.

A vial of Ted Bundy’s blood is being entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System to discover any connection the convicted killer may have to other murders. This process started due to the reopening of a cold case involving eight-year-old Ann Marie Burr, who went missing in 1961 and lived in the same neighborhood in which a then-teenage Bundy had a paper route. Investigators in the shared town of Tacoma, Washington went in search of additional evidence that simply was not able to be analyzed until recently and found the vial of blood. It is still in a state of composition that will allow for some possible connections to be made.

Most of you will know that Ted Bundy confessed to more than thirty murders of young women throughout the 1970s and was sent to his own death at the electric chair in 1989. Many in law enforcement always believed that Bundy was responsible for more crimes than he ever admitted. If that is so, let’s hope that this DNA technology will help some families receive peace that has eluded them for decades.

More than thirty years after it was collected, a small amount of blood may be exactly what is needed to solve horrible crimes. Forensics is simply fascinating and I’m excited every day to be one of its most eager students.

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Posted in Forensic, Serial Killers | Tagged Ann Marie Burr, author jennifer chase, cold cases, crime, DNA, serial killers, Ted Bundy | Leave a comment

Tennessee Woman Fights Off Home Intruders

Posted on August 3, 2011 by jchasenovelist

My first two novels feature the character Emily Stone, a woman who takes it upon herself to track down violent criminals in her community and quietly collects the evidence that will bring them to justice. She then leaves all of the surveillance she has gathered with the local police department and slips away anonymously. She certainly could be considered a vigilante, as she acts outside of the authority of law and puts herself in danger with every pedophile and murderer she follows. But, she continues on with her work because she believes in the need for justice.

A Tennessee woman recently had her own moment with vigilante justice, but her interaction with the alleged criminals was a bit more direct. Georgia Avo, a 68-year-old woman who lives in Nashville, heard people trying to break into her home around 2:30am last weekend armed with crowbars and a pistol. She had her gun ready when the four men broke through the door and buckshot went flying. She managed to hit two of the intruders, with one of them getting hit in the eye and losing part of his index finger, before all of the men fled.

All four of the men were arrested after showing up at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to get care for the wounded duo. Three of the men are now sitting in the jail with the four waiting to be charged upon his release from the hospital.

What do you think of this woman’s story? She really felt that it was either her or them in that moment and she may very well have been right. Can you imagine yourself reacting with the same fierce defense of your home if such a terrifying moment arrived?

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Posted in crime, Police | Tagged award winning author and criminologist jennifer chase, compulsion, emily stone novels, Georgia Avo, home invasion, self defense, Tennessee woman | 3 Comments

Out & About Magazine — August 2011

Posted on August 2, 2011 by jchasenovelist

It’s a new month and Out & About Magazine has hit the stands in the valley and around the Monterey Bay area in California! You can visit them on the web and view a digital version or download a pdf file.

I have a book review column you can check out on pages 34-35 along with some important crime safety tips. If you’re a thriller fan, check out my review of Worth Dying For by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #15). You won’t want to miss out!

I hope that everyone has been enjoying their summer and getting out to do some fun activities.

Posted in Writing | Tagged author jennifer chase, book review, crime safety tips, lee child, out and about magazine, worth dying for | Leave a comment

Following the Clues of Forensic Anthropology

Posted on August 1, 2011 by jchasenovelist

One of the more interesting aspects of forensic science, at least for me, is the study of forensic anthropology. It entails the analysis of human skeletal remains that is within the context of a legal investigation.

During my academic studies, I took forensic anthropology as one of the requirements for my bachelor’s degree in police forensics. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and it made me view skeletal remains in more of a scientific way. I was surprised how I learned to establish the gender of a skeleton from major bones, such as the femur, cranium, mandible, and pelvis.

In both of my novels, Compulsion and Dead Game, the heroine Emily Stone unearths human remains in some of her investigations. In a few different chapters of both books, Emily tracks down the serial killer and the rural burial grounds of the victims. She uses her ingenuity and experience to carefully unearth part of the graves to discover that there were buried bones of young victims with identifying clothing and personal items. She backtracks carefully to ensure that the graves were disturbed as little as possible because that’s where the police investigation begins along with a forensic anthropologist or coroner.

Forensic anthropology entails the methods of examination of the various parts of the skeleton, taking exact measurements, and the process of looking at the particular grooves and bumps on the bone. As this process continues, it can be determined the sex, race, stature, and approximate age of death from the bones. It has been possible to assess if the remains suffered any traumas (such as with homicide cases) or disease. These scientific examinations can reveal more pieces to the investigative puzzle with clues to the health of individuals, whether or not they had given birth, left or right handed, and the type of occupation the individual worked.

There are three important questions that must be answered by a forensic anthropologist to determine the forensic significance of the remains that were discovered.

1. Are the remains actually bone?

This is probably the most important question to begin the examination of the remains. Many times bones can be damaged, crushed, cut, or burned. Bone fragments can be challenging to identify without the proper use of a microscope.

2. Are the remains human?

This is also important because many times bones can be that of animals. The biggest challenge is when bones are scattered in a large area. Many times bones that have been discovered in a rural area is often animal. When flesh or muscle is still attached, deer vertebrae can look similar to human spines, hind paws of bears can look similar to human feet, and the lower tail vertebrae of a horse can look similar to human finger bones.

3. Are the human remains ancient, historic, or modern bones?

The age of the bones is critical to correctly assess the age. Ancient refers to the age of approximately 500 years old, historic refers to the age of approximately 100 to 500 years old, and modern is within the last 50 years. The context of the surface and the actual burial is also important. Sometimes these areas can expose clothing and other personal items that help the investigation and identification.

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