From the Inside Flap
Beyond the Crime Lab Revised Edition Today's headlines are filled with tales of investigative scientists using inventive new techniques to unravel the most baffling criminal mysteries, whether combing through the tons of wreckage in Oklahoma City to find the tiny piece of evidence that sealed the case against Timothy McVeigh, or matching the bite marks on a murder victim to the dental records of serial killer Ted Bundy. Thanks to Court TV, millions of us are also familiar with the role forensic science played in the trials of O.J. Simpson and the Unabomber, as well as in the positive identification of the remains of Josef Mengele and the Romanovs. But few people-including police, attorneys, and judges-truly understand the complexity of forensic investigative techniques. Even as these technologies hold great promise for a safer world, they also have the potential, if misused, to infringe on basic civil rights and altogether redefine our notions of privacy in a free society. Completely updated, this new edition of Beyond the Crime Lab offers a fascinating and unflinching look at cutting-edge forensic research techniques. Drawing on FBI and police files of the most notorious cases of recent years, Jon Zonderman offers a concise yet complete and up-to-date overview of the field of forensic science. The book begins by explaining how the science works, from gathering evidence at the crime scene to basic biochemical analysis-fiber, firearms, toxicology, drug testing, and more. Zonderman also covers the history of the evolution of the techniques and considers how each might be misused to restrict personal liberty rather than protect it. New in this revised edition is coverage of the Unabomber and Oklahoma City bombing trials, the TWA Flight 800 mystery, the FBI Crime Lab Scandal, and, of course, the fascinating evidence that made the O. J. Simpson trial so compelling and controversial. You'll also learn how psychological profiling was used to nab George Metesky, the "Mad Bomber" of New York; how DNA "fingerprinting" techniques were used to trap a rapist in Narborough, England; and how Wayne Williams-the notorious serial killer of young men in Atlanta-was convicted on the basis of a few stray carpet fibers. You'll discover how international databases, computer-aided design, serology and toxicology, satellite imaging, and a host of other supersophisticated scientific procedures are being used by law enforcers worldwide. And you'll find out about amazing new methods of criminal enforcement and punishment such as "electronic parole" and the use of drugs and behavior modification. Timely and thought-provoking, Beyond the Crime Lab also grapples with some of the most controversial moral and ethical issues of our time-from Megan's Law to 24-hour community surveillance cameras to biochemical corrections. An enlightening and chilling look at crime, punishment, privacy, and science, it is essential reading for true-crime buffs, law enforcement officials, journalists, and concerned citizens alike.
JON ZONDERMAN is a freelance science and business writer whose articles have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Technology Review, High Technology, and the Washington Journalism Review. He lives in Orange, Connecticut.
