Silent Witness

by Ferllini, Roxana

• ISBN13: 9781770851184
• ISBN10: 1770851186
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-08-23
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

Praise for the first edition: This book should be of considerable interest to a broad range of general readers ... recommended. --Choice An important introduction to the science of forensic anthropology. --Kliatt Silent Witness takes readers behind the scenes on real crime cases requiring the skills and expertise of a forensic anthropologist. It describes the techniques they use, how they locate a body and uncover evidence, and how the unique characteristics of each body bear silent witness to age, sex and cause of death as well as clues leading to who or what was responsible. Following a foreword and case study by world-renowned forensic anthropologist Cyril Wecht, the book opens with a review of the science of forensics--how bones "talk." Eight chapters organize 350 color photographs and illustrations to focus on such topics as the history of forensic anthropology; what bones tell us; types of interment and exhumation; body decomposition, facial reconstruction; air disasters; fires and explosives; and massacres. The book uses 29 real-life case studies to illustrate the techniques used. They include the notorious (Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Jeffrey Dahmer); the tragic and explosive (American Airlines Flight 191, the Hinton Rail Collision); the horrific (dirty wars, genocide); and the wretched (bank robber and circus exhibit Elmer McCurdy). Since it was first published, Silent Witness has been used in high school and college classrooms across North America as a required text or recommended reading.

Table of Contents

Foreword and case study	p. 6
Forensic Anthropology and Other Sciences	p. 10
case study 1: Dr. John Webster	p. 18
case study 2: Adolph Louis Luetgert	p. 20
case study 3: Eugene Aram	p. 22
Bones do Talk	p. 24
case study 4: John G. Haigh	p. 44
case study 5: Elmer McCurdy	p. 46
case study 6: Dr. Carl Weiss	p. 48
case study 7: The Pig Farmer	p. 50
Exhumations and Other Stories	p. 54
case study 8: Ernesto "Che" Guevara	p. 72
case study 9: Jeffrey Dahmer	p. 74
case study 10: Thomas Luther	p. 76
case study 11: Zachary Taylor	p. 78
Surface Bodies: The Outdoor Setting	p. 80
case study 12: Jeffrey Dahmer	p. 94
case study 13: Green River Killer	p. 96
case study 14: Mark S. Putnam	p. 100
case study 15: The Missing Restaurateur	p. 102
Altered Remains-Hiding Identities	p. 104
case study 16: Buck Walker	p. 124
case study 17: James S. Vlassakis	p. 126
case study 18: Blake and Davis	p. 130
case study 19: Dr. Buck Ruxton	p. 132
Air Disasters	p. 134
case study 20: Arrow Airlines Charter	p. 146
case study 21: ValueJet Flight 592	p. 150
case study 22: American Airlines Flight 191	p. 152
Fires and Explosives	p. 154
case study 23: Timothy McVeigh	p. 166
case study 24: The Hinton Rail Collision	p. 170
case study 25: David Koresh	p. 172
case study 26: Cremated Bodies	p. 174
Human Rights	p. 176
case study 27: Genocide	p. 194
case study 28: The Massacres	p. 198
case study 29: The Dirty War	p. 200
case study 30: The Death Caravans	p. 204
case study 31: Spanish Mass Killings	p. 208
case study 32: The Katyn Massacre	p. 212
Conclusion	p. 216
Bibliography	p. 218
Glossary	p. 220
Index	p. 221
Acknowledgments	p. 224
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