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Author Q&A Session: Laura Pettler

CRC Press is pleased to share with you our author Q&A session with Laura Pettler, author of Crime Scene Staging Dynamics in Homicide Cases

Q&A with Laura Gail Pettler

Congratulations on the publication of your book Crime Scene Staging Dynamics in Homicide Cases. What would you like your audience to take away from the book?
 
This book is a first log on the fire type of book. It is to introduce the reader to the concepts of crime scene staging in homicide cases, the historical references that have significantly contributed to the study of crime scene staging, in addition to introducing a victim-centred death investigation methodology for where staging is in question. I want readers to take away that conducting victimology in the first 48 hours of a death investigation is mandatory; that the more they learn to know about the victim, the more they will learn to know about the crime scene, suspects, and the victim’s world. I want readers to take away that gone are the days of haphazard investigations where investigators walk up to a body then blindly start searching for a suspect without anything valid and reliable to go on. I want them to take away that we are in an age of scientific homicide investigation and that our system determines our outcome.
 
What inspired you to write this book?

This book is the first book in the world dedicated exclusively to the examination of crime scene staging dynamics in homicide cases. I was inspired to write this book to begin to fill the gap in the literature on homicide investigation specifically related to books dedicated to the examination of crime scene staging.
 
Why is your book relevant to your field of study in the present day?
 
No one knows how many murders are staged each year because the United States does not maintain a repository for such cases. This book is relevant to our field of study today because of the high volume of cases that come into our company, Laura Pettler & Associates Death Investigation each year for private case review and private death investigation. Some of those cases are staged murders. Some are legitimate deaths. Many have gone cold because investigators are unsure how to proceed with a circumstantial case where there is no smoking gun or it is a struggle to put the weapon back in the hand of the offender. This book is relevant as a desk reference for every law enforcement professional from patrol to CID.
 
How do you think your field is evolving today?
 
While I’d like to opine that homicide investigation is moving towards victim-centered investigations using scientific homicide investigation methods, this is not the case. Most cases we see, if there is a suspect, investigators know so much about the suspect, but practically nothing about the victim, such as age, height, weight, the most basic features of a physical person. Therefore, it is evolving slowly, but with continued education and new law enforcement funding by way of the Cold Case Accountability Act of 2020, we hope to change the trajectory of the future towards faster moving result-oriented homicide investigation practices. As you know the homicide clearance rate for the United States is extremely poor, the only way out is education and federal legislation.
 
What are the main developments in research that you’re seeing in your subject area of expertise? How does your book relate to these recent developments?

Thankfully, people have been inspired by the book to take on their own research projects related to crime scene staging in homicide cases. My dissertation was the third dissertation in the world on the topic, but now we are seeing many more students interested in pursuing the subject. The book relates to recent developments by incorporating them into the crux of the material.
 
What audience did you have in mind whilst writing you book?
 
Law enforcement as a desk reference, students.
 
What makes your book stand out from its competitors?
 
The book does not appear to have a direct competitor. The book stands out because of its unique design, methodology, theory of crime scene staging, and historical literature review.
 
What did you enjoy about writing the book?
 
I have been studying crime scene staging specifically since 2007. Earlier in my career I worked briefly in mental health studying behaviour there too. The book is a compilation of 20 years of my career and specifically my education, training, and experience from August 2002 until December 2014.
Laura Gail Pettler is a forensic criminologist, author, educator, and inventor. She is a crusader for justice for victims in homicide cases. Laura is dedicated to using her life to make a difference. Laura holds a bachelor of science degree in preprofessional psychology; a master of science degree in criminal justice where she focused on death investigation, forensic psychology, and aspects of forensic science; and a doctor of philosophy degree in public safety specializing in criminal justice where she focused on forensic criminology and specifically on the study of intimate partner violence and crime scene staging behaviors. Laura is an International Association for Identification (IAI) Certified Senior Crime Scene analyst and is the chairwoman of the IAI’s Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Subcommittee.

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