Homicide Case Studies: Real World Assessment and Decision-making

Homicide Case Studies is a first-of-its-kind text, offering readers more than 30 case studies drawn from real-world homicide cases that include the often-overlooked context and complexities faced by victims, offenders, law enforcement, attorneys, jurors, and correctional personnel.

From investigating different forms of homicides to deciding what charges should be filed, weighty decisions about homicide cases must be made by professionals. This book provides nuanced scenarios and critical thinking questions that put readers in the role, giving them the ability to apply what they’ve learned to make well-thought-out and just decisions concerning each case. Students learn through the Andragogical approach fostering an individualized learning experience that bridges the academic–professional gap―finally providing an answer to the question "When am I going to use this?"

This book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in criminal justice, as well as scholars, policymakers, and others with an interest in the rich and complex world of criminal homicide.

Kyle A. Burgason is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of Graduate Education in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Iowa State University. His research interests include policing, ethics in criminal justice, race and crime, criminological theory, structural and cultural context of violent crime and victimization, capital punishment, and optimal foraging theory’s applications to crime. His recent work has appeared in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Crime Prevention and Community Safety, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Innovative Higher Education, SN Social Sciences, and International Journal of Law and Psychiatry.

Mark Ruelas is currently a PhD student in Sociology and Criminal Justice at Iowa State University. He retired from law enforcement in Southern California after serving for 25 years. Mark earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from California State University, Bakersfield, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine. He is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute. Mark is a Marine Corps veteran and was awarded the Medal of Valor at his agency.

Thomas T. Zawisza is an Assistant Professor at Lasell University. His main research interests include using eye-tracking technology as a medium to study burglar target selection, investigating distance and direction of crime and victimization, and how non-disastrous natural phenomena affect crime patterns, such as the relationship between weather patterns and crime and solar eclipses and calls for service. His most recent works appeared in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Crime Prevention and Community Safety, and the Journal of Contemporary Criminology.