Methodological and Technological Advances in Death Investigations: Application and Case Studies

Methodological and Technological Advances in Death Investigations: Application and Case Studies focuses on advancements in both methods and technology in death investigations. Specifically, in the areas of latent fingerprints, facial recognition, wildlife forensics, using aerial vehicles and 3D-ID. The combination of national and international authors and a discussion of the state of forensic science over a decade after the National Academies 2009 Report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, further highlights the boundaries, limitations and context in which these newer technologies and applications act synergistically to enhance forensic science.

• Synthesizes new and emerging technologies to put them in perspective for researchers and practitioners, such as facial recognition, using aerial vehicles and 3D-ID
• Includes case studies throughout that explain how certain advanced technologies impact investigations
• Fills a gap in literature with more cross-disciplinary topics that pertain to death investigations

Dr. Ross is a Board Certified forensic anthropologist and professor of forensic anthropology and skeletal biology at NC State University. She is also internationally certified and a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Dr. Ross has extensive case experience and court testimony on dismemberment cases. In addition to teaching and testifying, Dr. Ross has written many forensic anthropology journal articles and published a book, The Juvenile Skeleton in Forensic Abuse Investigations, with Springer in 2011.

Jason H. Byrd, Ph.D., D-ABFE, is an associate professor within the University of Florida Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine and the associate director of the William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine. In his capacity as an professor, Dr. Byrd instructs courses in forensic science at UF’s nationally recognized Hume Honors College. Dr. Byrd is also a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and he serves as the director of education for the ASPCA Veterinary Forensic Sciences Program at the University of Florida.

Dr. Byrd has combined his formal academic training in entomology and forensic science to serve as a consultant and educator in both criminal and civil legal investigations throughout the United States and internationally. He specializes in the education of law enforcement officials, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys and other death investigators on the use and applicability of arthropods in legal investigations. His research efforts have focused on the development and behavior of insects that have forensic importance, and he has more than 15 years of experience in the collection and analysis of entomological evidence.

Outside of academics, Dr. Byrd serves as a medicolegal death investigator within the National Disaster Medical System, Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team, Region IV. He also serves as the commander for the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System and is currently deployed to the Florida Panhandle for victim identification post Hurricane Michael.

Dr. Byrd is a Board-certified forensic entomologist and a diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Entomology, where he was twice elected to be the president. He is also a former president of the North American Forensic Entomology Association. In addition to these appointments, Dr. Byrd was the first person to be elected president for both professional North American Forensic Entomology Associations. He served for more than a decade as a faculty member of the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, and he is the current president of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association.