Storytellersunplugged

The subject of this essay was suggested by one of our readers named Fotini, whom I thank. Systems designed by nature are sometimes less than perfect, and those designed by humans are ocertainly not perfect. An example is our criminal justice system. A 1995 book describing a 10-year study of evidence and assessments gathered from criminal justice system personnel indicated that approximately 0.5 percent of persons convicted of felonies were probably innocent. If the estimate is accurate, that amounts to some 10,000 innocent persons ... Read More

There have always been those who would cheat if but given an opportunity to do so. No sooner had the bright light of writing been born as a means of communication, than forgery, which was especially profitable at a time of widespread public illiteracy, came along as its dark and unwanted sibling. The combination eventually led to the birth of forensic document examination. As the latter improved, so did the forgers' skills. Some forgers developed amazing skills. Many, however, were not as ... Read More

Viewers of CSI and other crime shows often observe agents comparing fingerprints for possible matches with prints on file in a system referred to as AFIS. DNA is also compared for possible matches with DNA on file in a system known as CODIS. The following includes a brief description of those systems and some other helpful forensic systems and agencies that characters in reader's future stories might find useful. Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) Many states have AFIS systems; IAFIS is a national, ... Read More

According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, a poison is "a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures or impairs an organism" or "a substance that inhibits the activity of another substance or the course of a reaction or process." Since there are many types of poisons, only a few of those commonly encountered in novels have room for mention here. For the same reason, acute (relatively quick-acting) poisoning rather than chronic (relatively prolonged) poisoning will be addressed. Many novels and films ... Read More

Lord Byron wrote: But I hate things all fiction...there should always be some foundation of fact for the most airy fabric - and pure invention is but the talent of a liar. Most persons would agree that adding facts to a fictional novel, especially one that includes technical matters, can improve it on several levels. Obviously, facts can make stories more realistic. To readers who enjoy learning things, facts are manna. Readers who especially cherish them are those who can directly relate to ... Read More

For the files of murder mystery and horror story writers. Benny was feeling luckier than he had ever felt before as he carefully picked his way through dark woods skirting a long-abandoned logging road. After weeks of effort to gain the trust of a major drug dealer, he was about to meet and make a buy from one of the dealer’s runners. The returns he would get when he distributed the drugs would finance a legitimate business he had been planning to establish ... Read More

R. C. Jones The buzzing sound began as I started down a narrow set of stairs leading to a large basement room. I had never been there before, but I knew what the source of the buzzing must be. It was the sound of a small vibrating saw cutting off the top of someone’s skull. READER ALERT! Anyone with an especially queasy stomach might wish to abandon ship here. In my last essay, we got as far as what happens forensically to ... Read More