A person is murdered only once while a crime scene can be destroyed many times. Whenever something is added or removed from a homicide scene before police process it, the interpretation of what took place could be altered. This type of altering is only one bump in the road that homicide detectives come across during an investigation. Homicide Investigation is an introduction to forensic science, investigative procedures, and the underlying motives in specific cases. Utilizing the jargon spoken by police the author analyzes the combination of methods detectives use to determine what they think took place at the scene of a violent crime. Using hundreds of sources including newspaper and magazine articles, Internet sites, books, television programs as well as information not broadcast on television news shows and not published in newspapers, this book describes graphic details of classic and routine homicides. A chronology and a list of acronyms are included to help the reader. Chapters cover: * Types of homicides * Serial killers * Police databases * Crime scenes * Evidence * Wounds and injuries * Weapons * Forensic investigation procedures * Perpetrator profiles True crime readers, students and professionals in law enforcement, sociology, psychology, criminal justice, law and criminology, and anyone concerned with his or her personal safety will have an interest in this book.