Beyond The Body Farm

There is no scientist in the world like Dr. Bill Bass. A pioneer in forensic anthropology, Bass created the world's first laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition—three acres of land on a hillside in Tennessee where human bodies are left to the elements. His research at "the Body Farm" has revolutionized forensic science, helping police crack cold cases and pinpoint time of death. But during a forensics career that spans half a century, Bass and his work have ranged far beyond the gates of the Body Farm. In this riveting book, the bone sleuth explores the rise of modern forensic science, using fascinating cases from his career to take readers into the real world of C.S.I. Some of Bill Bass's cases rely on the simplest of tools and techniques, such as reassembling—from battered torsos and a stack of severed limbs—eleven people hurled skyward by an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory. Other cases hinge on sophisticated techniques Bass could not have imagined when he began his career: harnessing scanning electron microscopy to detect trace elements in knife wounds; and extracting DNA from a long-buried corpse, only to find that the female murder victim may have been mistakenly identified a quarter-century before. In Beyond the Body Farm, readers will follow Bass as he explores the depths of an East Tennessee lake with a twenty-first-century sonar system, in a quest for an airplane that disappeared with two people on board thirty-five years ago; see Bass exhume fifties pop star "the Big Bopper" to determine what injuries he suffered in the plane crash that killed three rock and roll legends on "the day the music died"; and join Bass as he works to decipher an ancient Persian death scene nearly three thousand years old. Witty and engaging, Bass dissects the methods used by homicide investigators every day, leading readers on an extraordinary journey into the high-tech science that it takes to crack a case.

There is no scientist in the world like Dr. Bill Bass. A pioneer in forensic anthropology, Bass created the world's first laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition—three acres of land on a hillside in Tennessee where human bodies are left to the elements. His research at "the Body Farm" has revolutionized forensic science, helping police crack cold cases and pinpoint time of death. But during a forensics career that spans half a century, Bass and his work have ranged far beyond the gates of the Body Farm. In this riveting book, the bone sleuth explores the rise of modern forensic science, using fascinating cases from his career to take readers into the real world of C.S.I. Some of Bill Bass's cases rely on the simplest of tools and techniques, such as reassembling—from battered torsos and a stack of severed limbs—eleven people hurled skyward by an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory. Other cases hinge on sophisticated techniques Bass could not have imagined when he began his career: harnessing scanning electron microscopy to detect trace elements in knife wounds; and extracting DNA from a long-buried corpse, only to find that the female murder victim may have been mistakenly identified a quarter-century before. In Beyond the Body Farm, readers will follow Bass as he explores the depths of an East Tennessee lake with a twenty-first-century sonar system, in a quest for an airplane that disappeared with two people on board thirty-five years ago; see Bass exhume fifties pop star "the Big Bopper" to determine what injuries he suffered in the plane crash that killed three rock and roll legends on "the day the music died"; and join Bass as he works to decipher an ancient Persian death scene nearly three thousand years old. Witty and engaging, Bass dissects the methods used by homicide investigators every day, leading readers on an extraordinary journey into the high-tech science that it takes to crack a case.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I had a memorable experience in 1964, when I was an eager assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. I was excavating skeletons in the ancient hilltop citadel of Hasanlu, in northwestern Iran. #2 I was invited to Iran in 1964 to help excavate ancient graves at Hasanlu. I found the skeletal remains of three men who had died while at a dead run, their arms and legs frozen in perpetual near-motion. The object cradled in their arms was a bowl made of solid gold. #3 I was asked to help answer the question of who the three men in the bowl were. I thought I could, but it would not be easy. I needed to travel to Iran and dig up the bones of soldiers from both ancient armies, and compare their measurements to those of the area’s modern inhabitants. #4 I developed a case of diarrhea in Tehran, which was not bad, but I took some Imodium tablets to help. After a couple of nights in Tabriz, we finally hit the road for Hasanlu.

Body farms are anthropological research centers dedicated to the study of decomposition. Knowing rates and conditions of decomposition helps solve several details on homicide cases. This book details the tools and techniques used by scientists who work on body farms. Students will learn how forensic study unravels the clues in the tiniest bits of evidence. Sidebars offer step-by-step explanations of scientific and legal processes. An annotated bibliography of age-appropriate resources is included.

This two-volume Encyclopdia - through multidisciplinary and international contributions and perspectives - organizes, defines and clarifies more than 300 death-related concepts.

Past, present, and future collide to throw respected forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton’s successful, secure life into devastating turmoil in this poignant novel in the New York Times bestselling Body Farm mystery series. It’s been ten years since Dr. Bill Brockton created the Body Farm—the world’s first postmortem research facility dedicated to advancing the frontiers of forensic science—and the researcher is at the pinnacle of his career. Under his leadership, the University of Tennessee’s forensic anthropology program has become the most prominent in the world, and Brockton’s skills and knowledge are in high demand among top law enforcement. Calling him in for a number of high profile cases, the FBI now wants him to identify the charred remains of a maverick millionaire, killed in a fiery plane crash. But a storm is about to hit Brockton with cataclysmic force. First, his identification of the crash victim is called into question. Then he receives a threatening message from the serial killer who attempted to murder the scientist and his family a decade ago. And from Brockton’s beloved wife Kathleen—his lodestone and his source of security—he gets the most shocking news of all. Will Brockton be able to weather this deluge . . . or has he finally reached the breaking point?

“The forensic thriller meets a formidable slice of history….A riveting mystery with an intricately emotional conclusion.” —Washington Post Bones of Betrayal is the fourth heart-racing “Body Farm” thriller from the world’s top forensic anthropologist. Kathy Reichs calls author Jefferson Bass, “the real deal,” and his hero Bill Brockton has already taken his rightful place alongside Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta and the investigators on TV’s “C.S.I.” In Bones of Betrayal, a hideous murder has links that connect it to World War Two’s Manhattan Project and the development of the atomic bomb—adding a fascinating historical element that enriches an already superior crime series.

Notorious criminals have captured our imaginations for years and years. But we don't forget, either, the many people and organizations who fight back. J. Edgar Hoover and Eliot Ness have entered into the American psyche as two of our most aggressive and successful crime fighters. Still, there are others who have risen to the occasion, combating crime in all its manifestations. From the U.S. Marshals, FBI agents, and Secret Service to Rudy Giuliani, John Walsh— host of America's Most Wanted—and Joseph Pistone (aka Donnie Brasco), this set highlights some of the nation's bravest crime stoppers. Icons of Crime Fighting will enlighten the curious mind with a comprehensive overview of the most successful, the most well-known, and the most important crime fighters in recent American history. Part of our national culture, these figures represent all that is good about the American justice system. Moreover, they exemplify how individuals in the criminal justice system have made a real difference in law enforcement. These titans of law enforcement are profiled in this important and timely set. Those covered in the set include: Gun Fighters: U.S. Marshals of the Old West; Allan Pinkerton; The Texas Rangers; August Vollmer; J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI; Thomas Dewey; Robert Kennedy; Jim Garrison; Buford Pusser; Eddie Egan and Sonnie Grosso; Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein; Francisco Vincent Serpico; Joe Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco; Vincent T. Bugliosi; John Walsh; FBI Profilers; Sheriff Joe Arpaio; Mark Fuhrman; Rudolph Rudy Giuliani; Curtis Sliwa; Dr. Henry Lee; and Dr. Bill Blass.