Manyebook

Delayed Justice: Inside Stories from America's Best Cold Case Investigations

In 1988, a 29-year-old preschool fitness teacher, Julie Love, left the Atlanta home of her fiance and was never again seen alive. A year later her skeletal remains were found in a trash dump.

In 1995, the body of 42-year-old Gary Clark was discovered in a wooded lot about three miles south of Madisonville, Kentucky. He had been killed at another location by a single gunshot wound and his body dumped in the woods.

In both cases, the police initially found no leads or physical evidence.

These are just two examples of cold cases—crimes that stymie investigators and sometimes remain unsolved for many years. But for the painstaking, dedicated work of law enforcement professionals who reinvestigate and revive cases that others once abandoned, justice might never be served and lack of closure forever torment the families and friends of crime victims.

Delayed Justice documents the heroic efforts of some of the nation's most prolific cold case detectives. In collaboration with authors Jack and Mary Branson, these professionals share their insights, skills, and resources, using their most compelling cold cases as illustrations.

The authors examine how cold case investigations differ from standard investigations and why cold case detectives sometimes have success where earlier investigators failed. They also discuss some of the pitfalls of reopening long-unsolved crimes, such as lost or compromised evidence and the difficulty of getting accurate information from witnesses who must rely on fading memories. Looking to the future, the authors discuss new technology that may someday allow investigators to drastically enhance surveillance videos and create a facial recognition database as accurate as DNA analysis and fingerprints.

Both true crime readers and fellow law enforcement professionals will find the stories and expert insights described in this book to be fascinating and instructive.

  • Format
  • hardcover
  • Pages
  • 301
  • Language
  • english
  • ISBN
  • 9781616143923
  • Release date
  • 2011