Customer Reviews

Cold Case Homicides: Practical Investigative Techniques

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Dr. Richard Walton's COLD CASE HOMICIDES is not just a textbook for cops and criminalists. His well researched, plain talking "How To" is for anyone and everyone interested in knowing how a real murder case is painstakingly put together, a fiber of trace evidence here, a reinterview of a cold case witness there, until it is solved. Its all here, from crime-scene to courtroom. This is a must have, easy reading reference book that should be in the library of every mystery fan and writer. Law enforcement professionals know the value of this book and I expect it has already been shipped to most police academies and Criminology 101 classes. But, I believe the book's greatest contribution will come from how it informs the layperson of how real cold case murder investigations should be conducted. Congratulations to Dr. Walton on a job WELL DONE.

Steve Hodel
L.A.P.D. Homicide Detective Supervisor (ret.)
Author, Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder

I am a retired Chief Investigator for a DA's office in California with over 30 years of criminal investigation experience. I currently operate a private investigation business, also in California. I have specialized in the investigation of violent crime for decades and have taught related courses at the college level. This textbook is by far the best homicide investigation textbook that I have ever encountered. While the title might lead one to believe it is primarily a "Cold Case Homicide" textbook, it is actually the best text on ALL homicide investigations that I've found. It's a "must have" for anyone involved in such investigations or teaching a course on any kind of homicide or other violent crime.

Dr. Walton has done an excellent job of presenting one of the few textbooks on this topic. This is a thoroughly researched and carefully documented book containing not only Dr. Walton's expertise on the subject matter but that of several other experts in the fields of behavioral profiling, geographic profiling, forensic document examination, and forensic dentistry. The illustrations are excellent and tell much of the story visually. The last chapter, which details how investigators solved one of the oldest cold cases to date had me reading late into the night, even though I knew how it ended from reading newspaper articles at the time!

Richard Walton's COLD CASE HOMICIDES: Practical Investigative Techniques provides the law enforcement and forensic communities with the most important and comprehensive work to date on the subject of cold case homicide investigation. Walton has combined his thirty years of law enforcement experience and his impressive graduate work to merge theory and practice into impressive textbook. The case history format, which I find to me an excellent methodology, combined with the checklists, photographs and illustrations makes this book easy to read and comprehend.

Walton has provided the definitive roadmap for those who wish to successfully investigate cold case homicides. His innovative and time proven methods offer the reader a realistic overview of the cold case homicide and details various investigative methods to be used in this inquiry. Walton also provides practical and current information technology and advanced investigative tools, which have allowed law enforcement to re-examine cold cases with new forensic tools.

This publication is an invaluable asset to law enforcement and I am proud to have this book in my Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigation Series.

Lt. Cmdr. Vernon J. Geberth, M.S., M.P.S
Author Practical Homicide Investigation
Series Editor, Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigation
Taylor & Francis

I bought and read this book because I'm related to Walter David, accused along with Jack Ryan, in the 1925 murder Dr. Walton refers to in the introduction and throughout the book. This book is very readable, even for non-professionals. I learned a lot and can see this would be a very helpful textbook for law enforcement professionals wanting to learn more about investigating cold cases.

I wish Dr. Walton great success. His investigation became a 13 year hunt for the truth, resulting in the long overdue pardon of Jack Ryan.