Katherine Ramsland - Beating the Devils Game: A History of Forensic Science and Criminal

PRAISE FOR THE WORKS OF KATHERINE RAMSLAND

BEATING THE DEVILS GAME

Enjoyable and instructive... [Dr. Ramsland] makes these forensic initiatives, and the inventors and investigators who nourished them, really come to life.

Taph.com

THE DEVILS DOZEN

Highlights [Ramslands] command of history and forensic knowledge, fusing it with her interesting and approachable narrative voice... The Devils Dozen is a collection of some of the most fascinating cases and instances of innovative investigation.

BioMedSearch.com

THE HUMAN PREDATOR

If youre looking for the perfect gift for someone whos riveted to television shows like CSI, you wont find a better one... This book is unique in the field.

truTV Crime Library

THE C.S.I. EFFECT

A fascinating must read for CSI fans and anyone interested in criminal justice.

Booklist

THE UNKNOWN DARKNESS:

PROFILING THE PREDATORS AMONG US

Coauthored with Gregg O. McCrary

A must read for true crime fans. A beautifully written expert analysis of high-profile killers.

Ann Rule

One of the most immensely readable and gripping accounts of serial murder I have ever read.

Colin Wilson, author of Serial Killers: A Study in the Psychology of Violence

THE FORENSIC SCIENCE OF C.S.I.

Fascinating... [A] must for anyone who wonders how the real crime solvers do it.

Michael Palmer

With the mind of a true investigator, Ramsland demystifies the world of forensics with authentic and vivid detail.

John Douglas

PIERCING THE DARKNESS:

UNDERCOVER WITH VAMPIRES IN AMERICA TODAY

A riveting read, a model of engaged journalism.

Publishers Weekly

Titles by Katherine Ramsland

THE FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY OF CRIMINAL MINDS

THE DEVILS DOZEN

TRUE STORIES OF C.S.I.

BEATING THE DEVILS GAME

THE C.S.I. EFFECT

THE HUMAN PREDATOR:

A HISTORICAL CHRONICLE OF SERIAL MURDER

AND FORENSIC INVESTIGATION

INSIDE THE MINDS OF MASS MURDERERS: WHY THEY KILL

A VOICE FOR THE DEAD:

A FORENSIC INVESTIGATORS PURSUIT OF TRUTH IN THE GRAVE

(with James E. Starrs)

THE SCIENCE OF COLD CASE FILES

THE UNKNOWN DARKNESS:

PROFILING THE PREDATORS AMONG US

(with Gregg O. McCrary)

THE SCIENCE OF VAMPIRES

THE CRIMINAL MIND:

A WRITERS GUIDE TO FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

THE FORENSIC SCIENCE OF C.S.I.

CEMETERY STORIES:

HAUNTED GRAVEYARDS, EMBALMING SECRETS,

AND THE LIFE OF A CORPSE AFTER DEATH

GHOST: INVESTIGATING THE OTHER SIDE

BLISS: WRITING TO FIND YOUR TRUE SELF

PIERCING THE DARKNESS:

UNDERCOVER WITH VAMPIRES IN AMERICA TODAY

DEAN KOONTZ: A WRITERS BIOGRAPHY

PRISM OF THE NIGHT: A BIOGRAPHY OF ANNE RICE

THE WITCHES COMPANION:

THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO

ANNE RICES LIVES OF THE MAYFAIR WITCHES

THE VAMPIRE COMPANION:

THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO

ANNE RICES THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES

THE ANNE RICE READER

THE ART OF LEARNING: A SELF-HELP MANUAL FOR STUDENTS

ENGAGING THE IMMEDIATE:

APPLYING KIERKEGAARDS INDIRECT COMMUNICATION

TO THE PRACTICE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

Novels

THE BLOOD HUNTERS

THE HEAT SEEKERS

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

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BEATING THE DEVILS GAME

A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author

Copyright 2007 by Katherine Ramsland.

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eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-17535-8

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley hardcover edition / September 2007

Berkley trade paperback edition / June 2008

Berkley premium edition / February 2014

Cover art by Gary S. Chapman/GettyImages.

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Version_1

BEATING THE DEVILS GAME

A HISTORY OF

FORENSIC SCIENCE AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D.

To my parents,

for their influence and support

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is the result of years of interaction with many people, as well as opportunities to research and write about forensic science. Ill probably miss someone, but among those whom I wish to acknowledge are:

John Silbersack, my multitalented literary agent and close friend, who understands me, maintains our vision, and keeps the momentum going.

Marilyn Bardsley, my editor and friend at Crime Library, who got me started writing about forensic science.

Ruth Osborne, who listens to me describe what Im writing, no matter how gruesome, and who proofread portions of the manuscript.

Dana DeVito, my coroner sister, who helps me be even more gruesome.

John Timpane, who has encouraged me every step of the way and provided material that was difficult to find.

Gregg McCrary, who taught me so much about profiling and investigation.

Robert Hare, whose work I deeply respect, and who provided me with great resources for understanding psychopaths.

James E. Starrs, who got me involved with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, not to mention let me be on his exhumation teams.

Forensic scientists, with whom Ive had many conversations: Traci Starrs, Karen Taylor, Jack Frost, Zack Lysek, Tom Crist, Henry Lee, Jack Levisky, Tim Palmbach, Michael Baden, Cyril Wecht, and Bill Bass.

Deborah Brown, whose friendship steered me toward the Nutshell Studies.

Kim Lionetti, who made the early push for me in publishing forensics books.

My mother, Barbara, who never discouraged me from my dark interests as I grew up, and my father, Henry, who always supported my education.

Karen Pepper, who provided research support and proofreading.

Karen Walton, who always reads my books, even when they scare her.

Ginjer Buchanan, my enthusiastic editor at Berkley, for her encouragement and interest in all that Im doing.

INTRODUCTION

Early in the morning of June 13, 1994, someone attacked and killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman outside Simpsons home in Brentwood, California. Both had been slashed to death with a knife, and from the extreme brutality of the attack, Nicole appeared to have been the target. That threw suspicion on her estranged ex-husband, former celebrity athlete O. J. Simpson. His arrest and trial brought to the publics awareness the nature of evidence handling and scientific analysis in a criminal investigation, during an age when a number of sophisticated procedures were being utilized. Spots of blood turned up in Simpsons vehicle and home, and he had a cut hand supposedly from the same night as the incident, but he protested that he was not guilty. Still, he did attempt to flee with a bundle of money and he penned a suicide note. He also had opportunity to commit the double homicide, as well as a history of threats and domestic violence involving Nicole.