Lay them to rest : on the road with the cold case investigators who identify the nameless

Lay them to rest On the road with the cold case investigators who identify the nameless

Laurah Norton

Book - 2023

"Fans of true crime shows like CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Law and Order know that when it comes to "getting the bad guy" behind bars, your best chance of success boils down to the strength of your evidence-and the forensic science used to obtain it. Beyond the silver screen, forensic science has been used for decades to help solve even the most tough-to-crack cases. In 2018, the accused Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo, was finally apprehended after a decades-long investigation thanks to a very recent technique called forensic genealogy, which has since led to the closure of hundreds of cold cases, bringing long-awaited justice to victims and families alike. But when it comes to solving these incredibly difficult case...s, forensic genealogy is just the tip of the iceberg-and many readers have no idea just how far down that iceberg goes. For Laurah Norton, forensic science was always more of a passion than anything else. But after learning about a mishandled 1990s cold case involving missing twins, she was spurred to action, eventually creating a massively popular podcast and building a platform that helped bring widespread attention and resources to the case. Lay Them To Rest builds on Laurah's fascination with these investigations, introducing readers to the history and evolution of forensic science, from the death masks used in Ancient Rome to the 3-D facial reconstruction technology used today. Incorporating the stories of real-life John & Jane Does across four centuries-and five countries-Laurah examines how changing identification methods have helped solve cases like The Boy in the Box, The Clocaenog Forest Man, and more. Along the way readers will also get to see Laurah solve a case in real time with forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Michael, as they try to determine the identity of "Ina" Jane Doe, a woman whose skull and vertebrae were found dangling in a bush in an Illinois park in 1993. More than just a chronicle of the history of forensics, Lay Them To Rest is also a celebration of the growing field of experts, forensic artists, and anthropologists (many of whom Laurah talks to in the book), who work tirelessly to bring closure to these unsolved cases. And of course, this book asks why some cases go unsolved, highlighting the "missing missing," the sex workers, undocumented, the cases that so desperately need our attention, but so rarely get it. Engrossing, informative, heartbreaking, and hopeful, Lay Them To Rest is a deep dive into the world of forensic science, showing readers how far we've come in cracking cases and catching killers, and illuminating just how far we have yet to go"--

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Subjects
Cold cases (Criminal investigation)
Murder victims > Identification.
Dead > Identification.
Forensic anthropology.
Forensic sciences.
forensic science.
MEDICAL / History.
Case studies.
Genres
Case studies
Published
New York : Hachette Books [2023]
Language
English
Main Author
Laurah Norton (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xxi, 324 pages, 8 unnumbered pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780306828805
9780306828812
  • Author's Note
  • Prologue: What Came Before
  • Chapter 1. The Case: The Woman in the Woods
  • Chapter 2. The Method: John and Jane Doe
  • Chapter 3. The Case: Assembly
  • Chapter 4. The Method: Forensic Anthropology
  • Chapter 5. The Case: Ina, Illinois
  • Chapter 6. The Method: Skeletal Analysis
  • Chapter 7. The Case: New Hampshire
  • Chapter 8. The Method: Dental Comparisons and Odontology
  • Chapter 9. The Case: A Trip to the Dentist
  • Chapter 10. The Method: Forensic Art
  • Chapter 11. The Case: The Reconstruction
  • Chapter 12. The Method: DNA Analysis and Investigative Genetic Genealogy
  • Chapter 13. The Case: Astrea
  • Chapter 14. The Case: Redgrave Research
  • Chapter 15. The Answer: Susan Minard Lund
  • Chapter 16. The Announcement
  • Epilogue: What Comes After
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Booklist Review

In this absolutely gripping book, Norton, host of The Fall Line, a podcast focusing on cold (unsolved) cases, presents a history of forensics; a look at the people who devote their lives to closing cases that have eluded investigators, sometimes for decades; and an examination of why a case might go cold in the first place. It's an ambitious project, full of technical details and terminology, but the science is always explained in a clear, accessible way. That's because it's really a book about people: victims, families of victims, investigators, and others whose lives are affected by the terrible acts of those who have long evaded justice. Norton's commitment to her subject matter is contagious. She writes with such passion that readers will get caught up in the stories of otherwise overlooked and nameless victims, become invested in the outcomes of the cases she's discussing, and share a sense of triumph when breakthroughs finally come. A fine and necessary addition to any nonfiction-crime aficionado's bookshelf, and to any library's true-crime section.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

The Fall Line podcaster Norton's gripping debut illuminates the plight of unidentified murder victims and their loved ones through the lens of a single cold case. In 1993, the partial remains of a Jane Doe (nicknamed "Ina," after a nearby town) were found in an Illinois state park; her killer left behind only her head and some attached vertebrae. In 2020, forensic anthropologist Amy Michael--a regular guest on Norton's podcast--learned of Ina's case and enlisted Norton to help her reopen the investigation. The pair solved part of the mystery after dental forensics revealed that the skull belonged to Susan Lund, who'd disappeared from Tennessee in 1992. Her killer remains unknown, however. Norton enriches her account with a focus on the technological and logistical hurdles similar inquiries face: as of 2022, for example, the NamUs database listed nearly 14,000 unidentified dead, but entries in that system are voluntary, suggesting that the true number is much higher. Norton's vivid prose (investigating cold cases opens "a vast warren of possibilities, twisting in against each other, recasting old suspicions that once lay dormant, bringing new ones to light") and thorough research shed light on both the difficulties of Jane and John Doe identification and the rewards it can provide for victims' families and friends. Fans of Paul Holes's Unmasked will find this fascinating. Agents: Meredith Miller and Lily Donlin, UTA. (Oct.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A comprehensive study of the difficult task of figuring out the identities of faceless victims of violent crime. One of the most astonishing facts in this book is that there are approximately 40,000 unidentified decedents in the U.S. each year. That is the official number, but the real count might be much higher. Many are people who were already marginalized: unhoused, undocumented immigrants, sex workers, and people with addictions or mental illnesses. Norton, an Atlanta-based writer, former academic, and podcaster, has long been fascinated with "cold cases," especially those in which the victim is hard to identify. The narrative follows her attempts to identify a victim whose severed head was found near a scenic lake in Illinois in 1993. The victim was known only as Ina Jane Doe for many years, and there were no real clues about the crime. Norton uses the case, and several others, to examine the new generation of forensic tools, such as DNA anthropology, skeletal analysis, dental comparisons, and genetic genealogy. In the case of Ina Jane Doe, it turned out that one tooth, which had been the subject of unusual dental treatment, was the key. The trail eventually led to a woman who had apparently gone shopping and never returned. The killer has not been found, but Norton and her colleagues were satisfied that they had given the victim an identity. It also gave the family a sense of closure. The author emphasizes that despite the available forensic tools, there are often many unanswered questions; this is not a TV show, where everything is neatly finalized before the credits roll. Norton's story sometimes becomes bogged down in details and detours, but it will appeal to fans of true-crime podcasts and documentaries, as well as Barbara Butcher's What the Dead Know and similar books. Norton's dive into forensic technology reveals a dark world that is being slowly illuminated by science and dedication. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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