- Murder book
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In law enforcement parlance, the term murder book refers to the case file of a murder investigation. Typically, murder books include crime scene photographs and sketches, autopsy and forensic reports, transcripts of investigators' notes and witness interviews. The murder book encapsulates the complete paper trail of a murder investigation, from the time the murder is first reported through the arrest of a suspect.
Law enforcement agencies typically guard murder books carefully, and it is unusual for civilians to be given unfettered access to these kinds of records, especially for unsolved cases.
Contents
Murder book in modern culture
In films and television
A murder book featured heavily into the plot of the 2006-2008 ABC miniseries, Day Break.
Episode 387-1716 of the TV series, Law & Order, is titled "Murder Book" (2007)[1].
In the thriller, The Murder Book (2002) by Jonathan Kellerman, a murder book is sent to the psychologist Alex Delaware, renewing the hunt for a murderer in a twenty-year old case.
In literature and publications
American crime novelist, Michael Connelly, makes regular references to the meticulous murder books kept by LAPD detective Harry Bosch, particularly in The Black Echo, The Concrete Blonde, The Last Coyote, Trunk Music and The Closers.
References
See also
Categories:- Law enforcement terminology
- Law enforcement stubs
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