Murder Maps: Crime Scenes Revisited. Phrenology to Fingerprint. 1811-1911
Description
Vivid and intriguing, Murder Maps plots the nineteenth century’s most dramatic murders from around the world onto meticulous diagrams and period maps, and recounts the brilliant detective work that solved the cases.
Elegant period maps and compelling crime analysis illuminate this disquieting volume, which reexamines the most captivating and intriguing homicides of the nineteenth century. Organized geographically, the elements of each murder—from the prior movements of both killer and victim to the eventual location of the body—are meticulously replotted using archival maps and bespoke plans, taking readers on a perilous journey around the murder hot spots of the world.
From the “French Ripper,” Joseph Vacher, who roamed the French countryside brutally mutilating and murdering at least eleven people, to H. H. Holmes and his “Murder Castle” in Chicago, crime expert Dr. Drew Gray recounts the details of each case. His forensic examination uncovers both the horrifying details of the crimes themselves and the ingenious detective work that led to the capture of the murderers. Throughout the book, Gray highlights the development of police methods and technology, from the introduction of the police whistle to the standardization of the mug shot to the use of fingerprinting and radiotelegraphy in apprehending criminals.
Vividly recreating over one hundred individual murder cases through historic maps, photographs, newspaper excerpts, court papers, and police reports, Murder Maps is perfect for everyone interested in criminal history, forensics, or the macabre.
Praise for Murder Maps: Crime Scenes Revisited. Phrenology to Fingerprint. 1811-1911
Engrossing... A slew of historic prints—crime scene photos, mugshots, etc.—brings all of the individual entries to life.
— Fine Books & Collections
[A] coffee-table book for connoisseurs of murder and forensics... This
deeply researched book is an engrossing journey into the macabre world
of crime and punishment, exploring the origins of press sensationalism,
the public’s insatiable appetite for lurid accounts of murders, the rise
of forensic science, and the development of modern methods of
detection.
— Dean Jobb, Ellery Queen Mystery