Fire Scene Reconstruction and Investigation

The third installment in the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries—A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH—releases next month. As part of that event, we want to spend the next few weeks talking about some of the science that went into the book—both fire investigation and murder investigation following a fire.

During a fire, the first concern is to rescue any people or pets who might be in danger, followed by protection of that structure and adjacent structures. But once the fire is out and has cooled, the primary concern shifts to determining the cause of the blaze.

Depending on the jurisdiction, this investigation may be carried out by a fire marshall with arrest powers, or local police forces may be called in to assist. In Massachusetts, the location of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, the state Fire Marshal doesn’t actually investigate; instead, Massachusetts State Police troopers with full investigative powers are assigned to the Fire Investigation Unit. In A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH, we introduce a new character to the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries—Trooper Brianna ‘Bree’ Gilson from the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office. A former Salem fire fighter, Bree has crossed over to the police side of fire investigation, training to become a state trooper with the intent of joining the Fire Marshal’s Office. Because of her past experiences as a fire fighter, Bree proves to be a significant asset to Matt, Leigh, and the team in solving two fire-related deaths.

If any victims are found during the course of the investigation, the site is immediately considered a crime scene until investigators can determine the victim’s cause of death. In Massachusetts—with the exceptions of Boston, Springfield and Worcester which all have their own local homicide departments—officers from the Massachusetts State Police Detective Units are called in investigate all fire deaths.

The main difference between homicide and fire reconstructions is the destruction of the scene during a fire, compounded by the action of the fire fighters. Not only have multiple people stormed through the detective’s homicide scene, but items have been displaced by water (200 psi water streams pack a significant punch), melted by heat, and possibily exposed to weathering by elements such as ice and snow after the destruction of the surrounding building. It’s often a signficant challenge for both the homicide investigators and the fire marshal to determine what happened on site before the fire took hold.

Leaving aside potential deaths, what are the questions and challenges faced by the fire marshal? There are several main questions that must be answered in any fire investigation:

1. What is the point of origin of the fire?
2. What was the cause of the fire?
3. Was the fire accidental or intentional?
4. What accelerants might have contributed to the fire and its subsequent growth?
5. Who or what was responsible for the fire?
6. Were any crimes commited concurrent to the fire i.e. breaking and entering, burglary, or murder?

If arson is suspected, three things must be proved:

1. Physical destruction is a result of the fire.
2. The fire was started deliberately.
3. There was specific intent to start the fire—murder, monetary gain etc.

In the case of an associated death, several additional questions must be answered:

1. What caused the death?
2. What links the two occurences?

A death associated with a fire is not necessarily homicide; perhaps someone had a heart attack while cooking dinner and a subsequent stove fire burned down the house. But the possibility that a fire might have been set to destroy evidence and mask the identity of a victim must always be considered.

Next week, we’ll delve more deeply into fire investigation and explain how investigators determine the point of origin and how the fire started.

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A reminder to our readers that A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH will release April 18^th and be available shortly thereafter. This is the third installment in the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, following DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT, and the e-novella, NO ONE SEES ME ‘TIL I FALL.

If you want a chance to read our newest release weeks before it's available in stores, this is one of your last chances to win a free, signed ARC. Enter to win 1 of 3 copies in the Goodreads giveaway here!

Big Publishing News for Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries!

Ann and I are thrilled to have not one, but two publishing deals to announce today!

First of all, the paperback rights for DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT have been contracted by Harlequin Worldwide Mysteries. We’re thrilled that our debut novel will now be available in three formats—hardcover, ebook, and paperback—for accessible reading no matter what your preference. Recent discussions with Harlequin indicate a moved-up release date of December 2014 to the very early part of 2015. More on that when we know more.

But our really big news is that the fourth installment in the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER, has been accepted for publication by Five Star Publishing, which has released all the full length novels in our series to date. Described by our editor as our best book so far, we love this book for its blend of mystery and history.

Publishers Marketplace recently published the two official announcements. Big thanks to agent extraordinaire Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency for all her work on these deals:

March 3, 2014 - DEAD WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT by Jen Danna and Ann Vanderlaan

Fiction: Mystery/Crime

Jen Danna with Ann Vanderlaan's DEAD WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT, when a single human bone is found on a lonely stretch of coastline, a determined homicide detective and a reluctant scientist risk their lives when they join forces to bring a serial killer to justice, to Laura Barth at HQN Worldwide Mystery, in a nice deal, for publication in Fall 2015, by NicoleResciniti at The Seymour Agency (NA).

March 13, 2014 - TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER by Jen Danna and Ann Vanderlaan

Fiction: Mystery/Crime

Jen Danna with Ann Vanderlaan's TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER, the fourth book in the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, where a body discovered in a long-forgotten speakeasy proves to be ground zero for a cascade of murders through the decades, to Deni Dietz at Five Star, in a nice deal, for publication in Spring 2015, by NicoleResciniti at The Seymour Agency (NA).

TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER will be released either in March or April of 2015, so we’re pleased that this will keep the release of each installment in the series to less than a year apart. We can only write so fast because I still work full time in the research lab, but keeping the series rolling with regular release dates is very important to us.

So… what’s coming up next for Matt, Leigh and their team?

TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER

Prohibition was a time of clandestine excess—short skirts, drinking, dancing . . . and death. But a murder committed so many years ago still has the power to reverberate decades later with deadly consequences.

It’s a double surprise for Trooper Leigh Abbott as she investigates a cold case and discovers two murder victims in a historic nineteenth-century building. Together with forensic anthropologist Matt Lowell and medical examiner Dr. Edward Rowe, she uncovers the secrets of a long-forgotten, Prohibition-era speakeasy in the same building. But when the two victims are discovered to be relatives—their deaths separated by over eighty years—the case deepens, and suddenly the speakeasy is revealed as ground zero for a cascade of crimes through the decades. When a murder committed nearly forty years ago comes under fresh scrutiny, the team realizes that an innocent man was wrongly imprisoned and the real murderer is still at large. Now they must solve three murders spanning over eighty years if they hope to set a wronged man free.

A reminder to our readers that A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH will release April 18th and be available shortly thereafter. This is the third installment in the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, following DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT, and the e-novella, NO ONE SEES ME ‘TIL I FALL. To mark this event, next week we’re going to start a series of posts on fire investigation and forensics. Please join us for this fascinating topic.

Have You Registered For Bloody Words 2014 Yet?

Once a year, Canada welcomes mystery and crime fiction writers and readers from all over the world for our annual conference, Bloody Words. This year’s conference is rapidly approaching and will take place in Toronto from June 6–8. This year’s theme is ‘The Dance Macabre’, celebrating historical mysteries, but the conference isn’t solely about historicals—we’ll also celebrate everything from cozies to noir. This year’s guest of honour is well-known Canadian author Vicki Delany, the international guest of honour is Michael Jecks, master of the medieval murder mystery, and the Master of Ceremonies is the hilarious Melody Campbell.

I’m already registered and looking forward to it, but why should you consider going?

• Attendees: This conference isn’t just for writers, but for readers as well. I remember going to my first Bloody Words in 2010, and being pleasantly surprised at the number of readers attending. They sat in on lectures on craft and forensics, attended the banquet, went to readings, and had a chance to meet new authors and reacquaint themselves with old favourites.
• Panels and sessions: For the writers in the group, the sessions are many and varied. There’s great information for the beginner on how to outline, write, edit or pitch, and for more experienced authors, there are sessions on career management or how to maintain a series.
• Agent and editor pitch sessions: Do you have a new manuscript you want to get into an agent’s or editor’s hands? No better way to be able to really talk about your book than one-on-one. Sign up for a pitch session here. Also, as an aside, pitch sessions aren’t the only way to talk to agents about your book. At my first conference, I was chatting with an agent before the banquet and she requested the full manuscript simply based on that conversation. So there are many opportunities to meet with industry professionals.
• Loot bags: Because who doesn’t love free stuff?
• Sunday morning workshops: Want to get into the real nitty gritty of writing a gripping novel? These extended sessions taught by knowledgeable writers are a great way to really dive into your craft.
• Manuscript evaluations: You can sign up to have your manuscript evaluated by an editor or published author who will give detailed feedback on how to strengthen your story. But hurry, the deadline for manuscript evaluation submissions is April 1st! See more details here.
• Books with Legs: If you want to have a great laugh and to watch me prance down a catwalk wearing a funny hat and a placard of A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH, this is your chance. This Friday night event will be a fantastic (and no doubt hilarious) way to see attending authors highlight some of the best new fiction from the first half of 2014. Fashion show commentator Caro Soles will host the event and keep the audience in stiches.
• The banquet: This year everyone is invited to come dressed as their favourite mystery character, historical or contemporary. Now… where did I put my deerstalker cap?
• The dealers room: Want to pick up the newest book from that author you just saw on a terrific panel? The dealers room will be carrying books from attending authors as well as other reading-related items.
• The convenient location: Bloody Words is located this year at the Hyatt Regency on King Street in Toronto, right in the middle of the theater district. There’s a special conference room rate if you book before May 5th, so treat yourself to come a day or two early to see the city and catch a show before the conference fun begins.

Don’t miss out—Register for Bloody Words 2014 today!

Want to find out more? Follow @bloodywords2014 on Twitter, like Bloody Words 2014 on Facebook and always stay up to date at http://2014.bloodywords.com/!

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Its giveaway time again! Stop by Goodreads until Monday night at 11:59pm for the chance to win a signed ARC of A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH. Enter here!

An Ex-Student Speaks Out About Life at Florida’s Dozier Reform School

A few weeks ago, we covered a story about the Dozier Reform School for boys, a long established Florida institution. Open over a century, the school was constantly plagued with rumours of abuse ranging from beatings to rape to possibly murder. When forensic anthropologist Dr. Erin Kimmerle started an excavation on the grounds of the now-closed school in the fall of 2013, she found 55 bodies instead of the 31 presumed buried on the grounds. Recently returned to the school, Dr. Kimmerle hopes to find additional remains.

Shortly after we ran the Dozier post, a former student, Bill Price, contacted me and offered to share some of his experiences at the school with us. We’re very grateful to Bill for being willing to share some very difficult memories with us.

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White House Boys is a term used to indicate boys that attended the Dozier Reform School in Marianna, Florida during the 1950s and 1960s. Were you one of those boys?

I was sent to the school which was known as the Florida Industrial School for Boys at the time and was designed to house wayward and unmanageable children and at the same time teach them a trade. I was there in 1961–62.

Why were you sent to Dozier? How old were you?

I was sent to Marianna for running away from home to escape abusive stepfathers, which totaled 5 before I was 14.  This also meant that I was among 4 half brothers and sisters which made my sister and I the outcasts. I want to make you aware of something that might make more sense of my running away from home. My earliest memory was when I was seven in 1954. My brother and I were home alone and watching our green screen TV and Superman came on. I guess my brother wanted to see if it was possible for the bullet to bounce off and took a rifle, straightened a clothes hanger and shot himself in the heart. He ran in the room where I was and fell. I didn't know what to do or where anyone was and had to watch my brother die in front of me. My sister and I were put in an orphanage for 2 years in Salem, Va. because my mother couldn't take care of us in her condition. After 2 years she picked us up and we had a new father and now lived in Florida. I was born in Virginia. So at the age of 13 I ran away from home and no one cared or came looking for me. I had a friend and his mother helped me and fed me. I had never known anyone so kind in my life and she was involved in a car crash and once again I was fending for myself. One night I was with some friends and one of them did something stupid and took some money. We were all caught and given a slap on the wrist and released to our parents except me and my stepfather told them I ran away a long time ago and that they couldn't control me so I was sent to Marianna.

Was there a difference in treatment between the black and white students? What was the population difference between those two groups? How many boys were at Dozier during your years there?

At the time I was in Marianna the population reached about 600 or better and from what I had heard it was designed for 350 max. During my time there in 61–62 the blacks and whites were segregated and it was strictly forbidden to talk to the blacks when we crossed paths so we didn't discuss what was happening on either side with the other. That infraction was an automatic trip to the white house. I couldn't tell you the population difference at the time because we were not privy to any information about the black side.

What was the staff hierarchy at Dozier?

The school was run by the State of Florida and some of the people hired there by their own admission were uneducated and knew nothing of the psychology of discipline. These same people were promoted from cottage father which was nothing more than a glorified sitter, to disciplinarian and supervisor.

Did you receive any education during your time at the school?

As far as school, we did received schooling and I was fortunate enough to busy myself with the auto shop which came very handy to me later in life. I have read many say they were beaten for bad grades but I never experienced that so I guess the grades were good.

What types of manual labour did you do at the school?

My job during my stay there was lawn care and mowing. I mowed the entire property and when I finished I did it again for 2 years. I helped decorate the place for Christmas and all other maintenance.

How were rules at the school defined? What were the most frequently broken rules and what was the punishment for rule breaking? Was the punishment for breaking rules the same for all students?

When you arrived there you were taken through an orientation program to let you know the rules and they were pretty basic, no swearing, no disrespect, cleanliness. Word of mouth and trial and error were the way you tested the boundaries and learned the penalties for not conforming. The worst for me was right after I arrived I was told that I was disrespectful and was taken to the white house and given 25 licks for that. This was administered with a leather strap 3.5 to 4 inches wide with a formed handle and swung with all the force they could use and it was not confined to the buttocks, it was extended up the back and down the legs to prevent you from becoming numb and not feeling the lashes. Meaning it was a brutal whipping. After I received that whipping I ran away and stayed away for 3 days and when they caught me I was taken back and given 100 lashes which was the standard for running. This time I bled from my back to my knees and the cloth from my boxer shorts was imbedded in my skin. I was pretty docile for nearly a year after that and only got beaten one time for smoking and got 10 lashes for that. I was told that when I was sent there it was for 11 months and when I was scheduled to go home I couldn't because no one could be found for me to be released to. I was pretty upset over that and once again ran away. I tried to make it to Georgia to get out of this state and once again caught. I was taken back and given 100 lashes again and this time I was beaten worse. Two days after the beating I still couldn't sit down and had to go to the infirmary and found out that I had a broken coccyx bone and had to even stand and eat for 2 months. This time I was put in Pierce hall and fed Souza soup for 2 months which was a soup laced with Thorazine to make me more manageable and calm me down because I couldn't get out and was a danger to run again. After release from there I was still required to work but couldn't sit on tractor so I used a shovel. The punishment was not the same for all. If a child never had any visitors they were treated a lot worse because they couldn't report what was happening to them.

How did you finally get released? Did you return to your family?

Previously I mentioned my sister who was 4 years older and recently married a tomato grower’s son in Ruskin Fla and she contacted me when she found out where I was. No one ever told her where I was. She agreed to take me in since my Mother had moved to California. I was released to her and I graduated high school while living with her and working the tomato fields to pay for my way.

Have there been lasting scars for you as a result of your treatment at the school?

I can’t begin to tell you the lasting scars both mental and psychological. I do wake up in the middle of the night and the anxiety won’t allow me to return to sleep but it covers many years of my life not just the school, but it didn't help.

There are several I believe exaggerate their experience there but it is not for me to say,  I know that it was a big deal when you were sent back to your cottage that you show everyone what you got and how bad the bruises and cuts were. Many lived vicariously through the ones that were beaten. You know the ones that were and the ones that exaggerate by the way they describe it.  I was beaten by stepfathers with belts and one even beat me with his fists and none matched the pain of that strap.

Did you personally know any students who disappeared during their stay, or who were seriously or fatally injured at the hands of school disciplinarians?

I do remember the one time that I went to get the beating for smoking, I was waiting for my turn to go in and there was another kid in front of me that was screaming while being beaten and suddenly he stopped. Me and another kid were taken out of the white house and back to our cottage before we got our beating. We were taken back the next day to receive our licks. This was a very strange turn of events. It never happens except for that time. I believe they hurt that boy bad and rushed us out to cover it up.

I also played football for the school and at practice one day I heard and saw a big commotion going on inside the gym. We tried to go in but not allowed. After about 45 minutes we saw a couple boys carrying a stretcher with one of the boys on it and later told he died of a heart attack. I was later informed by the other players that he was made to run in the gym and not allowed to stop even though he complained about not being able to breathe. He did not receive medical help because they thought he was faking.

These are the only times I have firsthand knowledge of but was told of other things that had happened, including one kid getting shot and killed when he ran away. I was told that a deputy fired three warning shots and one hit him in the head. It turns out that it is not an urban legend, it did happen. I have often thought about the two times I ran away and that it could have been me. I survived it all. 

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Many thanks to Bill for sharing his experiences at Dozier with us and with our readers. Bill has kindly offered to drop by, so if you have any questions for him, please feel free to ask in the comments section. Please note that this is an emotional topic, and while we very much encourage comments, those comments will be moderated in the case of any personal attacks.