Mayhem Panel on Forensics
Jan Burke, who is highly involved with the Crime Lab Project, pointed out that we need to be aware that there is a vast different between real life and TV and movies. The detectives still need to do their work. Many of the labs that work on DNA aren't accredited. Even the FBI has made mistakes with DNA. It's not the DNA that goes wrong, it's the people working with it who make the mistakes. Because readers have a vague idea at least crime scene investigation techniques, the author needs to have some knowledge too. Crime scene investigation varies from county to county, might even vary from shift to shift--and even who makes the decision as to whether or not there will be an autopsy. There is always the possibility of human error and cross contamination no matter how good the lab and the pathologist. Too much detail can date a book, because investigation techniques keep changing. Some author are getting too fascinated by all the new stuff and are forgetting to write a good s...