Criminal Investigation

Michael D. Lyman is Professor of Criminal Justice at Columbia College of Missouri, located in Columbia, MO. In addition to being a teaching faculty member, he serves as the program Coordinator for the Master of Science of Criminal Justice Program and the founder of the college’s Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science Program. Before entering the field of college teaching, he was employed as a criminal investigator for state police organizations in Kansas and Oklahoma and has taught literally thousands of law enforcement officers in the proper police techniques and methods of professional criminal investigation. Dr. Lyman has authored numerous textbooks in criminal justice dealing with the areas of criminal investigation, policing, organized crime, drug enforcement, and drug trafficking. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wichita State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri–Columbia. He has been called upon on an estimated 300 occasions by law enforcement and the legal communities to review criminal investigations and render the results of his evaluations and his opinions in federal court proceedings nationwide.   Textbooks are an ongoing work in progress, and the author welcomes communication and correspondence about his work. Dr. Lyman can be contacted at Columbia College, 1001 Rogers Street, Columbia, MO 65216 or at mlyman@cougarsccis.edu.

Part 1: Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation

1.   Foundations And History Of Criminal Investigation

2.   The Crime Scene: Identification and Collection of Evidence

3.   The Crime Science: Field Notes, Documenting, and Reporting

Part 2: Follow-Up Investigative Processes

4.   Identification of Criminal Suspects: Field and Laboratory Services

5.   Legal Issues in Criminal Investigation

Part 3: Information Gathering

6.   Interviews and Interrogations

7.   Criminal Intelligence and Surveillance Operations

8.   Management of Informants and Undercover Operations

Part 4: Crimes Against Persons

9.   Death Investigations

10.  Robbery

11.  Assault and Related Offenses

12.  Missing and Abducted Persons

13.  Crimes against Children: Child Abuse, Child Fatalities, and Exploitation

Part 5: Crimes Against Property

14.  Theft-Related Offenses

15.  Arson, Bombings, and Terrorism

Part 6: Vice and Profit-Related Crime

16.  Special Investigations: Drug Trafficking and Gangs

17.  Special Investigations: White-Collar, Corporate, and Computer-Related Crimes

Part 7: Prosecution

18.  Preparation for Court