Photograph of a book shelf with books and a person's hand taking a book of the shelfBook Review

 

 

 

 

Cadaver Dog Handbook: Forensic Training and Tactics for the Recovery of Human Remains by Andrew Rebmann, Edward David, and Marcella Sorg, published by CRC Press, New York, New York, 2000.

Every investigator should own the Cadaver Dog Handbook. The three authors bring with them an extensive amount of forensic training and experience. Rebmann, an experienced handler/trainer, has participated in over 1,000 searches. David, a medical examiner, holds both an M.D. and a Juris Doctorate. Sorg, a forensic anthropologist, holds a Ph.D. This vast range of expertise
provides the reader with a unique view of the application of canines for the detection of human remains.

Divided into 10 chapters, the book “adopts an interdisciplinary approach, which renders the text useful to virtually all participants in the search for and the evaluation of human remains.” Chapters 1 and 2 examine the history of cadaver dogs and explain the basis of how canines use scent, which proves valuable for handlers of any type of service dog.

Chapters 3 and 4 explain the methods of training a cadaver dog and the handling and use of training aids. Chapters 5 and 6 take a critical look at professional standards and legal issues, including the importance of proper methods for record keeping, court testimony, and qualifying as an expert witness as components of credibility of a canine handler. These chapters also examine guidelines for conducting warranted and warrantless searches to reduce potential liability on the part of the canine handler.

Chapters 7 and 8 contain insightful information regarding search requests and the development of a search strategy. These chapters outline a number of factors, including environmental concerns, that determine the feasibility of conducting a search.
Chapter 9 discusses the decomposition processes. This chapter dissects the natural processes that occur in outdoor death scenes. Knowledge of these factors increases the probability for successful recovery of evidence.

Chapters 10, 11, and 12 discuss the different types of searches and offer suggestions for the successful recovery of physical evidence. An abundance of easy-to-read diagrams assists the novice investigator in planning a search. Chapter 12 also contains detailed suggestions for conducting water searches under a variety of water and wind conditions. This is invaluable due to the lack of literature in this particular discipline of cadaver searches.

Overall, the Cadaver Dog Handbook presents itself as a quick reference guide on a range of subjects within the framework of forensics. The subject material is easily translated into potential applications for practitioners in the field, as well as those involved in the prosecution or defense of cases involving forensic evidence. Rebmann, David, and Sorg do a wonderful job of providing a foundation for the understanding of scent evidence and are a welcome addition to the limited research in this field. Handlers and administrators, as well as researchers and legal experts, should review this text and determine its many applications for themselves.

Reviewed by
Charles Mesloh, Ph.D. student
University of Central Florida
Jennifer James, M.P.A. student
Florida Gulf Coast University

 

 
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