Criminal Investigation

For courses in Criminal Investigation

This text is part of the Justice Series

Brief. Affordable. Visual.

Criminal Investigation, 3/e, provides an affordable, thought-provoking look at criminal investigations that uses clear writing and eye-catching visuals to get your students straight to the important concepts. By focusing on these core concepts, students will gain true understanding of the material, without becoming overwhelmed with unnecessary information. Lyman presents information that parallels the steps and considerations observed in an actual criminal investigation, blending scientific theories of crime detection with a practical approach to criminal investigation. The book's conversation-starting pedagogy encourages active participation in learning, moving students beyond memorization by engaging them in the latest research findings and current events shaping the field.

Michael D. Lyman is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Columbia College, located in Columbia, Missouri. 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 Forensic Science Program. Before entering the field of college teaching, he was employed as a certified police trainer and also served as a sworn criminal investigator for state police organizations in Kansas and Oklahoma. He 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 served law enforcement and legal communities on over 375 occasions to review criminal investigations and render the results of his evaluations and his opinions in federal court proceedings nationwide.

Textbooks such as this are an ongoing work in progress, and the author welcomes communication and correspondence about his work. Dr. Lyman can be contacted at Columbia College, Rogers Street, Columbia, MO or at mlyman@cougars.ccis.edu.