Firearm and Toolmark Examination and Identification

Dr. Max M. Houck is an international forensic expert with over 25 years of experience. Houck has experience in the private sector, academia, local government, and worked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory Division. He has worked as a forensic anthropologist, a trace evidence analyst, a researcher, and has managed millions of dollars in grants and awards. Most recently, he was the inaugural Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences in Washington, D.C., overseeing 150 employees and managing the forensic science laboratory, the public health laboratory, and crime scene sciences for the nation's capital. Houck has worked on a number of mass casualty scenes, including the Branch Davidian Investigation and the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.
Widely published, Houck has dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and is the author and editor of numerous books. He is co-author of the best-selling Fundamentals of Forensic Science, Science of Crime Scenes, and Success with Expert Testimony, among others. He is the editor of the Advanced Forensic Science series of books. Houck is also founding co-editor of Forensic Science Policy and Management (the official journal of ASCLD), the only journal that addresses the management, policy, and administration of forensic science.
Houck has served on numerous committees, including for the National Academies of Science, NIST, Interpol, The Royal Society, the Director of the FBI, and the White House. He is a popular public speaker and has given presentations at NASA, the Max Planck Institute, an Oxford Roundtable, as well as keynote talks at numerous international conferences. Houck has taught at several universities, including West Virginia University and University of Tampa. His research topics include management, leadership, and policy implications for forensic organizations.
Houck has a Bachelors and Masters degree in anthropology from Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry Summa Cum Laude from Curtin University in Perth, Australia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Editor: Biography Contributors Series Foreword

*Please note each section will include Key Terms, Review Questions, Discussion Questions, and Additional Readings sections.

Section 1: Introduction Basic Principles of Forensic Sciences F. Crispino and M.M. Houck

Forensic Classification of Evidence M.M. Houck

Interpretation/The Comparative Method M.M. Houck

Section 2: Methods Laboratory Analysis S.G. Bunch

Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, and Verification (ACE-V) L. Tierney

Range M.M. Houck

Shotgun Ammunition on a Target M.S. Bonfanti and J. De Kinder

Physical Match Y. Shor , Y. Yekutieli , S. Wiesner and T. Tsach

Tools R.G. Nichols

Humane Killing Tools S. Pollak and P. Saukko

Section 3: Drugs Sequential Unmasking: Minimizing Observer Effects in Forensic Science K. Inman and N. Rudin

Overview and Meaning of Identification/ Individualization C. Champod

Sharp trauma U. Schmidt

Gunshot wounds S. Pollak and P. Saukko

Section 4: Fire and Arson Residues W.F. Rowe

Overview, Analysis, and Interpretation F.S. Romolo

Plastic Bag Striations C. Roux, S. Hales, M. Morelato, and S. Olinder

Serial Number M.M. Houck

Footwear Marks L. Hammer

Vehicle Tire Marks and Tire Track Measurement W.J. Bodziak

Crime Scene Analysis and Reconstruction W.J. Chisum

Section 5: Explosives Crime Scene to Court K. Ramsey and E. Burton

Forensic Laboratory Reports J. Epstein

Health and Safety N. Scudder and B. Saw

Measurement Uncertainty Ted Vosk