S2 Ep7: Cause of Death – Unknown

**We apologise for the variable sound quality on some of the season two episodes which were recorded during the 2020 lockdown. Please don't judge us too harshly - we're back in studio in season 3!** A bumper episode to end the season!  In 15% of homicide cases involving a female victim, the cause of death is unknown. Despite the huge advances in post-mortem sciences, pathologists are still faced with cases of suspicious death where the cause of death cannot be conclusively proved.  In this episode the team talk to a former member of the Thames River Police, Robert Jeffries, who worked on numerous cases where the cause of death could not be immediately established. They are also joined by Professor Angela Gallop, from Forensic Access (www.forensic-access.co.uk), one of the UK's leading experts in cold case investigations.  Please note that some listeners may find elements of the cases disturbing. Over six episodes, the team have investigated six causes of death: talking with experts, hearing how real life crime scenes are worked, exploring the latest innovations and discussing some famous cases.     If you want to know what criminal investigation is like in real life, then get ready for a podcast that puts YOU at the crime scene.   Subscribe now!   Lynda's new novel Judas Horse is out on 1st April 2021 in hardback, ebook and audiobook.  Discover more at: www.lyndalaplante.com/listening-to-the-dead/ And if you want to learn more about the Thames River Police you can visit Robert at his museum: www.thamespolicemuseum.org.uk/museum.html Credits   This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK   Host & Director: Jon Watt  Producer: Laura Makela  Sound Engineer: Chris Attaway  Theme music: Game Over by Magic in the Other  End music: Sweeney by Mike Relm 

Om Podcasten

If you want to know what criminal investigation is like in real life, then get ready for a podcast that puts YOU at the crime scene. This series will look at the latest developments, the famous cases and how the forensic scientists are meeting the challenge laid down by a criminal who is forensically aware. Lynda La Plante has always been fascinated by criminality and the people that solve crime. Her books are celebrated for their authentic depictions of crime scenes and police procedures – something she achieves through meticulous research with her colleague, CSI Cass Sutherland. Over six episodes, Lynda and Cass will investigate six branches of forensics: discussing their own experiences, talking with experts, hearing how real life crime scenes are worked, exploring the latest innovations and demonstrating how CSI fact is even more thrilling than CSI fiction. Episodes will reveal how plant regrowth can be used to track a killer’s path months after a crime was committed; how a fly on the wall can be more than an observer; why the ‘sibling defence’ can unravel DNA evidence; and why a dog’s nose can sniff out cases of arson that the scientists miss. A murderer is 20% more likely to be convicted if forensic evidence can be presented in court by the prosecution. Yet fingerprints are currently recovered from only 40% of crime scenes, and DNA at a mere 10%. Now more than ever, forensic scientists are under pressure to improve their success rate – their challenge is to advance their crafts and uncover the hidden clues that are left at every crime scene. Join author Lynda La Plante and former detective Cass Sutherland for a series that reveals the real secrets of CSI.