Land of the Dead , he seems to have either softened a bit in his dim view of civilization—because in that more whole cities have survived 16 —or taken a bigger picture view and granted that not everyone on earth would turn out to be a gutless, backstabbing jackass or a failed hero. In that film both the humans and the zombies seem to be evolving to a higher level, though truth be told more of the zombies display admirable qualities (ranging from basic problem solving to genuine remorse for a fallen comrade) than do the humans. A few good guys manage to escape in the end; but few enough to suggest that Romero hasn’t exactly gone all fuzzy-bunny on us. He’s still the ruling monarch of dystopia.
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Art of the Dead—Frank Dietz
The Living Dead
“ Night of the Living Dead is iconic, a truly landmark film. There have been better zombie films made, but there will never be a more important or influential one.”
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Z OMBIE CSU
So, now that we know the basic nature of the beast, let’s go deeper into the science to understand the why of zombies, and the how of stopping them. In each of the following chapters we’ll get into the nuts and bolts of how forensics, science, law enforcement, and the law operate. Each chapter is broken into:
Just the Facts: These sections present the hard science from the real world, and here we’ll explore the different aspects of forensics (fingerprinting, blood spatter, gunshot residue, etc.); learn how modern police operate; probe the intricacies of medical science; discuss guns and ammo; report on how the press covers a story; and take a hard look at the law.
Expert Witness: This is where the experts speak out about their fields of study and their insights. I have a great collection of world-class experts in every field related to crime and punishment.
The Zombie Factor: And here we ask my experts to play “what if” and apply their years of experience and insights into how science and the law would react and respond to a zombie uprising.
The Final Verdict: A brief recap of the facts, evidence, and decision based on what they have told us.
Buckle up…it’s about to get a little weird.
The Murder Book
Investigating an Alleged Zombie Attack
Confronting the Undead by Kevin Breaux
I n police parlance a “Murder Book” is a three-ring binder in which all the pertinent facts of a case are kept. This book, also called a case file, includes autopsy and forensic reports, crime scene photographs and sketches, transcripts of investigators’ notes, and logs of witness interviews. The Murder Book starts as soon as police begin investigating a homicide and concludes with the arrest of a suspect.
Let’s start building our Zombie Murder Book together…
J UST THE F ACTS
The Scene of the Crime
To understand how police handle a crime, we’ll use the following scenario, which will help us set time, place, and other details necessary to create a platform on which the police will build their case. For the most part, and especially in the early stages, the police procedures will be the same for any kind of serious crime (even those that don’t involve the living dead).
Zombie Attack Scenario
Time: Early evening on a weeknight.
Location: A medical research center in the suburbs of a large city. A two-lane blacktop road runs past the truck delivery gate of the research center. The research center has a chain-link fence, an electric gate, and a small guardhouse. The lot is big, with delivery trucks of various sizes parked and locked. The building is locked and dark, closed for the evening. Several light poles cast some light, but large portions of the parking lot are in shadows.
Traffic on the road is infrequent.
Witness: Sheila Wilson, 49, a new accounts manager for a local branch of a regional banking chain. Ms. Wilson drives a 2006 Ford Explorer and receives a cell phone call from a realtor.