What are Petechiae?
Have you ever wondered how medical examiners can tell a person was smothered/strangled (asphyxia) if there is no ligature or damage to the neck? Although not 100% conclusive, the presence of petechiae can support such a finding. Figuring out how a person died can be pretty tricky if there isn’t some obvious trauma like a gunshot or knife wound. This is especially true if the victim is found in an otherwise benign setting, like in bed. Imagine finding an older woman dead in her bed. Imagine further she was in poor health. Is it possible the police could simply think the woman died from natural causes or some illness? Are there clues, so tiny, that they may be missed during casual observation? This is the reality that no CSI or detective wants to face and why autopsies are so commonly performed. Petechiae, also referred to as Petechial Hemorrhaging, are small pinpoint locations of bleeding where blood vessels have ruptured. They are most commonly seen in the eyes (and eyelids) but can also be found in the face, neck, and upper chest.
Sometimes they can be hard to spot. They are most easily seen against the white of the eye, but a trained forensic pathologist can easily spot them in other areas of the body as well. They can even be found on internal organs. These pin pricks occur when there is increased venous blood pressure. This is what commonly happens during asphyxiation. When a person’s airflow is cut off or restricted (smothering, suffocation, strangulation) the body struggles to breathe and move oxygenated blood to the vital organs. This increased pressure can be too much for the blood vessels and they simply burst open. Now this condition can also be seen in non-criminal deaths like drownings and certain heart failures so the presence of petechiae isn’t 100% conclusive for strangulation or smothering.
But if you are writing a scene in which a person dies (or is suspected of dying) from asphyxiation then you should consider mentioning petechiae. Of course, if the scene has been staged to look like a suffocation (such as placing a plastic bag over their head) but there is no petechiae then your detective characters should make note of the lack of petechiae. Petechiae is also very difficult to see in advanced stages of decomposition. In such cases the medical examiner may have to look for other evidence that might indicate strangulation such as ligatures. You could write a scene in which the petechiae are overlooked by a small town Coroner or inexperienced police investigator only to be discovered later by the state Medical Examiner. Of course, by that time the suspect may have had time to flee the area or get rid of incriminating evidence leaving your detective back at the drawing board. You could even have the victim’s body cremated and then your detective spots the petechiae in a photograph or from a notation in a report that describes a “rash”. Without the body it would only be speculation but it might cause your detective to suspect foul play where none existed before. The options are almost endless so have fun experimenting with different scenarios.
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Accidental Discharge: The Sympathetic Response
Note how the finger rests against the frame, not the trigger
Occasionally, CSIs have to respond to scenes where someone has accidentally discharged a firearm. Fortunately it’s not that often. Sometimes the victim offers colorful excuses like “I was just cleaning my gun when it went off” but other times they simply don’t practice good safety. The frequency of these mistakes can increase with alcohol, drug use, or surges in adrenalin. It is this last condition that most often causes police officers to accidentally discharge their weapons. That’s because arrests, especially after a foot chase, can be extremely stressful and cause an adrenalin rush. This reaction is called a sympathetic response. The human sympathetic nervous system is tied directly with our “fight or flight” instincts. This is important for writers because these responses are commonly encountered in high-octane thrillers and crime dramas.
This reaction can also happen when one hears gunfire. Imagine you are a police officer. You and your partner have someone at gunpoint when suddenly your partner shoots. It is possible to involuntarily jerk the trigger and fire your weapon as well following the sound of gunfire. This is one reason you don’t see police and military with their fingers on the trigger until they are ready to shoot. You can always spot an inexperienced shooter if they place their finger on the trigger while just holding the gun or moving through a scene. A good officer will rest his/her finger along the frame (side) of the weapon, never on the trigger.
Accidental discharges can also occur when an officer is either removing or replacing their weapon in the holster. When this happens the gun often discharges downwards. If the officer is lucky the bullet will embed in the ground. If not, they may get a bullet wound in the lower leg or foot. The below video shows a DEA agent who mishandles a firearms during a presentation to school kids and shoots himself in the foot right in the middle of the classroom! Now imagine that happens in your crime scene or in front of the media! It’s a very serious accident but as authors you can use this information to add some drama to a scene. During my career I kept expended bullets I found in the police parking lot walking from my car to my office. I found a total of four in five years. That means that at least four times someone discharged their weapon in the police parking lot accidentally and apparently never got caught. Kind of makes you think a little huh? What if an officer does this at a crime scene but never reports it out of embarrassment? I doubt this would happen in real life but a novel? What challenges would that potentially pose for your characters? How would they explain that “extra” bullet hole and bullet (especially if the officer collects the expended cartridge casing)?
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The Wrong Way to Measure a Knife Wound
Join me today over at the Crime Fiction Collective where I discuss the wrong way to measure a knife wound and how that may derail your scene and frustrate your characters. Hope to see you there!
Five Big No-No’s at the Crime Scene
I had to modify this list a little bit based on changes in technology so I’ll add another (older) no-no from the 1980′s and earlier for those of you who are writing novels from that time period. Technically there are a lot of what I call “no-no’s” at crime scenes but many are dependent on the particular aspects of the actual scene. A “no-no” is differentiated from other mistakes in that it causes a fundamental change in the scene or evidence that is unrecoverable. First responders, detectives, and others can forget these universal rules which invariably causes elevated blood pressure in the CSI! Reading over the list you might find it incredible that professional investigators could make these mistakes but we’re all human and sometimes in the heat of the moment your brain simply “jumps the track”. This is usually followed by a lot of ridicule, razzing, or brief suspension 
. You’ll notice once common “element” is the act of touching things. This is why so many CSIs tell others to either put their hands in their pockets or hold a pen and pad of paper so their hands are already full.
#1 Using the Toilet:
It’s almost unfathomable to me that a first responder would actually use the toilet at a crime scene but I guess sometimes you just have to go. Most of the time the officer just thinks it won’t matter but once the toilet is flushed there is no way to know for sure. Truthfully it probably doesn’t matter in a crime scene like a burglary, theft, or home invasion. The fear is when you have a death scene. Even if the body is in another room or on another floor it can still be a problem. I’ve never seen or heard of an officer or paramedic using the toilet on an obvious homicide scene. The problem is that not all homicides are obvious. Even with a “natural” death a person may be suffering from some affliction that causes them to vomit or pass loose stool. This is important to document. If an officer flushes the toilet before the evidence is photographed or collected then its gone…forever.
#2 Handling Anything Without Gloves:
It’s not just the criminals that forget to use gloves…it’s the cops too! This is very surprising to me because we supply them by the box full. It’s understandable (& excusable) if the officer is performing life saving duties or making an arrest but once the crime scene is secured the gloves should go on. I remember on one suspicious death scene I recovered like 20+ fingerprints from the detectives alone! The problem isn’t that they are leaving their own prints, it’s that they may be covering or smudging the suspect’s prints. Of course, this can be a good thing when you’re trying to inject some tension in your novel. Did they smudge the prints on accident or was it on purpose? Imagine if you have a rogue cop or paramedic who leaves their fingerprints at the crime scene but they were also there as a first responder! There are a lot of possibilities for writers.
#3 Moving Evidence:
There is a simple rule I try to follow at crime scenes. Don’t touch anything unless you are the one collecting it. Again, there are exigent circumstances wherein an officer may move a gun away from a suspect for safety reasons but once everything is secure there is no reason to move things. There is something alluring I guess about certain “key” pieces of evidence that some professionals can’t resist. Like a bloody knife that just calls out to be picked up. Humans are curious by nature and it takes some discipline to resist the urge to touch things and “take a closer look”. Imagine a dead body with a knife in his hand and a knife wound in his chest. Wouldn’t you want to know the orientation of that knife (blade facing in or out) in the hand? Certainly, but what if someone removed it and placed it on a nearby table without taking a picture or noting the orientation?
#4 Using the Computer (and other electronic devices):
Computers have become very common in residential and commercial crime scenes. Sometimes it is even considered evidence depending on the reported crime. Computers can hold anything from e-mails, financial documents, photographs, video, and much more. These files may contain valuable information proving motive, means, and opportunity. Television detectives just love to start typing away and opening files but this can change important data like the file’s date/time stamp and even compromise the file integrity. CSIs don’t even mess with computers unless that is our area of expertise. It can be tempting to dive into the files because we know there may be a gold mine of information on there but if you can’t then use the information in court it might as well be a twenty pound paperweight.
#5 Leaving Things Behind:
This covers a whole range of issues but basically it most often relates to products used by officers or others while on scene. The public sometimes thinks that CSIs and detectives show up, do our work, and then leave the scene, all in one episode. While this is true for minor scenes there are times when we may spend days or weeks at a crime scene. Not the whole time mind you but returning after breaks for sleep, court, and other things that force us to leave. We can’t just leave the crime scene unsecured though and so we basically post a guard (i.e. police officer or some other individual to keep an eye on things). Those security providers aren’t supposed to leave their “post” so they have to bring everything they need with them like food and beverages. This is where the problems begin. Suppose an officer (or two) is guarding the scene at night while the CSI is home sleeping. During the night they smoke a cigarette and toss the butt in the back yard (on reflexive action). Or they chew tobacco and spit it out on the back porch or even front driveway. CSIs may return later and think that is real evidence and collect it. The same is true of used drink containers (even if disposed of in the trash). I’ve been on scenes where there are used candy wrappers or drink containers and I’ve collected them thinking they might be evidence only to find out later they were discarded by officers guarding the scene. We may sort it out eventually but it takes time to chase red herrings and causes a lot of frustration.
Using the Telephone:
This is not a big concern these days because 99% of law enforcement officers have their own cell phone and fewer and fewer citizens have a land line. Twenty years ago however it was a different story. There is a lot of useful information you can get off a land line such as the last number called and the last number calling in. If the officer calls dispatch and then receives a call back then that information is gone. It wasn’t a big deal to have officers use the victim’s phone on minor crimes like burglary but once those habits form there is a real chance they’ll do it at the next homicide scene as well.
Other mistakes like opening doors, windows, turning on lights, etc. can be problematic but they generally don’t cause a ton of problems. In truth, any alteration of the scene can have disastrous consequences. It all boils down to how those actions affect our ability to discern the events comprising the commission of the crime. As a novelist you can use some of these issues to split your storyline or keep your reader off balance as they try to understand the elements of your crime; just as they affect real CSIs and detectives!
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Modern Broadheads: A “Sticking” Point
I know I’m a little late here but I just finished reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (better late than never right Suzanne?). I’m pretty sure I’m the last one on Earth to do so. Anyway, I loved the character Katniss Everdeen; a strong self-reliant woman and an archer. From the tales of Robin Hood, American Westerns, The Duke’s of Hazard, Rambo, and The Walking Dead archery makes an appearance here and there in popular media. In fact, my heroine Sarah Richards will be using a bow in a scene of the sequel to The Scent of Fear. While the use of bows and arrows for hunting and warfare dates back thousands of years, technology has propelled major improvements in the last few decades. Authors who choose to include archery into their novels need to be cognoscente of these changes to maintain realism.
Projectile points (i.e. arrowheads) have also gone through major changes over the years. Prehistoric humans used arrowheads fashioned from stone, bone, and ivory with a simple two-sided design. Later craftsmen used iron, bronze, and steel. There are two important factors to consider in the construction of modern broadheads; design and weight. Some of you may have experience with archery classes in school. Arrowheads in school settings or recreation centers are typically “practice” points (dull). Recently, a man in Russia was accidentally impaled through the neck with such a point while at a recreation center. Actually, that story typifies one common mistake I often see in film and novels. That is, the arrow sticking out of a person without actually passing all the way through.
The modern broadhead is designed to inflict massive damage to tissue. It can have as many as four sharpened “fins” spreading out from the point. This gives them incredible cutting power. When one of these broadheads hits tissue, even some bone, its not uncommon for it to pass completely through the target. I guess maybe it looks better on the big screen if the bad guy goes down with an arrow sticking out but unless the arrow strikes dense bone (vertebrae or skull) then it probably won’t happen.
The other important characteristic related to the broadhead is its grain weight. This is similar to a bullet. The higher the grain weight number the heavier it is. So why is this important for authors to understand? Simply put, the weight of the broadhead affects the point of aim. A 75 grain broadhead will be half the weight of a 150 grain. So an archer practicing with a 150 grain broadhead will have a more difficult time being accurate with a smaller or larger broadhead. The same is true with bullets. If your .270 rifle is sighted in using a 100 grain bullet it’s going to be less accurate (all things being equal) when using a 150 grain bullet. So its unlikely a character can just pick up any ‘ol bow and arrow and be accurate even if they practice all the time. That’s why I was so pleased to see Katniss take some practice shots with her new bow before using it in The Hunger Games. If you plan on introducing an archer in your storyline keep in mind how broadhead weight and design might “impact” your scene.
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What Does A Latent Fingerprint Card Look Like?
Placing lifting tape on card
Have you ever heard a CSI refer to a latent lift card? Chances are you have…but have you ever seen one? When CSIs develop a powdered fingerprint they have to lift it with tape. Then they affix the tape to a card which then allows the examiner to compare it without damaging it (since the powdered impression is protected by the tape). Some people think that the cards just contain fingerprints but that’s not true. Do you know what kind of information is (or should be) contained on it? A proper fingerprint lift card has two sides. Most cards are white colored about 3″ x 5″ card stock type paper. Black colored cards (glossy side) are also available for using light colored powders. Larger cards do exist for full hand or palm impressions as well but these are less commonly used. Generally the fingerprint side has a glossy finish. The other side of the card contains important information for the analyst and the courts. You see, it’s not enough to simply have a suspect fingerprint. You need to have additional value to give it any (legal) weight in court.
One important piece of information contained on the fingerprint side is what we refer to as an orientation arrow. This allows the examiner to orient the print on the object or surface it was lifted from. This helps the examiner determine how the object was touched. Common orientations include “up” (doors/windows), “front” (vehicles), “north” (horizontal plane), or some feature of the object like “towards muzzle” (firearms).
Latent lift card with prints and orientation arrow
The back side of the card contains a lot of important case information like the case report number. This is the unique number that identifies a specific call/location/crime. There are a lot of different formats but most contain a year and sequential number of the call (i.e. 2012-1234 or the 1,234 call to police in the year 2012). The location (address) of the call is also listed. Some crimes involve multiple locations. In a bank robbery you might have evidence recovered from the bank, getaway vehicle, and suspect’s residence for example. These areas may be processed over a couple of days as well so the date and time of collection/development is also important. Was this the print developed on March 20th or April 3rd?. The examiner’s name and badge number are also important for the chain of custody. A CSI may also make a small sketch (say of a car door window) and indicate exactly where the print was lifted. Simply saying it was collected from a window may not give an accurate picture. Was it from the top of the window or bottom? Was it on the inside (private) of the door or outside (public). All of this information is important to better evaluate the probative value of the print. A fingerprint on the outside of a victim’s vehicle may not be as suspicious as one found on the inside.
Back of lift card with case information and sketch. Notice the similar orientation arrow in sketch.
Now sometimes officers get distracted or busy and they forget to mark some or all of this information. This can cause a lot of uncertainty when evaluating the value of the evidence. Here is where it can get interesting for you as a writer. You can use this lack of information to create some uncertainty in your story. Imagine your CSI checks out evidence from a crime and finds a suspect fingerprint. But the card doesn’t say where the card was collected or who even collected it! You can’t even be sure it is associated with the crime in question because there is no case number on it. Isn’t it possible the officer mistakenly mixed it up with the cards from another case at the end of shift when they booked it into evidence? After all, how would they know right? Now this rarely happens and when it does it’s usually on a minor crime. But what if it was a homicide? You know Mr. X’s fingerprint was found, but where? Consider using that seemingly minor mistake to build a lot of tension and uncertainty in your plot.
Evidence of Bad Parenting
There are few scenes more emotionally charged than that of child abuse or death. Children are helpless and easy to victimize. As a result, we get pretty upset if they are injured or killed by the very people responsible for their care. Children may also be poor witnesses, unable to adequately explain how they were injured because of their age or fear of the suspect(s). Sometimes, no one is at fault for a child’s injury (bruise) or death (SIDS) but CSIs must investigate the scene to make sure there is no foul play or neglect that may have contributed to the child’s injuries or death. So what do CSIs look for at a crime scene in cases of child abuse and neglect?
Neglect or abuse can be an isolated incident but oftentimes children suffer poor living conditions over a long period of time. I’ve been in hundreds of homes and it’s pretty easy to see which parents take care of their children. Good parents will often go without modern luxuries to ensure their children have the best life possible. Bad parents on the other hand, often put their own priorities and needs ahead of their children. It’s pretty easy to spot too. That’s not to say that appearances are everything. Even a parent who provides a “good home” can commit an isolated act of abuse or infanticide, but the conditions of the crime scene are an important factor to assess.
Children are completely dependent on adults for their care. This includes personal hygiene, health/diet, clothing, education, and general welfare. All of these things cost money. Children may require cribs, clothing, diapers, formula, baby food, car seats, and various medicines in addition to luxuries like toys, books, movies, or games. A good parent will have all of these things in quantities and in good working order. I’ve seen plenty of “poor” parents keep a neat and tidy room for their children, stocked with diapers, clean clothing, and toys.
This is how good loving parents keep a baby room
Loving parents take hygiene seriously (and make it fun too)
In contrast, a neglectful parent may provide very little for their children. I remember one case of child abuse I investigated several years ago. I found a large (body sized) depression in the hallway wall. It was obvious he was forcibly thrown into it. When the father returned home he was all attitude. I documented the fact that the refrigerator was basically empty of food as were the cupboards. No milk, no peanut butter, you get the point. The house was also very messy but that doesn’t necessarily speak of neglect (kids can get messy). There were some things that really stood out to me relating to their income. The family lived in government housing which was heavily subsidized but they still had money for a very large flat screen television, expensive stereo system, smart phone, and other luxuries. Dad was wearing a chest full of gold jewelry and had $1500.00 worth of rims on his car. All of this “wealth” at the expense of his child’s welfare. Now poor living conditions are not corollary of abuse but they are supportive.
Bad parents prioritize food lower than other luxuries
So when you are developing a story involving child abuse, abduction, or any other child crime where a parent or babysitter is suspect, you should consider how you describe the conditions of the child’s home.
Overcoming Roadblocks & Fine Tuning Your Radar
Today I have a couple pf guest posts that you might find interesting. Over at author Terry O’Dell’s BLOG Terry’s Place I discuss my strategies for overcoming roadblocks encountered in writing (& at crime scenes). These obstacles can present some real challenges to writers but there are methods to navigate around them. I also have my regular every other Tuesday posting at the Crime Fiction Collective in which I relate a recent event that reminded me of the “radar” I developed as a CSI. CSIs and detectives are trained to spot little things that the average person may not. This is an important trait to consider when creating these characters and developing scenes in your novel. If you have some time today please drop by Terry’s place and the CFC to take a look.
A Peek Inside a CSI Fingerprint Kit
Have you ever wondered what was inside a fingerprint kit? One unique thing about a fingerprint kit is how dirty it gets. A CSI may have an immaculate camera bag or bloodstain collection kit but it is virtually impossible to avoid keeping a fingerprint kit clean. Kits are typically kept in a small hard shell tool box. These thing get thrown around in vehicles and scenes and it’s the best way to protect your tools and clean the outside should it get muddy or bloody. A fingerprint kit can be as varied as the examiner and most CSIs have slight differences in the types of gear they carry. Having said that, here are a few of the more common things you’ll find in a CSI fingerprint kit.
Fingerprint Case
Brushes and Wands: The fiberglass brush is the workhorse of most CSIs. They are cheap and effective. Modern ones have a plastic black handle but some older ones had a wooden handle that would eventually turn black with use. Over time these brushes will become filthy and haggard. “Cost sensitive” (i.e. ultra cheap) examiners will clean these brushes with mild soapy water but usually they are just replaced. Other specialized brushes include the traditional camel or squirrel hair (smaller brush with shorter/softer hairs) used for “fine” detail work in cleaning up the impression and the “feather duster” brush which resembles a small duster you may have at home. If you’re old enough to remember the Muppet Show think of Beaker’s hairdo. Keep in mind that a CSI will likely have a different brush for different types of powders. For example, they’ll have one fiberglass brush for black powder but a different fiberglass brush for fluorescent powders so they don’t “cross-contaminate” the powders. In addition to brushes a kit will likely contain a magnetic wand. A magnetic wand is used exclusively with magnetic fingerprint powders. The most common wands are about the size of a ball point pen but others can be larger (to hold more powder).
Inside the Kit
Various Fingerprint Brushes, Wands, and Powders
Powders: There are literally hundreds of powders available on the market. Various colors exist to provide contrast with a multitude of background colors. There are fluorescent powders of various colors which stand out at certain ultraviolet frequencies. There are even colored fluorescent magnetic powders. CSIs generally don’t carry more than a few basic types though. One of the most popular traditional powders is what we call “Bi-chromatic”. Basically it is a mix of black and grey colored powders so that developed prints will stand out on both light and dark colored surfaces. This is what most patrol officers carry as well for all their basic processing. Most CSIs carry traditional and magnetic powders in bi-chromatic or black colors. Most will also carry one general purpose jar of fluorescent powder.
Lifters and Cards: After a fingerprint is developed it needs to be lifted if possible. Basically this involves applying a clear tape to the print, lifting it off the surface (the powdered print stays on the tape) and then placing the tape on a backing card. Tape is generally 1″ to 2″ in width but larger rolls exist as well. The tape is either in a roll or in sheets about 4″ to 6″ in length. Backing cards are either glossy white (for dark powders) or black (for light colored powders). Some come with spaces on the back to fill in case information like the location, date, case #, etc. Most cards are 3″ x 5″ in size but larger ones exist for palm prints and full hand impressions.
Fingerprint Lifting Cards
Ink Pads: When we process a crime scene for fingerprints we ultimately want to make sure the prints we get are not from the residents or owners. To do this we take “elimination prints”. Using a small ink pad like the ones you see at your bank we take fingerprints from the people on scene and transfer them to appropriate fingerprint cards or strips.
CSIs may carry other specialized equipment or supplies in their kit like UV lights, reagents, magnifiers, etc as well but the above are the basics. Another type of kit is what we call a “deceased” kit (used for taking prints of dead people) but I’ll write about that in another post.
10 Great Crime Films You May Have Missed
![Cover of "Gorky Park [Region 2]"](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EQRVTY1KL._SL300_.jpg)
1. Gorky Park (1983)
An investigator (William Hurt) on the Moscow police force relentlessly pursues the solution to a triple homicide which occurred in Moscow’s Gorky Park. He finds that no one really wants him to solve the crime because it is just the tip of a complex conspiracy which involves the highest levels of the Moscow city government.
2. Jennifer 8 (1992)
A big city cop from LA moves to a small town police force and immediately finds himself investigating a murder. Using theories rejected by his colleagues, the cop, John Berlin, meets a young blind woman named Helena, who he is attracted to. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose and only John knows it.
3. Switchback (1997)
After discovering his son missing and the baby sitter murdered, an FBI agent tracks a serial killer he’s convinced committed the crimes. His investigation leads him to Texas, where two new murders match the killer’s pattern.
4. To Live & Die in LA (1985)
After ace counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) murders the partner of Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen), the gumshoe will stop at nothing to even the score. Big problem, though: Masters is, well, a master at the game and outfoxes Chance at every turn. Can Chance outwit him? William Friedkin directs this suspenseful, violent thriller with the City of Angels (a misnomer in this case) as the alluring backdrop.
5. Happy Texas (1999)
Mistaken as consultants to a beauty pageant in the town of Happy, Texas, two escaped convicts go along with the ruse, masquerading as gay lovers Harry (Jeremy Northam) and Wayne (Steve Zahn). In trying to teach Happy’s Junior Misses to win, the two run up against a sheriff (William H. Macy) with the hots for Harry, and a local teacher (Illeana Douglas) catches Wayne’s eye.
6. Clay Pigeons (1998)
Death seems to follow small-town Montanan Clay Birdwell wherever he goes. But the death toll climbs even higher when a fast-talking serial killer forges a friendship against Clay’s will, attracting the attention of a feisty FBI agent.
7. Insomnia (2002)
Sent to investigate the murder of a teenage girl in a small Alaska town, police detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) accidentally shoots his partner, Hap (Martin Donovan), while trying to apprehend a suspect (Robin Williams). But in spite of his guilt, he’s still determined to solve the case. Hilary Swank co-stars as a local detective who hampers Dormer’s efforts based on her suspicions about the circumstances of Hap’s death.
8. Shattered (1991)
A horrific car accident destroys the face and memory of Dan Merrick (Tom Berenger), while his beautiful wife (Greta Scacchi) remains unharmed. Although plastic surgeons repair the physical damage, Dan remembers nothing about his life before the accident. With time, however, Dan begins to realize his wife is trying to hide something from him. But what? It’s a tangled web of deception and intrigue he’s determined to solve. …
9. FEAR (1990)
Psychic Ally Sheedy helps police solve murders by mentally linking with the murderer. Then she discovers a murderer with the same talent – who wants to share the fear of his victims with her!
10. Thunderheart (1992)
When the FBI can’t crack a string of murders on a South Dakota Indian reservation, they send in fresh-faced field agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer), who lacks experience but holds a trump card: his quarter Sioux heritage. His cynical boss (Sam Shepard) and the local medicine man (Marvin Thin Elk) try to throw him off the trail. But as he gets closer to the truth, he must choose between upholding the law and honoring his roots.
BONUS: The Presidio (1988)
Murder is afoot at the Presidio, a military base on San Francisco’s perimeter. The civilian detective assigned to the case (Mark Harmon), no stranger to a uniform, must cooperate with an old rival (Sean Connery) — who happens to be the base commander. Personalities clash as the men work toward the same goal but in opposite directions. Meanwhile, the commander’s wild-child daughter (Meg Ryan) becomes an attractive distraction for the detective.
What films would you recommend? Comment below!
