Date: Tuesday, October 16
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $5
Presented by Morbid Anatomy and C. Dru Munsell
Laura Merz is law enforcement professional with over 10 years experience in Criminal Investigation. Her new book, Bunny Suits of Death, Tales of a CSI, is a literary work is based on her experiences as a Crime Scene Investigator on the Wichita, KS police department where, as the newest Crime Scene Investigator for the Wichita Police Department, she finds herself out of her comfort zone and completely unprepared for the human dramas and comedies she encounters with each shift she works. She quickly learns that real life CSI work is nothing like what they show on television or what she studied in graduate school. She dusts for fingerprints, photographs bloody Klingon weapons, and desperately tries not to fall off the chair in her first court appearance. Merz also grows to understand the dangers of empathy and why police officers often have a tough exterior.
Tonight, join Observatory and Laura Merz for an illustrated lecture detailing the stories behind her new book.
Laura Merz is law enforcement professional with over 10 years experience in Criminal Investigation. Her areas of expertise include crime scene processing, interviewing, evidence collection, blood spatter analysis, identifying manner of death, firearms identification, trial testimony, and counter terrorism and threat assessment. After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Physical Anthropology minor from Columbia University, Laura pursued her graduate work with The George Washington University where she received her Master’s degree in Forensic Science in 2002. Shortly after graduation Laura moved to Wichita, KS where she began her career as a crime scene investigator. In 2004 Laura began working as a Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) agent where she still works today. Throughout her career with NCIS, Laura has been assigned to Camp Pendleton, CA, Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan, and her current duty station, Naples, Italy. Special Agent Merz has provided consultation on all insider threat cases, terrorism, and counter-intelligence threats. Additionally, she has routinely been selected to provide counter terrorism and port support activities for the U.S. Navy, and led the major response team unit providing supervision for all response agents.