Thanks to the MI Chapter of the IAAI I'll be speaking this week at their annual conference. I'm looking forward to meeting a new crew of fire investigators and seeing some old friends, plus sharing some of my experiences and knowledge.
If any of you would like me to speak for your group, please see my website burnbostonburn.com and email me at authorwaynemiller@gmail.com
See the topics below that I instruct on as I relate them to the true crime cases from my 2 books. The presentations are both entertaining and informative, with great videos and photos from the investigations.
Burn Boston Burn: The Story of the 'Largest Arson Case in the History of the Country'
Wayne Miller, Author, Former Special Agent, Criminal Investigator and Certified Fire Investigator for the U. S. Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
While discussing the case, I'll speak on at least 18 different teaching
issues that presented themselves on this case, including:
significance of continued training,
importance of testing of hypotheses,
testifying as an expert,
serial arson cases-difficulty in connecting fires (God and Church serial arsonist),
first-hand analysis of psychology of serial arsonists,
profiling patterns,
conspiracy,
difficulties identifying motives,
large loss investigations,
public/ private relationships including outside sources,
using ATF (or other entities) for your benefit,
the paperwork including issues with NFIRS (or other fire reporting systems),
confessions need corroborating evidence,
the uniqueness of the Mr. Flare case— could it happen today,
forensics (Origin & Cause Analysis, Sample testing, Latent Fingerprints, Voice Analysis),
investigative techniques—surveillance, undercover recordings,
interviewing for search warrant probable cause,
using criminals as witnesses and preparing them for trial,
and how origin and cause determinations played a role in the case (the roles of fire science, fire dynamics, fire chemistry).
Bang Boom Burn
This course delves into techniques and considerations for conducting thorough investigations into arson-related incidents.
Participants will explore the intricacies of bombing scene investigations, learning how to effectively gather evidence and analyze complex crime scenes. The course also covers reverse stings—what they entail and how to implement them successfully in arson investigations.
Through in-depth case studies, participants will examine the challenges associated with arson-for-profit fires, gaining valuable insights into identifying motives and perpetrators.
Additionally, special considerations regarding large loss fires will be addressed, with a focus on notable incidents such as the DuPont Plaza Hotel Fire, the Meridian Bank Building Fire, and the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire.
Good teaching issues related to a serious subject.