The Los Angeles Visionaries Association, Esotouric and Professor Donald Johnson invite you to the Cal State Los Angeles teaching crime lab for an afternoon’s inquiry into the history and practice of forensic science in Southern California, in support of new research coming out of the Criminalistics Department.

The Los Angeles Visionaries Association, Esotouric and Professor Donald Johnson invite you to the Cal State Los Angeles teaching crime lab for an afternoon’s inquiry into the history and practice of forensic science in Southern California, in support of new research coming out of the Criminalistics Department.

Presentation #1: Death in Paradise

Author Brad Schreiber’s book Death In Paradise is the only authorized history of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. Join him for a wide-ranging talk about this historic office, its procedural innovations and high profile autopsies and inquests.

Among the many fascinating cases Brad will highlight are:

• The mysterious 1935 death of comedy film legend Thelma Todd. Found dead in her Pacific Palisades garage with her car engine running, Todd became the subject of a rare Coroner’s inquest, one that not only made a strong case for murder by her secret live-in lover but also raised issues regarding the Mob and even a supernatural element.
• The 1970 death of journalist Ruben Salazar following a Chicano anti-war parade in East Los Angeles. An LA Sheriff’s Department deputy fired a tear gas projectile through the curtain of the Silver Dollar Bar, suspecting there were armed men inside. Salazar’s near decapitation set off a storm of protest, another Coroner’s inquest and intense media scrutiny.
• The largest shootout in US history, featured in Brad’s new book Revolution’s End, during which almost 500 law enforcement officers surrounded a small South Los Angeles bungalow where six members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, kidnappers of heiress Patty Hearst, were hiding. The house burned to the ground, all six died, and Coroner Thomas Noguchi had to change his findings about the mysterious death of the SLA leader, Donald DeFreeze, a known police informant and prison victim of behavior modification.
• From the early days of gunfights and lynchings to the OJ Simpson case, Brad provides a unique perspective on the changing landscape of forensic science and Los Angeles history set against the backdrop of the Coroner’s Office.

Brad’s books will be available for purchase and signing during the event. Brad also hosts an all new Esotouric bus adventure on Saturday, February 11, Two Days in South LA: The 1974 SLA Shootout, which is based on his book, Revolution’s End.

Presentation #2: Crime Scene Investigation 101

Professor Don Johnson, head of the Cal State Los Angeles Criminalistics Department, offers an introduction to the art and science of crime scene investigation, in the spirit of his work with students beginning their careers as forensic investigators.

You’ll learn about the subtleties of cause of death analysis, how a range of circumstances can leave nearly identical physical evidence, the paraphilias and obsessions that compel criminals to act and the techniques that ensure a crime scene investigator doesn’t miss significant clues.

With ample time for Q&A and Professor Johnson’s trademark good humor, this master class in crime scene investigation is a rare opportunity for the lay public to get into the head of a working forensic scientist.