Mr. Robert Chisnall, one of the most published authors on the forensic study and identification of knots, has written a manual, The Forensic Analysis of Knots and Ligatures, specifically on knots as applied to criminal investigations. He has testified in hundreds of criminal cases, many of them homicides, where knots played a major role.

Almost all of us use knots every day to tie our shoelaces, to tie a package closed or to tie down a load in the back of the pickup truck. There are many other fields where knots are used, such as mountain climbing and repelling, sailing, macramé, hunting and fishing, and even the medical field. At a crime scene, if you came across a knot used to tie a victim, how would you know what type of knot it is? If it turned out to be a very unusual type of knot, it may be a lead towards a particular suspect who has a history of using this knot.

In this book, you will learn how to collect and preserve knots from crime scenes for evidence. You will learn the terms of flypping, capsizement, chirality, knot memory, hitch, loop and wend. There are names and illustrations of hundreds of knots, expertly drawn by Mr. Chisnall. Several diagrams show the manner in which knots are tied.

Because Mr. Chisnall has investigated and testified in many criminal cases, he understands the importance of evidence, how to properly collect it and what information can be determined from it. This book is not simply about how to tie knots. There is a whole chapter on the concept of the required training and skills necessary to become an expert witness in the subject of knots. The preamble was written by Geoffrey Budworth, another top expert in the field of knot investigation. There is an extensive glossary, list of references, charts, and many excellent illustrations to demonstrate and identify the numerous knots listed in this book. This is the most definitive, comprehensive book on the forensic analysis of knots.

The Forensic Analysis of Knots and Ligatures by Robert Chisnall, ©2000, hardcover, 8 ½" x 11", 157 pages