About Lee Lofland.

Lee Lofland is a veteran police investigator who began his law-enforcement career working as a sheriff’s patrol deputy. He worked many assignments and details before fnally reaching his goal of becoming an investigator. Along the way, he gained a breadth of experience that’s unusual to find in the career of a single officer.

During Lee’s career, he solved cases in areas including narcotics, homicide, rape, murder-for-hire, robbery, burglary, and ritualistic and occult crimes. He worked as an undercover officer for several jurisdictions, and he even spent a few years as a narcotics K-9 handler. He received basic and advanced certifications from the U.S. Department of Justice, Virginia Department of Justice, Virginia State Police Academy, and the DEA, and he maintained certificates in Crime Scene Management and Crime Scene Investigations, among others. He also supervised a Street Crimes Unit and Tactical Entry Teams for the execution of high-risk search warrants. He even served as an Internal Affairs Investigator.

During his career, Lee served as a law enforcement training academy instructor and instructor trainer. During his tenure at the academy, he taught defensive tactics, driver training/EVOC, bloodstain pattern interpretations, bloodborne pathogens, firearms, knife and stick fighting, officer survival, interview and interrogation, and CPR and first aid.

Lee saw the toughest parts of law enforcement first hand. He had to shoot and kill an armed bank robber—something every police officer hopes he never has to do—and was awarded the medal of valor for his conduct. Lee also witnessed the execution of one of the country’s worst serial killers who Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling book, Postmortem was based upon. The execution was the first in the U.S.A resulting from a verdict based on the use of DNA.

It’s thrilling to listen to Lee describe his career. He’s a born raconteur, able to depict the gamut of police work from the often-monotonous daily routine to the piercing moments of absolute terror. His wit and humor shed light to a side of law enforcement most have never seen.

Lee divides his time speaking, consulting, and writing. He’s a proud member of the National Sheriffs’ Association, International Literacy Association, International Thriller Writers (ITW), Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and The Authors Guild. He previously served as Board Member on the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, NCADD in the Silicon Valley, an Advisory Board Member for ECPI’s criminal justice program in Greensboro, N.C.,  and as a Board Member for the New England chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

Lee is the author of the popular book, “Police Procedure and Investigation, a Guide for Writers” (Writer’s Digest Book/Penguin Random House). He wrote regularly featured articles for Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and he has published true crime and crime fiction.

He’s written articles for both Mystery Writers of America and Sisters In Crime newsletters. He also writes regular features and exclusives for newspapers across the country. Lee’s published articles in both The Writer magazine and Writer’s Digest Magazine, and has served as a consultant for Slate Magazine, Spike TV, Fox News, and for many well-known bestselling authors, and for writers of popular TV shows and films. As an expert, Lee has appeared on BBC television, CNN, and on NPR radio’s Talk of the Nation, Public Television, and he’s the host and founder of Writers’ Police Academy Online, and of the Writers’ Police Academy, a fun and exciting hands-on event for writers.

As a subject matter expert, Lee has presented workshops, classes, and training sessions at law enforcement training academies, universities, and colleges, and at writers clubs and meetings, and online courses, such as Writers’ Police Academy Online and advanced courses forAutoCrit, the popular online manuscript editing tool. Additionally, he’s served as a featured presenter and keynote speaker at numerous conferences and events across the U.S.

In 2024, Writers’ Police Academy hosted the special event, Killer Con, which consisted of four days of exciting hands-on homicide and crime scene investigator instruction at a renowned law enforcement training academy. Lee was proud to swear-in as Honorary Sheriff, internationally bestselling author and 2024 Guest of Honor, Charlaine Harris.

Killer Con classes were taught by DOJ-certified instructors, instructor trainers, homicide investigators, medical examiners and coroners, and other top law enforcement and forensics experts from around the country. Real police equipment, tools of the trade, and vehicles were part of the intense training sessions.

In 2019, Heather Graham was sworn-in as Honorary Sheriff of the 2019 Writers’ Police Academy/MurderCon, a position held by Jeffery Deaver is 2018, Craig Johnson in 2017, Tami Hoag in 2016, Karin Slaughter in 2015, Michael Connelly in 2014 and Lisa Gardner in 2013. Lee Child served as the 2012 Honorary Sheriff. Christopher Reich in 2011 and Jeffery Deaver again in 2010.

David Baldacci was to be named honorary sheriff of the 2020 Writers’ Police Academy; however, the event was cancelled due to COVID. In lieu of the in-person event, MurderCon went virtual and was a huge success, featuring two full days of live, interactive classes. In 2021, Andrew Grant (Child) was named Guest of Honor for MurderCon, a special event hosted by the WPA and Sirchie.

The 2022 Writers’ Police Academy returned to an in-person, live event in Green Bay, Wi. with Robert Dugoni as Guest of Honor.

In 2024, Writers’ Police Academy hosted the special event, Killer Con, which consisted of four days of exciting hands-on homicide and crime scene investigator instruction at a renowned law enforcement training academy. Internationally bestselling author Charlaine Harris served as the 2024 Guest of Honor.

Killer Con classes were taught by DOJ-certified instructors, instructor trainers, homicide investigators, medical examiners and coroners, and other top law enforcement and forensics experts from around the country. Real police equipment, tools of the trade, and vehicles were part of the intense training sessions.

Little Known Fact About Lee…

Lee is a relative of Dr. John Lofland, the Milford Bard.

Dr. Lofland was the first official poet for the State of Delaware and authored The Poetical and Prose Writings of Dr. John Lofland, the Milford Bard.

In 1830 John Lofland accepted a challenge from Edgar Allan Poe at the Stars and Stripes Tavern on Water St. in Baltimore Md. The challenge was to see which of the two could write the greater number of verses. Poe lost to Lofland in the marathon contest and was obligated to pay for dinner and drinks for his good friend. This is proof a Lofland received the first ever Edgar Award, dinner and drinks from Poe himself!

Cops, Crooks & Crime Scenes.

Lee Lofland, author of Police Procedure and Investigation, A Guide For Writers. Lee is a nationally acclaimed expert on police procedure and crime-scene investigation, and is a popular conference, workshop, and motivational speaker. In addition to his books, Lee has written freelance articles for publications such as Writers Digest and The Writer. He has also penned articles for many newspapers and newsletters across the country.

Lee has consulted for many bestselling authors, television and film writers, and for online magazines, such as Slate Magazine. Lee has appeared as an expert on national television, BBC Television, and radio shows, such as NPR’s Talk of the Nation.

The Graveyard Shift, a wildly popular blog about cops, crooks, and crime scene investigation, is Lee’s creation. The blog is updated daily with current law enforcement topics, such as autopsy, police tools and equipment, courts, and prisons and jails. The Graveyard Shift also features guest experts, bestselling authors, top literary agents, and publishers.

Lee is the host and founder of the Writers’ Police Academy an exciting, one-of-a-kind, hands-on events where writers, readers, and fans learn and train at actual law enforcement training facilities. Author Robert Dugoni is the 2022 Writers’ Police Academy Guest of Honor.