The Graveyard Shift Blog

Since 2008, Lee Lofland has written over 2000 articles on his blog, The Graveyard Shift. Topics such as police procedure, forensics, criminal behavior, and what it’s like to be a cop has helped countless numbers of popular and aspiring writers.

His life’s mission – to remind writers that cordite is dead and gone. Just say no to cordite in your books!

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Brittney Griner, Hash Oil … and a Double Standard?

“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so…
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Solving Murders Using Maggots and Canned Tuna

Female blowflies lay eggs, hundreds of them, on moist and juicy decaying matter that’s rich in microbes. These egg-laying sites include, among others, rotting food and the decomposing corpses of animals and humans. Immediately…

Suicide by Cop: What If?

Each year, somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 people commit suicide in the United States. They take their own lives, leaving behind an average of six or more suicide survivors, the friends and family who deeply cared for the deceased person.…

A Writer’s Guide: Step Off the “Edge” and “Waive” Goodbye!

Do you ever find yourself searching for the perfect word(s) to help paint a scene with a bit more color and dazzle? Do your characters mumble and grumble about wanting to appear as if they know what they're doing and saying, instead of sounding…

In the Midnight Hour: A Cup of Joe, Maggots, Memories, and Run-On Sentences

Working the first 240 minutes of the graveyard shift, when the crazies and criminals come out to play, and when many normal and sane folks allow alcohol and drugs to take over the part of the mind that controls mean and nasty, is a timeframe…

Writers, Name Your Poison

Writers of various genres are forever devising clever ways to send murder victims to their graves with undetected causes of death. One such favored method, poisoning, has proven quite reliable on the written page. Here are a few of the deadly…

Elaine Munsch: An Arresting Visit – The Writer’s Police Academy in Wisconsin

Author Elaine Munsch joins us today to share her experiences at the 2022 Writers' Police Academy. Welcome to The Graveyard Shift, Elaine. It's always a pleasure to have a guest on the site. I'll now quickly exit and the floor is yours. For…

5 Ways Officers Can Avoid the Dreaded Pucker Factor

Pucker Factor. Two simple words that, when spoken separately, have truly harmless meanings. 1. Pucker: a rounded shape by folding or wrinkling, such as puckering your lips. 2. Factor: an element contributing to a result. However, when…
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Extracting Nuclear DNA from Hair Shafts is a “Hairy” Situation

Law enforcement officers collect a variety of evidence at crime scenes, such as bullet fragments, weapons, narcotics, and fingerprints. In addition, police gather body fluids, skin cells, bones, and hairs, hoping that one or more of those substances…
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Jimmy Bob “Peanut” Lawson: Button-Zinging At The Local Piggly Wiggly

Cap'n Rufus "Tater" Jenkins of the Cornsqueezins' County Sheriff's Office had a long night answering call after call---he-saids, she-saids, chasing a half-nekkid Peeping Tom through back yards and alleys, wrestlin' with a couple of drunks whose…

A Police K-9 Offers 8 Tips To Handlers

I'm currently working an extremely dangerous undercover assignment in a massive dog-fighting ring, but I've blown my cover to speak with you today about a very important subject---K-9 handlers. Please feel free to call me "Dawg." Not my real…

Day One – 2022 Writers’ Police Academy at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center

Upon arrival at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center in Appleton, Wisconsin, one of three fabulous venues for the 2022 Writers' Police Academy, Denene and I were immediately greeted by Mike Videc, the man in charge of the facility's operations.…

My Long and Winding Journey to the 2022 Writers’ Police Academy … and SpongeBob

The final two weeks of preparation for the annual Writers’ Police Academy passed by quickly, but eerily. I say it was eerie because there wasn’t a speck of trouble or problems. Well, other than presenters who backed out at the last minute.…

Writers’ Police Academy – Pre-Event Updates, Schedule Changes, and News

Okay, the really BIG NEWS first ... the REACHER PRIZE! Are you a fan of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels? Are you also a fan of the REACHER Amazon Prime television series? Yes? Have you ever wondered what it would be like…

Here’s How YOU Can Meet Jack Reacher!

Are you a fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels? Are you also a fan of the REACHER Amazon Prime television series? Yes? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to meet the real-life Jack Reacher, stunningly portrayed by Alan…

Tami Hoag Giveaway – Two Free Registrations to the 2022 Writers’ Police Academy!

Tami Hoag, the #1 international bestselling author of over thirty books, is GIVING AWAY two registrations ($515 value each) to the 2022 Writers’ Police Academy taking place on June 2-5 in Green Bay, WI. That’s right, she’s giving them…
Firearms Evidence
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Firearms Evidence: A Top Six “How-To” List

Many of the murders that occur in the U.S. involve a firearm of some type. How and what type of evidence recovered from those weapons can have a huge impact on the subsequent criminal trials. Proper evidence collection procedures ... well, they…
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Investigator G. Nome’s Fabulous Guide to Developing Fingerprints

Confused as to which fingerprinting medium is right for the task at hand? Well, Investigator G. Nome has assembled the ultimate guide for the heroes of your tall tales, and he recommends keeping it within easy reach. Heroes such as Harry…