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!

Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  The Graveyard Shift extends our condolences to the family of this brave officer. Deputy Sheriff James "JD" D. Paugh, 47 Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Georgia October 23, 2011 - Deputy JD Paugh had just signed off-duty…
8 Famous People Who Were Juvenile Delinquents

8 Famous People Who Were Juvenile Delinquents

  Not all juvenile delinquents go on to lead lives of crime. In fact, a few of them have used their experiences to feed their aspirations to become successful actors, singers or athletes — three professions that require unwavering…
Leslie Budewitz: Protective Orders

Leslie Budewitz: Protective Orders

Leslie Budewitz is the author of Books, Crooks and Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure (Quill Driver Books, October 2011). She is a practicing lawyer and a mystery writer living in northwest Montana.…
Castle: Demons

Castle: Demons – A Review

Last night's episode was cut from a different cloth than what we've seen so far this season. And all I can say is...THEY'RE BACK! Yes, Beckett and Castle returned to the fun and quirky crime-solving duo that fans fell in love with so, so…
Ellie and Jennifer Oberth

Ellie and Jennifer Oberth: Mother And Daughter Quality Time

  The Writers Police Academy 2011 was a hands-on, jam-packed, thrilling, instructive, humorous, realistic experience. You won’t find classes on ‘How to Write Interesting Characters’ or ‘How to Land an Agent’ like all the other…
October In Virginia

October In Virginia

  Drive north on I95 to Richmond, take a left, and you'll soon find yourself surrounded by some truly spectacular scenery. Then, do yourself a favor and hop out of the car to enjoy a brief hike along the upper James River and in the…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  The Graveyard Shift offers our condolences to the family of this brave officer. Patrolman Joseph Wargo, 37 Mount Arlington New Jersey Police Department October 16, 2011 - Patrolman Joseph Wargo was killed when his patrol…
President

President Barack Obama: A Visit To A Virginia High School

  President Barack Obama stopped by a Virginia high school this week to promote his jobs bill, a bill that promises to provide federal money to help protect the jobs of teachers, firefighters, and police officers. President Obama…
Writing Property Crimes

Writing Property Crimes: When To Use The Delete Key

Property crimes take up a huge portion of a patrol officer's day. First, there's the initial response, making sure the suspect isn't still on the scene (or arresting the dummy if he is). Then comes the report, questioning the witnesses, and…
Castle: Eye Of The Beholder

Castle: Eye Of The Beholder – A Review

Jealousy. Anger. Betrayal. Love. Those are the reasons most of us watch TV, right? Well, that and a little bit of blown-'em-up, shoot-'em-up action. But, basically we want to become a part of what we're watching. We want to relate to our favorite…
10 Countries with Capitol Punishment

10 Countries That Still Embrace Capital Punishment

Over the years, capital punishment has gained and lost support around the world as countries have developed new laws to retain the death penalty for certain crimes, approve it in exceptional circumstances or have abolished it altogether. Out…
Coroner's Investigator Paul Beecroft: A Stroll Through England's Green and Pleasant Land

Coroner’s Investigator Paul Beecroft: A Stroll Through England’s Green and Pleasant Land

  Falcon taking a sun bath This Deer, one of a number that roam the farm and the surrounding farms is quite tame. Over the months I have spotted her a number of times. The day before these photos were taken…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

The Graveyard Shift extends our condolences to the families of these brave officers. Captain John Wayne Haddock, 50 Grenada Mississippi Police Department October 7, 2011 - Captain John Haddock was killed when he was struck by a…
Lisa Black author photo

Lisa Black: Another Glamorous Day In The Life Of A Forensic Scientist

  A typical Tuesday in November. I trudge from the subway station to the medical examiner’s office. No one plows the sidewalks but there are enough med students and hospital workers from next door to tamp the snow down. When I reach…
Castle: Kick The Ballistics

Castle: Kick The Ballistics – A Review

I had the perfect setting for watching last night's episode---torrential downpours and winds topping 40mph. Nice ambiance for the return of 3XK, right? Well, the serial killer was a no-show, but the gun he swiped from Ryan did a couple of walk-ons.…
Unwind

Unwind

  When the day is long, the body is tired, the mind is stressed, and you simply want to release all the worries, it's nice to have a place to go to unwind. And our new home is just such a place, and it's where we left our tension-filled…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  The Graveyard Shift extends its condolences to the families of these brave officers. Sergeant Paul Stuckey, 47 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries September 30, 2011 - Sergeant Paul Stuckey was shot and killed…
10 Teachers Who Turned Into Infamous Criminals

10 Teachers Who Turned Into Infamous Criminals

Teachers are charged with molding young minds, protecting our children, and serving as role models, but some of them have actually been charged with crimes. Getting caught was probably not in their lesson plan, and some quit their careers as…