Featured Authors:

Back by popular demand for the third year, the LIM Expert Witness Track features a dozen experts in forensics to show-and-tell you the processes and procedures behind forensics crime scene investigation. Return to this page often for updates on who's coming and what you can learn:

Follow the Money: Lee Williams spent 29 years as a special agent with the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, where he developed, investigated and prosecuted money launderers, narcotics organizations, corrupt policemen and corrupt public officials. He has testified as an expert witness in several cases, including the prosecutions of former Illinois governor George Ryan and newspaper mogul Conrad Black. Also an author, Lee has written two novels, In HIs Blood and Sins of the Father.

Computer Forensics: Tom Yarrish returns to Love Is Murder with an all-new presentation,

“Memories Are an Examiner's Best Friend: How Computer Memory Plays an Important Role for

Computer Forensic Examiners and Incident Response Professionals.” Come and learn more than you

ever suspected you could about computer memory and crime-solving!

Poisons: David Ciambrone will host panels on both poisons and on forensics for writers.

David is the award-winning author of nine mysteries and numerous nonfiction books, including

Poisons Handbook for Writers. A retired scientist living in Texas, he is a frequent speaker

at writers conferences, organizations and colleges aroundthe country He is Past President

of Sisters in Crime Central Texas Chapter and the San Gabriel Writers Guild.

Cyber Crime: Brent Dempsey is a special agent with the Chicago office of the FBI. He speaks on issues of cybercrime and challenges faced by law enforcement, including cyber security, pending threats and future trends as identified by the FBI.

If You're Not Paranoid, You're Not Paying Attention: Retired Col. Jill Morgenthaler led a fascinating life as an intelligence officer during the Cold War.  Caught up in spy games, she saved the Western World from the evil Soviet Empire (no kidding!).  An award-winning speaker, Jill has promised to share with us what makes a good spy, how spies recruit potential traitors, and techniques used to manipulate the traitor.  Knowing these techniques will help protect you from con men, spies and bad guys.  Additionally, you’ll get to take a quick quiz to see if you have what it takes to make a good spy.

Graphoanalysis: Warren Spncer brings a unique perspective to LIM through his specialty of handwriting identification. As a court- qualified Question Document Examiner he has been working with small and large law practices, private investigators, financial analysts, small local businesses to Fortune 500 companies as well as individuals. He will give us an overview of the role of a handwriting specialist and specifically what is involved in a forensic case concerning “chain of custody”. Warren has been a recent presenter to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Chicago Chapter, the Illinois Chapter of Handwriting Analysts, the American Association Handwriting Analysts, Elgin Community College Criminology Course, the International Facility Management Association, and the Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts. 

DNA: Throughout her extensive forensic career, Kara Stefanson has provided training in the field of forensic biology and DNA analysis to law enforcement officers, ER personnel and trial attorneys. In 2004 she joined a team of prosecutors for Cook County where she provides assistance with DNA-related issues and conducts foundational training in forensic biology and DNA analysis for prosecutors.

The CSI Effect: Ever wonder how your favorite TV measures up against reality? If you’re a CSI fan, does that qualify you as a better-than-average juror? What type of evidence is actually collected from a crime scene during a criminal investigation?Find out the answers to these and many other questions from Lieutenant Dave Case from the Chicago Police Department and Sergeant Michael A. Black from the Matteson Police Department, veteran officers and published authors with extensive experience in crime scene investigation who will contrast the differences between the “real” and “reel” worlds.

FORENSICS ACCOUNTING: Peggy Tracy has appeared in an expert capacity on many TV and radio shows and has been quoted in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago SunTimes, Mutual Funds Magazine and Financial Planning magazine. A past president of the Greater Chicago Chapter of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, she addresses professionals and consumers on such topics as divorce dissipation issues, anatomy of a tax return and family fraud detection and prevention.