Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
A Colorado Limited Liability Company and Licensed Private Investigators
www.DeathCaseReview.com ~ (970) 480-7793  

Quaero Indicium -
'To Find the Evidence'
Please distribute to others that may have an interest

Dear (Contact First Name),

As we recover from our Thanksgiving feast with family and friends, we look towards welcoming Christmas, and presently Hanukkah.  Soon we will be saying goodbye to 2013 and welcoming 2014.

All year we are thankful for so much - family, friends, colleagues and clients.  Having been in business since 1987, over 25 years, is something we are proud of.  We enjoy working close with our colleagues and clients, making a difference in their cases and even lives.  We are also committed to raising the bar of professionalism and enhancing the education, training and networking opportunities available - an important role we each play a part in.

Our family grows with our granddaughter turning five this month and our grandsons turning five in July.  It is amazing what has happened in just five years!  What will the next five bring?  Surely, more memories to last a lifetime!

2013, like 2012, was rough in many areas close to home.  Last year were fires and this year floods.  Coloradoans are strong and resilient - and recovering.  Thanks for all of your help and support.  Throughout the country - from the Boston Marathon bombing to the Texas plant explosion - investigators have been impacted and unselfishly providing aid and support.  That's who we are - not just colleagues, but family and friends.

  

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year - Seasons Greetings!

 

FEATURES AND NEWS YOU CAN USE: 

-- December Release - A Survivors' Guide to Death Investigations 

-- Agency Article - Determining Fees and Expenses

-- Association News - PPIAC elections, conferences for NCISS, WAD, TALI and FALI 

-- Articles of Interest - Essential Items for Crime Scene Personnel; and Collection and Preservation of Evidence 

-- TLO sold to TransUnion

-- NCISS Honors with Awards 

-- AND MORE! 


AFI-LLC - Our agency is called upon for many reasons - from investigations to consultations, and from finding the right investigator to the right expert.  We have recently added to our case examples found at  http://www.DeathCaseReview.com/sample-cases.html. 
Bits and Pieces from AFI-LLC

Special Announcement!

A Survivors' Guide to Death Investigations 

(due for release in December 2013 through Amazon and Kindle)

 

We often hear from families, and attorneys and investigators representing families, that they simply do not know where to turn for understanding how the death of a loved one was (or should have been) investigated.  They seek closure through answers. 

  

This 'Survivors' Guide to Understanding Death Investigations' is a basic introduction into the concepts of the official investigation of death, such as by a coroner or medical examiner office. It is our hope that understanding these concepts will help the process of healing and closure.

 

This guide is based upon our combined legal and death investigation experience.  Specific to death investigation, this included responding to scenes and completing thorough and independent investigations, transporting the body and preparing for and assisting with the autopsy. In addition, the most dreaded and responsible component of the process included the determination, location and notification of the decedent's next-of-kin. Deaths investigated included fetuses to the elderly, natural deaths to homicides and home deaths to multi-vehicle collisions.

 

This guide is intended to provide survivors some of the knowledge and insight to informatively and intelligently understand the concepts and protocols of death investigation, and the ability to ask the right questions.  We hope that it serves that purpose. 

 

For details, please visit www.UnderstandingDeathInvestigations.com  

 

   

BOOKS FOR INVESTIGATORS

AFI-LLC has put together some of the best fiction and non-fiction books available from Amazon. These range from studying for certifications to best practices, and investigative fiction and non-fiction. Most of these are written by our friends and colleagues, including fellow CLIs and CCDIs.  See the complete list of books at

Our Expert Forensic Affiliations
Autopsy Review We believe that medicolegal investigation and consultation is a team effort.  Stephen Cina MD, Harold Schueler PhD, and our agency are affiliated as experts in our respective fields offering our clients comprehensive medicolegal services.

Dr. Cina is the Chief Medical Examiner of a large metropolitan area in the upper mid-west, and Dr. Schueler is currently is the Laboratory Director in a private laboratory in California, and has been a Chief Toxicologist for over 22 years at government laboratories in Cincinnati, Ohio and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Through Forensic Toxicology Consulting Services, he provides private consultations nationally.
 
Contact our office to consult on medicolegal death and injury causation.  The CVs of both Dr. Cina and Dr. Schueler are available by contacting us.
 
We are proud of our working relationship with Dr. Cina, since 2002.

Agency News and Updates 

theInvestigators - a listserv for and by profession investigators
Are you looking for a networking group via the traditional email listserves? Consider 'theInvestigators' at   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theInvestigators/join

Reviewing and Comprehending Autopsy Reports

by Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI and Karen S. Beers, BSW, CCDI
Published by Forensic Magazine

Last month we were excited to learn and share that 'Reviewing and Comprehending Autopsy Reports' was published in the latest issue of Forensic Magazine (free online and by mail).  This was a very condensed version of a comprehensive 20 page white paper.

If you are interested in the full version, it is available at
http://www.reviewingautopsyreports.com

Death Investigation - Distance Learning for Private Investigators
We are pleased and excited to announce that this distance learning course has been adapted by several professional associations - National Defender Investigator Association, Criminal Defense Investigator Training Council, New Jersey Private Investigator Association and several more are reviewing to offer as a benefit to their members.  In addition, this is approved by the Arizona funeral directors licensing board.

These associations offer course discounts to their members and receive a donated portion of the proceeds.  Please contact these associations for membership details and course discounts.  If your association is interested, please have them contact us - there is no cost or obligation to add this valuable member benefit and revenue sharing opportunity.  This is also available to individual investigators through a revenue sharing affiliate program.  Contact our agency for details.  Course details are at www.MedicolegalDeathInvestigations.com
 and includes an opportunity for continuing education approved in 17 states through PIEducation.com.

Determining Fees and Expenses
by Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI
for the Minnesota Association of Private Investigators

At the request of the Minnesota Association of Private Investigators, Dean adapted a chapter from 'Professional Investigations:  Individual Locates, Backgrounds and Assets & Liabilities' to an article detailing how to set fees and recoup often forgotten expenses.

This article is available for publication in association newsletters and magazines by request.  It is available to all investigators at http://www.deathcasereview.com/uploads/8/7/3/8/8738199/determining_fees_and_expenses_11122013.pdf   
 
AFI-LLC has provided several articles to professional magazines and newsletters.  If you are interested in other articles from our archives, or new articles specific for your journal, please contact our agency.

 

BEERS WITH OUR FOUNDING FATHERS

Dean's book at www.BeersWithOurFoundingFathers.com is now available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon.  Details at http://www.beerswithourfoundingfathers.com/order.html 

 

LETTERS FROM YESTERYEAR

Karen's book is now available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon. The book is a collection of actual letters she transcribed from the late 1800's.

One of the best ways to learn about history is from people who actually lived and documented what they experienced. Letters From Yesteryear is a collection of letters written between the years 1879 and 1900.  Letters From Yesteryear, a book by Karen Beers - www.LettersFromYesteryear.com 

  

Dean and Karen are Colorado licensed private investigators and full-time RV Investigators (Team Beers) with offices in Colorado and South Dakota, covering the Rocky Mountain states and nationally.

  

Dean is a subject matter expert in the areas of death investigation and personal injury causation. He is the only Board Certified Legal Investigator (CLI) in northern Colorado, a faculty consultant and Certified Criminal Defense Investigator (CCDI) and is also certified in Medicolegal Death Investigations, having trained and worked as a Deputy Coroner at two medical examiner's offices.  He continues to speak extensively on investigative techniques and principles and has authored multiple peer-reviewed white papers, and self-published "Professional Investigations:  Individual Locates, Backgrounds and Assets & Liabilities"and recently published "Practical Methods for Legal Investigations" (CRC Press)  He currently consults nationwide as an expert in criminal defense homicide and civil equivocal death investigations.

  

Karen has been a Legal Investigator and research specialist, since 1996. She has a Bachelor's in Social Work from Colorado State University (Magna Cum Laude) and in 2011 earned the designation  Certified Criminal Defense Investigator (CCDI) and is also certified in Medicolegal Death Investigations.  Together they operate Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC.  In addition to her skilled interactions with troubled youths, she also trained and worked as a Deputy Coroner at a medical examiner's office.  This background provides essential skills and knowledge in their Personal Injury, Negligence and Death investigations and consultations in Colorado and nationally.  In addition, she has written for prominent professional investigation journals and was instrumental in the revisions and contributions to both agency books, as well as the co-development of "Death Investigations for Private Investigators".  

Associations and News of Our Profession
Professional Private investigations Association of Colorado (www.PPIAC.org)
Monthly meetings are the first Wednesday of each month, usually in the Denver metro area.  Visit the PPIAC website for details.

General elections of open board positions were held at the annual general business meeting in November.  Election results are (newly elected positions only):
VP of Membership - Rod Gagnon
VP of Training - Stason Ikenouye
At Large (senior) - Stacy Smallwood, DJ Himstedt and Bob Wall
At Large (associate) - Devon Gideon 

National Association of Legal Investigators (www.NALI.com)

NALI is the premier association for legal investigators for civil plaintiff and criminal defense, and oversees the prestigious Certified Legal Investigator (CLI) program.  Experience is required to join and all members are subject to a background check.

 

NALI will be holding its Mid-Winter conference in Hollywood, FL from 01/23-01/25. Topics Include: Zimmerman Case (a NALI member was a defense expert), Computer/Phone Forensics,  

White Collar Criminal Defense and much more.  Details at http://nali.com/conference-mid-winter-hollywood.php 


The current issue of NALI's official journal - The Legal Investigator - is now available online at
http://www.bluetoad.com/publication?i=159376
 

National Council of Investigation and Security Services (www.NCISS.org) 

NCISS will be holding the annual Hit the Hill meeting with our Senators and Representatives from 04/06-04/08.  NCISS will be rolling out the new SAAB / SLAM Program - State Association Advisory Board and State Legislative Alert Monitoring, as well as a luncheon with the decision makers of Capitol Hill inside the Capitol building.  Join us in advocating for your profession and meeting your elected officials.  Details at http://www.nciss.org/news-and-events/the-full-event.php?eid=13  

 

NCISS is the voice of investigators and security personnel at the federal level.  The primary mission of NCISS is to watch federal legislation and work with members to take appropriate action to support beneficial, or oppose harmful, legislation in the course of performing their professional services.  Members of NCISS receive a copy of the twice-yearly published 'The Report' has just been posted online at http://www.nciss.org/documents/The_Report_Fall_2013.pdf.  The bi-monthly eReport newsletter is also available online.  The Summer issue will have a pull-out directory of all NCISS members.

NCISS wants to share this great savings with you - super discounts at Office Depot for supplies at
 http://nciss.ctcshares.com (the discounts could be enough to pay your annual dues).   

 

NCISS also sends out important legislative alerts. If you are interested in these alerts, consider joining NCISS. These alerts are immediately posted on our agency website at

At the very least, drop us an email and we will make sure you get the alerts as they happen.

 

World Association of Detectives (www.WAD.net

WAD will be holding its Mid-Term conference in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, from 03/06-03/09.  Details at http://www.wad.net/conferences-events and click on the conference link.  

 

The value of networking extends beyond your local clients, and should include statewide, nationally and internationally. This should include your state association, NALI, NCISS and of course WAD for international camaraderie. You can contact us for membership information for any of these associations. As the WAD Governor of the Americas (USA, Canada, Central America, Caribbean and Argentina), Dean is interested in answering your WAD membership questions. You can also contact any of the WAD Ambassadors.

 

The WAD magazine, Beyond Global, is available online at  http://www.wad.net/page/newsletter.aspx.

 

Other Association News
-- (TALI) The Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (www.TALI.org) will be holding its Spring Conference 03/07-03/08 in Houston, TX.  Visit the TALI website soon for upcoming conference details. 

-- (FALI) The Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (www.FALI.org) will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary at its 2014 Conference in Tampa from 05/01-05/03.  Dean will be speaking on Autopsy Protocols and Reviewing Autopsy Reports.  Details at http://www.fali.org/?page=FALICONFERENCE

 
If your association has news, please send it to us for inclusion.
In the News
Courtroom
News happens so fast, please visit our agency blog for daily and weekly posts on news of interest - www.MedicolegalPI.com or our business Facebook page at www.facebook.com/4N6Associates
 

   


November 2013 Forensic Magazine  

Essential Items for Crime Scene Personnel    

Investigators reviewing civil and criminal cases should be aware of the tools of law enforcement, and possibly for themselves.
http://www.forensicmag.com/articles/2013/11/essential-items-crime-scene-personnel 

 

November 2013 Crime Scene Investigator Network

Collection and Preservation of Evidence

Once the crime scene has been thoroughly documented and the locations of the evidence noted, then the collection process can begin.   

http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/evidenc3.html 

 

Investigative Data Provider TLO Sold to TransUnion

A 20-hour bankruptcy auction for Boca Raton-based tech company TLO LLC, but the sale was approved.  The auction resulted in a $154 million winning bid by major credit bureau TransUnion. LexisNexis said it was prepared to submit a higher bid and challenged the results.  Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2013/11/22/lexisnexis-transunion-TLO-auction.html  

 

TLO was founded by Hank Asher, deceased earlier this year, a pioneer of multiple investigative data companies.

 

NCISS Honors with Awards  

National Council of Investigation & Security Services
Duffy Award, Wunder Award and Vinson Award (http://www.nciss.org/about-us/awards.php)

2013 John J. Duffy Memorial Achievement Award
Maria Vinson Landry, CPP, of Lacombe, LA, past president of NCISS is the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Duffy Award.

2013 Wayne J. Wunder Memorial Award
Jimmie Mesis of Freehold, NJ, past president of the New Jersey Private investigator Association, NJPIA, and with his wife Rosemarie, owner of PI Magazine, a trade publication for private investigators.

2013 The Vinson Award for Outstanding Service
Vincent Ruffolo, Blue Island, Illinois, Past President of NCISS and CEO of A & R Security. The Award was presented posthumously to Mr. Ruffolo's family. Ruffolo, who passed away in 2013.

Investigation Books - fiction and non-fiction - for every PI 

AFI-LLC has compiled some of the leading books for private investigators, by private investigators, including those for specialized certifications.  Many of the authors are also friends of AFI-LLC.  Included are fiction and non-fiction novels.  You can find these books and order direct from Amazon at http://amazon.privateinvestigations.org 

 

Do you have a book to be reviewed or special announcement?  Let us know!

If you want to send a complimentary copy, we will gladly review it for you and also provide a customized press release and distribution.

 

The Quint-Essential Qualities of a Professional Investigator...
Skills Appropriate for the Assignment
Law firms and medical offices specialize - Professional Investigators also specialize.  Their casework and continuing education should also be in your specialized areas.

Experience and Knowledge
Professional Investigators strive to maintain and further these. All professions have requirements of continuing education.  The CLI program requires extensive compliance with continuing education.

Responsible and Ethical Conduct
Every component of the investigation has evidentiary considerations. Professional Investigators hold themselves to a higher standard and leaves no question as to the admissibility of their evidence.  Information without ethics is not evidence.

Effective Communication
Professional Investigators maintain communication with the attorney, client, witnesses, and other key persons in the investigation.  Moreover, reports are the product of an organized investigation and should reflect the work product you expect.

Keyword - 'Professional'
Honesty, Integrity & Intelligence.  These define Professional Investigators and gives you the confidence that your case is in competent and skilled hands.
In Closing...
Goodbye 2013 and Welcome 2014  
 
In closing, we wanted to extend our thanks for a wonderful 2013 and best wishes as we welcome 2014.

Thank you for welcoming us and we look forward to meeting, networking, learning and working together in 2014. 


Don't forget to share our newsletters and if your receiving this from a friend, subscribe directly!   < subscribe here >

Personal Injury, Negligence & Death in Civil, Criminal and Probate litigation.
Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
Dean and Karen Beers
Dean and Karen Beers
Specializes in the Expert Consultations and Legal Investigations of Personal Injuries, Negligence and Death in Civil, Criminal and Probate litigation.

We provide investigations and consultations of any death or injury causation case from any location with the conveniences of modern technology and assistance of our local professional friends and colleagues. 

Call us today, we're glad to help!

We are the PRIDE of Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC - Professional Reliable Investigators Defining Excellence in every assignment. 

Thank You.  Please contact us with any questions or for additional information on these topics and our related services.

Sincerely,

Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI ([email protected])
Karen S. Beers, BSW, CCDI ([email protected])

Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
Office:  (970) 480-7793 (Dean x1 and Karen x2) ~ Fax:  (970) 480-7794 

Newsletter and Press Release Archives from July 2010  

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In This Issue
Bits and Pieces
Our Affiliated Experts
Agency News and Updates
Associations and Our Profession News
In the News...
Qualities of a Professional Investigator
In Closing...
On Our website
Quick Links 

 

>> About AFI-LLC 

 

>> What is a CLI? 

 

>> What is a CCDI?  

 

>> Investigators Bios  

 

>> Forensic Pathology Consultants 

 


AFI-LLC Since 1987

Featured Articles

Dean and Karen have several articles published, some are available for reprint.

For details email:

[email protected]  

Find Us at:
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Dean is at:
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Karen is at:

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Professional Associations
 

Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC)  

 

 National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI)

   
National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS)

World Association of Detectives (WAD)

 

Criminal Defense Investigation Council (CDITC) 

  

National Defender Investigator Association

(NDIA) 

 

Florida Association of Licensed Investigators

(FALI)

 

Texas Association of Licensed Investigators

(TALI)

 

California Association of Licensed Investigators

(CALI)

 

National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME)

 

International Association for Identification (IAI) and (RMDIAI) 

(Rocky Mountain Division)

Mensa USA
Tools for the

Litigation Attorney and Professional Investigator

(click images for details)

 

 

Death Investigation Course for PIs  

 

 

 Investigator Case Management System

Learn more - FREE eBook and sneak peek 

 

 Attorney Case File  

Attorney Trial Management System

Learn more - FREE eBook and sneak peek

  

Distance Learning for Investigators, Law Enforcement and Security Personnel

  

Online Introductory and Training Program for new and veteran PIs  



Books, Resources, Vanity Email and Subdomains for PIs  


WEBINARS and SEMINARS

 

Contact us if you would sponsor a webinar or seminar - no cost to you and earn free attendance:

Practical Methods for Legal Investigations Legal investigators are responsible for providing factual evidence - as the fact finders, they are the foundation for the attorneys they work with daily. The attorney is responsible for forming and implementing the legal strategy and presenting it to the judge or jury. The legal investigator provides checks and balances to ensure that no evidence is being forced upon a theory, and that no theory is being forced upon the evidence. Practical Methods for Legal Investigations: Concepts and Protocols in Civil and Criminal Cases presents legal investigators with a step-by-step process that reveals how to methodically find and report evidence in every aspect of the investigative process.

 CRC Press - 20% discount and free shipping