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Laura Pettler, Ph.D., MS, LPISpecialties
Forensic Criminology TFT Courses Taught Advanced Investigative Methods for Staged Murders Introduction to Pettler's Staging Taxonomy for Staged Murders First 48: Research-Based Forensic Victimology for Death Investigation Introduction to The Murder Room Death Investigation Method Introduction to Statement Analysis |
About Laura Pettler, Ph.D.
Dr. Pettler’s career is dedicated to using her life to leave the world better than she found it. Dr. Pettler’s job as a forensic criminologist specializing in staged homicide cases is to analyze physical, behavioral, and sociological evidence towards solving the most challenging murders and death investigations in the world. Dr. Pettler is the Deputy Coroner Commander of the Lancaster County South Carolina Coroner’s Office Mounted Response Unit and is a former North Carolina District Attorney’s Investigator where she was the co-founder and director of North Carolina’s first and only Crime Scene Reconstruction & Behavioral Analysis Program and head of the district’s first Cold Case Task Force.
Dr. Pettler is founder and CEO of Laura Pettler & Associates Death Investigations (LPA), voted “Best Victim Centered Death Investigation Specialist 2020” by CORP Today Magazine, and the 2019 winner of Acquisition International’s “Scientific, Victim-Centered Death Investigation Specialist Award”, naming LPA as the #1 private scientific, victim-centered death investigation firm in the world. Dr. Pettler is a licensed North Carolina, former licensed South Carolina Private Investigator (gave up license to command the mounted response unit), and is the Deputy Coroner Commander of the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office Mounted Response Unit, first coroner’s office based mounted unit dedicated to medicolegal death investigation, search and rescue, public relations, and community outreach. Dr. Pettler’s body of work has been featured on the international stage now for more that 20 years. In 2019, Forensic Science International Synergy Journal published by Elsevier, named Forensic Criminologist Dr. Laura Pettler one of the most influential women in forensics in the world: a well-deserved award for her significant contributions to the field over her career. In 2022, Dr. Pettler was awarded “Best Forensics Businesswoman (USA)” by a panel of esteemed judges of the Global CEO Excellence Awards of CEO Monthly Magazine.
The year 2025 marks Dr. Pettler’s 23rd year in homicide and 28th year in the field. Dr. Pettler holds a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-professional psychology from Geneva College, a Master of Science degree in criminal justice specializing in forensic psychology and forensic science related to homicide investigation from Youngstown State University, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in public safety specializing in criminal justice focused on crime scene staging in intimate partner homicides from Capella University. Dr. Pettler has more than 20 years post-graduate research, field experience, invention, and publication in bullet path and bloodstain pattern analysis and reconstruction in homicide cases. Dr. Pettler is the inventor and LPA is the manufacturer of The Kaleidoscope System Bullet & Bloodstain Reconstruction system used by law enforcement worldwide since 2009.
Dr. Pettler is the author of Crime Scene Staging Dynamics in Homicide Cases, published by CRC Press, the first book in the world on staged homicides. Dr. Pettler is the author of the third dissertation in the world on crime scene staging behaviors of crime scene stagers in homicide cases. Dr. Pettler has 14 years postdoctoral research, field experience, and publication in crime scene staging dynamics in intimate partner homicide hot and cold cases. Dr. Pettler is the founder and director of the LPA International Forensics Institute School of Forensic Criminology for Homicide Studies, an online continuing education center focusing on unique courses typically absent from traditional continuing education catalogs for mounted response units, CSIs, detectives, private investigators, coroners, attorneys, and students pursuant to processing crime scenes, interview and interrogation, statement analysis, methodologies, and solving murders.
Dr. Pettler has been a highly respected public figure in the national media for more than 25 years. Dr. Pettler is a Guest Forensic Analyst on CourtTV and CourtTV UK and has appeared on Fox News Channel as well. Dr. Pettler was the “OzTeam Forensic Criminologist” for Dr. Mehmet Oz on the internationally syndicated multiple Emmy-Winning the Dr. Oz Show in seasons 8, 9, 10, and 11. Dr. Pettler was the TV Forensic Criminologist for 2020 Emmy Award Winning show CSI Atlanta Seasons 1 and 2 hosted by Multiple-Emmy Winning Anchor Karyn Greer and Emmy Winning CSI Sheryl McCollum. Dr. Pettler also appeared on numerous true crime television shows on Lifetime, Oxygen, ID, Reelz, Starz, Spike, and other networks; and in 2017 her webTV show, Notorious: True Crime Stories with Laura Pettler Season 1: The Shotgun Slayer about serial killer Edward Surratt’s victims was nominated for Best Director by the International Academy of Web Television Awards. As executive producer, on-camera talent, and a singer-songwriter, Dr. Pettler works in Los Angeles in true crime television and true crime soundtrack music.
Dr. Pettler’s career is dedicated to using her life to leave the world better than she found it. Dr. Pettler’s job as a forensic criminologist specializing in staged homicide cases is to analyze physical, behavioral, and sociological evidence towards solving the most challenging murders and death investigations in the world. Dr. Pettler is the Deputy Coroner Commander of the Lancaster County South Carolina Coroner’s Office Mounted Response Unit and is a former North Carolina District Attorney’s Investigator where she was the co-founder and director of North Carolina’s first and only Crime Scene Reconstruction & Behavioral Analysis Program and head of the district’s first Cold Case Task Force.
Dr. Pettler is founder and CEO of Laura Pettler & Associates Death Investigations (LPA), voted “Best Victim Centered Death Investigation Specialist 2020” by CORP Today Magazine, and the 2019 winner of Acquisition International’s “Scientific, Victim-Centered Death Investigation Specialist Award”, naming LPA as the #1 private scientific, victim-centered death investigation firm in the world. Dr. Pettler is a licensed North Carolina, former licensed South Carolina Private Investigator (gave up license to command the mounted response unit), and is the Deputy Coroner Commander of the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office Mounted Response Unit, first coroner’s office based mounted unit dedicated to medicolegal death investigation, search and rescue, public relations, and community outreach. Dr. Pettler’s body of work has been featured on the international stage now for more that 20 years. In 2019, Forensic Science International Synergy Journal published by Elsevier, named Forensic Criminologist Dr. Laura Pettler one of the most influential women in forensics in the world: a well-deserved award for her significant contributions to the field over her career. In 2022, Dr. Pettler was awarded “Best Forensics Businesswoman (USA)” by a panel of esteemed judges of the Global CEO Excellence Awards of CEO Monthly Magazine.
The year 2025 marks Dr. Pettler’s 23rd year in homicide and 28th year in the field. Dr. Pettler holds a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-professional psychology from Geneva College, a Master of Science degree in criminal justice specializing in forensic psychology and forensic science related to homicide investigation from Youngstown State University, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in public safety specializing in criminal justice focused on crime scene staging in intimate partner homicides from Capella University. Dr. Pettler has more than 20 years post-graduate research, field experience, invention, and publication in bullet path and bloodstain pattern analysis and reconstruction in homicide cases. Dr. Pettler is the inventor and LPA is the manufacturer of The Kaleidoscope System Bullet & Bloodstain Reconstruction system used by law enforcement worldwide since 2009.
Dr. Pettler is the author of Crime Scene Staging Dynamics in Homicide Cases, published by CRC Press, the first book in the world on staged homicides. Dr. Pettler is the author of the third dissertation in the world on crime scene staging behaviors of crime scene stagers in homicide cases. Dr. Pettler has 14 years postdoctoral research, field experience, and publication in crime scene staging dynamics in intimate partner homicide hot and cold cases. Dr. Pettler is the founder and director of the LPA International Forensics Institute School of Forensic Criminology for Homicide Studies, an online continuing education center focusing on unique courses typically absent from traditional continuing education catalogs for mounted response units, CSIs, detectives, private investigators, coroners, attorneys, and students pursuant to processing crime scenes, interview and interrogation, statement analysis, methodologies, and solving murders.
Dr. Pettler has been a highly respected public figure in the national media for more than 25 years. Dr. Pettler is a Guest Forensic Analyst on CourtTV and CourtTV UK and has appeared on Fox News Channel as well. Dr. Pettler was the “OzTeam Forensic Criminologist” for Dr. Mehmet Oz on the internationally syndicated multiple Emmy-Winning the Dr. Oz Show in seasons 8, 9, 10, and 11. Dr. Pettler was the TV Forensic Criminologist for 2020 Emmy Award Winning show CSI Atlanta Seasons 1 and 2 hosted by Multiple-Emmy Winning Anchor Karyn Greer and Emmy Winning CSI Sheryl McCollum. Dr. Pettler also appeared on numerous true crime television shows on Lifetime, Oxygen, ID, Reelz, Starz, Spike, and other networks; and in 2017 her webTV show, Notorious: True Crime Stories with Laura Pettler Season 1: The Shotgun Slayer about serial killer Edward Surratt’s victims was nominated for Best Director by the International Academy of Web Television Awards. As executive producer, on-camera talent, and a singer-songwriter, Dr. Pettler works in Los Angeles in true crime television and true crime soundtrack music.