About Laura Pettler & Associates

Who We Are

Laura Pettler & Associates (LPA) is an internationally recognized forensic investigation, training, and equipment company founded by Dr. Laura Pettler, one of the world’s leading experts in staged homicide and death investigation. LPA delivers evidence-driven analysis, practical field solutions, and high-impact education to law enforcement, coroners, attorneys, and investigative professionals across the United States and abroad.

Our work centers on one mission: advancing victim-centered, fact-driven death investigation so the truth is uncovered, justice is strengthened, and communities are safer.

What We Do

LPA operates at the intersection of science, methodology, and real-world experience. Our services include:

Homicide & Cold Case Consultation

We assist agencies and families by re-examining cases through Dr. Pettler’s proprietary Murder Room Method and her Conflict-Resolution-Benefit (CRB) model. Our approach reveals overlooked evidence, identifies contradictions in staged scenes, and uncovers offender motivation through structured reasoning.

Forensic Analysis & Field Reconstruction

LPA provides advanced crime scene and event reconstruction including:

  • Shooting and bloodstain analysis

  • Behavioral staging assessment

  • Death scene re-evaluation

  • Case chronology and timeline development

We support agencies in complex or contested cases where clarity is critical.

Training & Continuing Education

We deliver rigorous, accessible training that turns theory into field-ready skill. Our programs include:

  • Death investigation and scene processing

  • Staged homicide detection

  • Cold case strategy and workflow

  • Mock case practicums at Crossroads Ranch

  • Expert workshops and national speaking engagements

LPA courses combine science, narrative reasoning, and hands-on exercises to produce competence, confidence, and professional growth.

Expert Testimony & Litigation Support

Attorneys, coroners, and law enforcement rely on LPA for expert witness services in homicide, death investigation, domestic violence–related cases, and staged crime scenes. Our approach is methodical, transparent, and grounded in validated forensic principles.

Forensic Innovation & Equipment

LPA designs tools and systems that make investigations better, safer, and more accurate. Our innovations include:

  • The Kaleidoscope Shooting & Bloodstain Reconstruction System

  • The Murder Room Chronology and CRB Analysis Toolkit

Each tool is built to reduce error and increase investigative precision.

Our Founder

Dr. Laura Pettler is a forensic criminologist, inventor, author, and international educator. She has been named one of the world’s most influential women in forensics and is recognized for pioneering the study of staged homicide. Her investigations and methodologies have influenced agencies nationwide, shaped training standards, and helped solve high-profile cases—including the Harold Gentry murder-for-hire case.

Her philosophy is simple: real cases deserve real solutions, rooted in science, not speculation.

Our Ethos: Victim-Centered. Evidence-Driven. Relentlessly Thorough.

Every case, class, and consultation at LPA is guided by four principles:

  1. Honor the victim

  2. Follow the evidence

  3. Challenge flawed assumptions

  4. Deliver truth with integrity

This is the foundation of the Murder Room Method and the reason agencies trust LPA to take on their toughest work.

Where We Operate

LPA headquarters is located at Crossroads Ranch in Monroe, North Carolina—an operational hub where investigation, training, equine-assisted SAR, and media production converge. It is also home to Crimeworx and Dr. Pettler’s very own True Crime & Equines ecosystem.