Dr. Jennifer Bengtson is a professor of anthropology at Southeast Missouri State University, where she specializes in biological anthropology and archaeology with a focus on human skeletal analysis. Her expertise is frequently sought by law enforcement and state agencies to consult on cases involving human remains from both forensic and archaeological contexts.

Dr. Bengtson holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Anthropology from Minnesota State University–Moorhead.

Deputy Chief  Doug Niemeier began his career in 1995 as a recruit in the Kansas City Missouri Police Academy after completing his Criminal Justice degree at Missouri Western State University in 1994.  He was commissioned in March of 1996 and began his career with the KCPD. 

He was promoted to Sergeant in 2001 and supervised the 1010 Homicide Squad in Kansas City, Missouri from 2003 to January 2010.  Niemeier has been involved with several investigations including:  Lead Sergeant of the Terry Blair Serial Murder Investigation, Lead Detective on the Daniel Jones Serial Murder Investigation, the Supervisor of the Wayne Dumond Serial Killer Investigation, and the Supervisor of the Derek Richardson Murders.  Niemeier supervised 1367 death investigations while in charge of the homicide unit.

Niemeier was promoted to Captian in 2016 where he served as a Patrol Commander and was assigned as the City Hall Liason. 

Niemeier was then promoted to Major in 2019 where he was the East Patrol Division Commander and the Violent Crimes Division Commander.

Deputy Chief Niemeier was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief in 2021 and is the Commander of the Investigations Bureau.

Andrea Zaferes is a medicolegal death investigator with extensive expertise in aquatic homicide cases, from scene response to courtroom testimony. For over 30 years, she has trained law enforcement, medical examiners and coroners, dive teams, domestic violence professionals, medical personnel, and legal professionals in recognizing, documenting, and investigating aquatic and asphyxiation-related abuse, deaths, and homicides.

Andrea actively assists in the analysis and development of these cases both in the U.S. and internationally. She has contributed to the creation of investigative best practices and standards with organizations such as the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention. She serves on the New York State DCJS Cold Case Investigation Committee, consults for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) on aquatic cases, and teaches child death investigation for the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC).

She leads the Aquatic Scene Investigation Task Group under the OSAC Scene Investigation and Reconstruction Subcommittee. Andrea has taught dive teams across the globe in submerged body and evidence recovery, is a published author, and has presented at more than 250 forensic, law enforcement, and dive/rescue conferences worldwide.

She holds a Master of Science in Investigations with a focus on criminal investigation, is an affiliate member of the National Association of Medical Examiners, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Master Sergeant Jeff Johnson began his law enforcement career in October 1996 as a deputy with the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office. In 2000, he was hired by the Missouri State Water Patrol and entered recruit training at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy in Jefferson City.

In 2003, he was assigned to the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force as a narcotics officer and, in 2005, transitioned to the Troop E Criminal Investigative Unit. He completed basic polygraph training at the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center in 2008 and has since been certified as an expert witness in the field of polygraph.

In 2013, he was promoted to Sergeant within the Troop E Criminal Unit and, in 2017, was appointed Assistant Commander of the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Polygraph Unit. In 2019, he was assigned as a Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Street Crimes Task Force. He was promoted to Master Sergeant in 2021 and continues to serve as a supervisor in the Troop E Criminal Unit.

Master Sergeant Johnson served for 14 years as Commander of the Butler County/Poplar Bluff Major Case Squad and currently leads the Current River Major Case Squad. He has taught interview and interrogation techniques at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy and to several local major case squads.

Over the course of his distinguished career, he has been directly involved in approximately 600 homicide investigations, serving as the case agent in roughly half of them.

Dr. Katherine Ramsland teaches forensic psychology and behavioral criminology in the graduate program at DeSales University in Pennsylvania. She is the author of 74 books and has conducted in-depth studies of extreme offenders, including Wichita’s “BTK” serial killer, Dennis Rader.

A recognized expert in her field, Dr. Ramsland has appeared on 20/20, 48 Hours, Banfield, and more than 300 podcasts and crime documentaries. She has served as an executive producer on three true crime documentaries and writes a regular blog on the criminal mind for Psychology Today.

Dr. Ramsland actively consults on death investigations and lectures internationally to law enforcement, attorneys, coroners, and writers on mass and serial murder. Her notable works include Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers, How to Catch a Killer, The Psychology of Death Investigations, Confession of a Serial Killer, and The Serial Killer’s Apprentice.