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The following persons have a great deal of expertise about some or all aspects of cultural spiritualism: |
| Randy Cemey, Deputy Sheriff, Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department and Nancy Powell, Senior Probation Officer, Stanislaus County are co-directors of Central Valley Consultants, P.O. Box 128, Modesto, CA 95357 (209) 575-5530. As individuals and as a consulting team, both are familiar with the cultural spiritual beliefs most common in California's Central Valley. |
| Sgt. Tony Coultress, San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department, Investigations Division, P.O. Box 201058, Stockton, CA 95201 (209) 944-2581. Sgt. Coultress has investigated several homicides with links to Santeria. |
| Raphael Martinez, Anthropologist, Office of Rehabilitative Services, 111 N.W. First Street, Suite 2150, Miami, FL 33128 (305) 375-5750. A trained anthropologist of Cuban-American descent, Mr. Martinez is a particularly good resource for the Spanish-speaking investigator who needs information about Santeria and Palo Mayombe currently inaccessible to the non-Spanish reading public. |
| Detective Patrick Metoyer, Los Angeles Police Department, Criminal Conspiracy Section, 150 N. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 485-2962. Detective Metoyer is LAPD's resident expert on the criminal manifestations of Afro-Caribbean belief systems within the City of Los Angeles. |
| Marc Paulhus, Director, Humane Society of the United States, Southeast Regional Office, 325 John Knox Road, Building F, Suite 228, Tallahassee, FL 32303 (904) 386-3435. Mr. Paulhus is particularly knowledgeable about animal sacrifice and the religious symbolism contained therein. |
| Sgt. Richard Valdemar, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, 11515 Colima Road, Whittier , CA 90604 (213) 946-7131. Sgt. Valdemar is one of LAPD's most knowledgeable officers about Afro-Caribbean belief systems. |
| Charles Wetli, M.D., Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Medical Examiner Department, #1 on Bob Hope Road, Miami, Florida 33136-1133 (305) 545-2430. Dr. Wetli has developed a great deal of expertise about Santeria, Palo Mayombe and Voodoo that is particularly applicable to law enforcement investigative needs. |
| The following are among the best written materials for criminal justice practitioners seeking a more detailed knowledge of specific cultural spiritual belief systems: |
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"Brujeria: Manifestations of Palo Mayombe in South Florida," Journal of Florida Medical Association, by Charles Wetli and Raphael Martinez. (August 1983). This concise, easy-to-read analysis of Palo Mayombe and its comparisons with Santeria is still the best English-written document available. For a reprint copy, contact Dr. Wetli at the above address.
Rituals and Spells of Santeria by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. New York: Original Publications, 1984. Gonzalez-Wippler, an accomplished folkloric scholar and practitioner of Santeria, provides a description of rituals and spells, many of which have never before been described to those outside the faith. The book is particularly useful to those interested in learning the signs and symbols involved in Santeria rituals. Santeria: An African Religion in America by Joseph M. Murphy. Boston: Beacon Press, 1988. This scholarly account of Santeria provides a comprehensive picture of its African and Cuban roots as well as its contemporary practice in Cuba and the United States. Murphy's description of the Santeria belief system is both complete and easily understood. Chapter Three on The Botanica is especially useful for those interested in symbols and tools. Santeria: The Religion by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. New York: Harmony Books, 1989. The newest of the books on Santeria, Gonzalez-Wippler's account is perhaps the most definitive book on the topic. If you can read only one book on Santeria, this would be your best choice. The Santeria Experience by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Prentice-Hall, 1982. This book chronicled Gonzalez-Wippler's personal introduction and lifetime experience with Santeria. Such a perspective not only makes this book especially easy and enjoyable to read, but it provides a great deal of essential information about the background, spells, ceremonies and initiation into Santeria. |