“Clay and Bones” follows Lisa Bailey’s extraordinary career as
an FBI forensic artist, from the aftermath of 9/11 to sculpting the faces of the unidentified dead,
while battling the Bureau’s entrenched culture of sexism and retaliation.
Clay and Bones
My Life as an FBI Forensic Artist
Just two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Lisa Bailey began her career as an FBI forensic artist.
She threw herself into the work, and over the next eighteen years handled hundreds of cases: unidentified remains pulled from shallow graves, sexual assaults, acts of terrorism, and kidnappings. She became a recognized authority in facial approximation from the skull, witnessing firsthand how her sculptures could restore a victim’s identity and bring closure to grieving families.
But even in those early days, Bailey noticed cracks in the Bureau’s polished image. She’d heard stories of women who reported harassment or discrimination, only to find themselves quietly dismissed. She wanted to believe the rumors weren’t true…then it happened to her. Now, Bailey breaks her silence in this raw, eye-opening account.
She takes readers behind the scenes of the Bureau’s most haunting cases, from mass disasters to cold-case homicides, and exposes the hidden toll of a career inside one of the world’s most powerful law enforcement agencies.
She describes the painstaking art of restoring a face from an unknown victim’s skull, the profound relief of a confirmed identification, and the eerie reality of working among the dead at the University of Tennessee’s famed “Body Farm.”
Told with candor, grit, and dark humor, Clay and Bones offers a rare glimpse into the macabre yet meaningful world of forensic art, and the resilience of a woman who refused to be silenced by the very institution she served.
What People Are Saying
“From investigations of charred corpses to intensive work on boxes of unidentified skulls, Clay and Bones is a gripping account of the day-to-day duties of an FBI forensic artist. And if you think reconstructing someone’s face from decades-old remains is Bailey’s most difficult challenge, you’re in for a big surprise."
— Lindsey Fitzharris,
New York Times bestselling author
“Clay and Bones shines a light on a crucial position in law enforcement while also revealing systemic flaws at the premier U.S. law enforcement agency. Readers will be mesmerized by her work and angered by the targeted harassment she received."”
— Booklist
“A fascinating account! Lisa Bailey deserves both our deepest respect and our profound admiration. I say this in tribute to her incisive intellect that led to groundbreaking work in forensic investigation (and) in honor of her unflinching courage in face of the flagrant gender discrimination and despicable administrative dishonesty she was forced to endure in her FBI workplace. ”
— Douglas Schofield, coauthor of Giovanni’s Ring: My Life Inside the Real Sopranos
Lisa Bailey is a former FBI forensic artist who specialized in forensic facial approximation—the process of estimating an unidentified person’s face based on the shape and features of their skull. As the first female forensic sculptor in the FBI, her work has aided in the resolution of numerous cold cases involving unidentified remains. Over her 18-year career, she worked on hundreds of cases, including child abductions, homicides, sexual assaults, acts of terrorism, and fugitive investigations.