crime scene investigation aim csi1a – what do police do at a possible corpus delicti?

Crime Scene Investigation

Aim CSI1a

– What do police do at a possible corpus delicti?

Parts of a REALCrime Scene Investigation

Part I – Preliminaries The initial actions taken when

a scene is determined to be an actual crime The steps taken when police

officers actually have a corpus delicti

The proper handling of evidence is primary to the resolution of any case

Second only to the safety and well-being of victims of the crime

Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation

Part I – Preliminaries Initial actions:

Render assistance – is anyone in need

of medical help? Search the scene for the perpetrator(s) Determine what area makes up the crime scene

Set up crime scene tape Immediately process any weapons

Secondary actions Obtain personal evidence CANVAS the crime scene for witnesses

Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation

Part II – Documentation - a written or visual record of the crime scene.

A. Photography Visual record of crime scene Cameras as well as video tape records of

sceneB.Crime Scene Sketches

Positions evidence at the scene Allows investigators to get a “bird’s eye

view” of the scene

Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation

C. Written Notes/Documentation

Allow investigators to keep track of crime details

Includes: all witness statements Notes of investigators Any reports detailing the crime

– ME reports– psych reports– evidence analysis reports

Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation

Copius notes must be taken of the scene and its evidence

May be referred back to in court, especially when months or years have passed between the crime and the associated court case

Questions that may arise later: Who found or processed the evidence? When was it found? Where was the evidence at the scene? Who said what at the scene and after?

PPPSCRIPT An acronym for looking at a crime

scene Each letter represents a part of the investigation

at the start

P – Pulse R – Record

P – Protect I – Identify

P – Photograph P – Package

S – Sketch T - Transport

C – Collect

“Pulse” Victims are an important

source of informationThey can say who did itOr describe the suspect A live witness’s personal

evidence is always better than a dead victim’s physical evidence 9 times out of 10

Render first aid if necessaryEven if this means losing evidence!

“Protect”Check the crime scene for the perpetratorsSecure weapons

So no one accidently injures self

To protect if perpetrator is still in vicinity

Tape the area off from all unauthorized personnel Witnesses Reporters Spectators Non-essential personnel (ex: the mayor)

Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation

Aim CSI 2b- What does PPPSCRIPT stand for?

Photographic Evidence

Photograph everything A visual record of the scene Multiple photos at varying angles of:

Evidence Victims’ bodies Entryways / exitways Panoramic or overlapping photos of

entire scene

Photographic Evidence

Example of key photographic evidence Ted Bundy’s bite marks on dead woman’s

buttocks. How did police know this bite occurred after

death? How did they identify it with Bundy?

“Sketch” Crime Scene Mark positions of all evidence Should correlate to the photos

taken Gives a sense of position for

later trial case… Example

“12 Angry Men” The position and movement

of the old man in his apartment

Could he have really made it to the door in time?

Polar (rectangular) Coordinate Sketch All evidence measured

from fixed points that are at right angles to each other Walls of a room Fences or streets

outside Distance measured to

nearest inch

Triangulation Sketch Two fixed reference

points used Distance of crime

scene evidence from reference points

For irregular scenes with no right angles

Outdoor area like woods or fields

Also – used in accident scenes

Ban

k

Cross Projection Sketch

3D view necessary to show all evidence

“open shoe box” view In case of

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre bullet holes would

have been shown all over the walls

bodies shown on the floor

“Collect” EvidenceCollection of evidence will help to determine… Corpus delecti (the body of evidence)

was there actually a crime?

Modus operandi (MO) what was the method used to commit the

crime?

Can we determine the perpetrator’s identity at this point?

Elimination prints – take prints of all those who may have had access to area; includes: Family Friends Delivery people P.O.s investigating the scene

Search Patterns

Ways of searching the crime scene

Spiral Lots of evidence Tight area Few officers

Search Patterns

Ways of searching the crime scene

Grid Search Few officers Large area to cover Each square of the

grid is searched individually

Search Patterns

Ways of searching the crime scene

Line search Large

number of officers

Large area to cover

Search Patterns Ways of searching the crime scene Point to Point search

Often allows officers to find the perpetrator Example: a Hauppauge Cat Burglar finally caught by

police

“Record” Information

Note locations where evidence is found (sketches), who found it, and when.

Note all witness statements.

Which type of sketch is this?

Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation – Taking the evidence – “IPT” ofPPPSCRIPT

“Identification” of Evidence

Type of evidence being processed

Where is it going to go? (i.e. Serology lab, Fingerprint lab)

Which type of analysis will be done?

“Package” the EvidenceEach type of evidence is handled in a specific way:

Blood and serums: Stained materials paper bagged - allowed to air dry Blood and serum samples can be simple taken and stored or; some samples are preserved with chemicals for later analysis

Prints or objects to be printed: are boxed and stored for transport in special containers

Everything else bagged All evidence labeled

Date Time Collecting officer’s name

“Transport” the evidence

Proper carrying of materials to be processed

Follow the “chain of custody” The whereabouts of

evidence must be known from beginning to end

From the moment evidence found to the time the DA passes it into evidence in court

Chain of Custody The location of evidence

must be maintained at all times

From crime scene to court Three groups may

handle the evidence prior to court The prosecution – they and their experts (crime lab) The defense – they and their experts (forensic

consultants, e.g. Henry Lee and the Simpson Case) The evidence storage or lockup

Reconstruction The determination of what happened or

may have happened at the scene based on evidence; observations of the crime scene; and witness statements.

The reconstruction may involve Scaled diagrams or sketches; Models of the scene; Or whole reconstructions of the scene

Reconstruction is a hypothesis that attempts to explain the circumstances of the crime Police and prosecutors test this hypothesis with all of the above Both facts and assumptions may be in evidence

Case Study – Jeffrey McDonald and Charles Manson

Case StudyJeffrey McDonald

Jeffrey Robert MacDonald was born in New York, grew up in Patchogue, LI Attended Patchogue High School voted "most popular" and "most likely to

succeed“ won a scholarship to Princeton University. In the fall of 1963, married his high school

sweetheart Colette was pregnant with their daughter

Kimberley

Case StudyJeffrey McDonald

After Princeton attended medical school in Chicago second child, Kristen, was born in May

1967 after med school, joined the Army as a

Group Surgeon in the Green Berets in 1969

entire family moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Location: Fort Bragg, NC Time: 3:42 a.m. Date: February 17, 1970,

Two phone calls made to Military Police at Fort Bragg

First call could not be understood Second call - MacDonald reported a "stabbing“

Officers arrived to find Colette, Kimberley, and Kristen all dead in their respective bedrooms.

Colette, pregnant with her third child

Found lying on bedroom floor

Bludgeoned repeatedly (both her arms were broken)

Stabbed 37 times McDonald’s torn pajama top lay across

her chest On headboard: "pig" written in blood

Case StudyJeffrey McDonald – the Murders Kimberley, age five, was

found in her bed

Also bludgeoned and stabbed with a knife between eight and ten times

Her younger sister Kristen, age two, was also found in her bed

Stabbed with a knife 33 times and stabbed with an ice pick 15 times

MacDonald was found next to his wife, alive but wounded His wounds were much less severe than

his family's injuries Suffered cuts and bruises on his face and

chest Also had a "clean, small, sharp" incision This caused one lung to partially collapse Treated in the hospital and released after

one week

Case StudyJeffrey McDonald – His Story

MacDonald had fallen asleep on couch the night before He was awakened by the

screams of Colette and Kimberley

As he rose from the living room couch to go to their aid

He was attacked by three male intruders

A fourth female intruder chanted "Acid is groovy, kill the pigs."

Case StudyJeffrey McDonald – His Story

The three males attacked him with a club and ice pick.

During the struggle, MacDonald claimed that he then used his pajama top to ward off thrusts from the ice pick.

Eventually, MacDonald said he was knocked unconscious by his assailants

Evidence found and later used in court

Blood trail found in hall way from MacDonald master bedroom to Kimberly’s bedroom

Ice pick found Blue pj fibers all over bedroom “PIG” written in blood Holes in pj top McDonald used to defend himself

Evidence lost Blood and hairs fingernails A barefoot print left in blood on the wood floor of

the master bedroom

Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty Evidence and story initially

pointed to the hippie killer theory McDonald went back to

surgery after military discharge

Starts to party and run around with women

Appears on Dick Cavett Show, laughing and joking

No sign of grief Collette’s parents ask case to

be reopened

Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty

Civil case – McDonald’s personal evidence vs physical evidence Fought for his life – little damage to living room Stated he did not own an icepick – in fact did PJ top stab - damage not consistent with what should

have happened Blood trail - not consistent with his story

Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty

Reconstruction of fateful night MacDonald’s wife wanted divorce Knew he was cheating on her In a fit of rage, killed her Daughter Kimberly walked in – still in rage, killed her

Realization sets in – cover up time Kills daughter Kristen, Manson family style Stabs pj top to make it appear he defended self Stabs self to make it appear he was attacked

Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty

MacDonald found guilty of 2nd degree murder in wife and older daughter’s deaths 1st degree murder in younger daughter’s death Serving life in jail Has remarried (2002) Will not be eligible for parole again until 2020

(he will be 77 years old)