Chapter 2 Crime Scene

Crime Scene 1

Roles in crime scene? Tasks?

Evidence? Victim missing? Foot? Fingers? What you identified as steps to manage notes? Value of each piece of evidence

PROCESSING SCENE:All must be considered…

Secure and isolate sceneRecord sceneEvidence presentSystematic searchPreservation and collection of evidenceChain of custodyReference /Standard SamplesCrime Scene SafetyLegal Considerations

Terms to know

Chain of custody Rough and finished sketches Physical evidence – objects that establish

a crime has been committed or provides link between victim and perpetrator

Photography preservation Standard/reference sample 4th Amendment

Examples of physical evidence?

Evidence may be anything…

Evidence ?

Physical; shoe prints, hair, Fp Biological; vomit, DNA from blood or? Eye witness accounts Expert testimony Timelines Comparative, individual, class or group

Forensic Anthropology /Medical Examiner needed

Photography secures the scene forever!

Cameras; digital vs. silver printing

Lens variationsFilters for lightingTripods

How to achieve various anglesVideo?Long range, medium and close upsFirst in scene !

A crime scene photographer would say:

“shoot ‘em going in , shoot ‘em while you’re in and shoot ‘em going out”

….casts of evidence…

Blood splatter analysis…

Forensic evidence should be used….

To test whether, rather than to establish that, a particular person or thing was at a particular place at a given time.

Forensic evidence should be used …

To test whether, rather than to establish that, something was done with a particular tool: e.g., this bullet could have come from this weapon, this cutter could have sliced this tape, this letter may have been typed on this printer, or this glass could have come from this window.

Forensic evidence should be used…..

To test whether a relationship exists between people: e.g., that these people could be siblings, or that this person is likely to be the child of those parents.

Secure the Scene

who’s allowed in or must be out of the crime scene

record scene- sketches and precision

Photography, complete see p. 37

Rough sketch

measurements included, all objects

Finished sketch must be aesthetically appropriate/acceptable and must be to scale

Chief investigator

All investigators take notes

Systematic searches: names of designs and when appropriate.

Name this search pattern…

What is evidence? Determination of what to and what not to collect.

Collection of phys. evidence see p. 543 Appendix I

How to collect bloodstained items? Cloth, soil, glass, bullets?

Chain of Custody- Identification of who handles what and precisely when it changes hands.

Knife out of bag example OJ Simpson trial and blood vial

Standard and reference samples

Distinguish between them

Crime Scene safety: blood borne pathogens

See p. 48 of evidence lists

Saferstein, Author worked in NJ State Police as forensic organic chemist!

U.S. ConstitutionFourth Amendment Search and Seizure

  The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Crime Scene and the Law Search and seizure 4th amendment

Court warrant needed for search or warrant-less searches permitted:

*Emergency situation to prevent loss of critical evidence * Search of person/property (like a car) when

connected to an arrest *Search consented Read Michigan vs. Tyler explain why search was

acceptable Read Michigan vs. Tyler case reviewed

Questions reviewed p. 52-53 in notebook