Crime Scene Investigation

OBJECTIVE

To document and process a crime scene through photography, sketching and note-taking.

MATERIALS

CameraComputerPaperWriting utensils

SAFETY

Do not contaminate the crime scene!

Tent Cards – Marking Evidence

Make tent cards and number them to mark all evidence located on the crime scene.

Once you have been separated into groups I will tell you how many tent cards your group will make.

Do NOT begin making cards until you have been told how many to make!!!

Photograph the Scene

Record a pictorial view of the scene.Record items of evidence.One person in your group may pull out

their phone to take photographs of the crime scene.

Make sure I check them before you move on.

Sketch the Scene

A rough sketch should be completed by the crime scene technician to demonstrate the layout of the crime scene and to identify the exact position of the deceased victim or evidence within the crime scene.

Make sure ALL requirements are included on your sketch, just like the sketch you did last week.

Sketch the Scene

Must provide all the details necessary to complete a finished drawing

Must identify every object in the room Need to be to scaleNeeds to have measurements (have someone in your

group verify this).Needs to be marked “N” for North to orient the

drawingNeeds a legend to explain any symbols that are used

to identify various objects (In small areas, various objects may be lettered or numbered and keyed in the legend)

Note-taking

In this case and at this crime scene, the note taker has two jobs.◦ The first job is taking notes over crime scene. Make

notations over placement of objects, the position of the body, blood spatters, bugs or insects that are on the body, etc. Anything and everything is note-worthy.

◦ The more detailed your notes are, the better off you are. ◦ The notes taken will help to reconstruct the crime scene

after it is longer available to you. ◦ Notes should contain any of your own thoughts and any

“memory joggers” that will help you remember the specifics about the case.

◦ Be sure to work closely with the crime scene sketcher and the photographer so that nothing is missed.

◦ Notes need to be typed up and placed in the file so that they do not get lost. They are a very important permanent record about the crime scene.

Note-taking

The second job is that you will do is provide leadership for your team. You will be the one who assists the sketcher on double-checking measurements. You will be the one to question the photographer to make sure that all the evidence, strange marks, or footprints were photographed. Once the POE has been established, photographs have been taken, and notes have been written, it will be your responsibility to make sure that your evidence collector does a thorough and proper job. If asked, you will be the one who holds the envelope while the evidence is placed into it.

Victim’s Information

Name – Deaundre JacksonD.O.B – 11.21.64Race – Black and HispanicHeight – 5’10”Weight – 182 lbs.Occupation – Teacher

Bodily Fluids

Blood spatter on the east wall belonged to the victim. ◦It is reported to be the initial blow.

Blood found on the floor near the yellow student desk belonged to the victim.

Bodily fluids (Victim)

It is the victim’s blood on the hole-puncher.

Blood smear near the hole-puncher is the victim’s.

Trace Evidence

Hair belonged to the victim on the hole-puncher.

Fingerprints

Fingerprints found on the hole puncher did NOT belong to the victim.

Fingerprint found on the paper towel dispenser did not belong to the victim or the f.p. found on the hole puncher

Injury Report

Victim died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Hole-puncher was determined to be the murder weapon due to the impression left on the posterior side of the skull.

T.O.D. – estimated at 11:00pm (which suggested watch was broken during the struggle)

Bodily Fluids (Suspect)

Blood spatter (puddle) near the victim was the victim’s blood

Trail of blood near the victim did NOT belong to him.

Blood and skin was found under the victim’s nails on his right hand.

Saliva was discovered on the cell phone.DNA from the saliva, blood trail, and skin

found under the nails ALL came from the same person.

Questioned Document Analysis

Note: “Have interesting new info. See you tonight. Dion”

Handwriting does not match that of signatures from the victim.

Suspect #1 Information

Dion Jackson – step brother of Deaundre.D.O.B. – 5.13.79Race – Black AmericanHeight – 5’11”Weight – 200 lbs

Unknown bodily fluids and skin (found under the nails of victim) matched this suspect’s DNA

Suspect #2 Information

Dion Carter– co-worker of DeaundreD.O.B. – 10.12.77Race – Black AmericanHeight – 5’10.5”Weight – 210 lbs

Fingerprint on the paper towel dispenser matched this suspect’s prints

Crime Scene Reconstruction

Crime scene reconstruction is the use of scientific methods, physical evidence, deductive reasoning, and their interrelationships to gain explicit knowledge of the series of events that surround the commission of a crime.

It is a disciplined and principled approach towards objectively understanding a crime scene.

Using evidence found at a crime scene the incident can be reconstructed to determine what happened, and possibly find more clues.

Types of Crime Scene Reconstruction

Specific Incident Reconstruction (Traffic Accident, Homicide, Bombing, etc.).

Specific Event Reconstruction (Sequence, Direction, Condition, Relation, Identity).

Specific Physical Evidence Reconstruction (Firearms, Blood, Glass etc.).

Crime Scene Search Patterns

The pattern selected will normally depend on the size and locale of the scene and the number of collectors participating in the search.

Spiral Search Method

Grid Pattern

Quadrant/Zone Pattern

Strip/Line Pattern

Moving up and down in a straight line through the crime scene