The Crime Scene (2)

• Old Crime
Clip 1

Clip 2
 What Is A Crime Scene?
• A dynamic environment which begins to
change immediately after the criminal
action occurs
• The longer the interval between the crime
and the investigation, the less the scene
resembles the original
 Crime Scene
• The investigator becomes part of the crime
scene
– processing the scene will alter it
– alterations can be minimal or major
– alterations can be deliberate or unconscious
 Crime Scene Don'ts
• No Eating
• No Drinking
• No Smoking
 Who is at the Scene?
• The Detective
– law enforcement representative
– usually in charge of the crime scene
– takes notes
• The Criminalist or Evidence Technician (Various
specialties)
– collects evidence
• The Photographer
– documents the scene before anything is removed
– may use both still photography & video
 Who is at the Scene?
• Latent Print Analyst
– looks for both visible and invisible (latent) fingerprints
• Firearms Expert
– may be called if a firearm is believed to have been
discharged
– Collects and examines bullets, shells, casings, wads
• Bloodstain Pattern Expert
– measures & documents patterns at scene
– takes photos for later study
 Who is at the Scene?
• Coroner/Medical Examiner
– declares a body to be dead
– transports body to morgue for autopsy & evidence
collection
– medical examiner
• holds a medical degree
• appointed to position
– coroner
• need not have a medical degree
• often an elected office
 Crime Scene Processing
1. Establish Legality of Search- Warrants!!!!!
– 4th , 5th, 6th, 14th Amendment Protections

2. Secure/Isolate Scene while giving medical assistance

– Encounter Site
– Attack Site
– Victim Dump Site
– Vehicle Disposal Site

3. Search Scene and Define its Borders

 Crime Scene Searches
 Lockerbie Bombing
 35 S.U. students killed by terrorist bomb on
Dec. 1988 (Pan Am Flight 103).
 Crime Scene spread over 845 sq. miles of
Scotland.
Search Patterns

Spiral Line

Zone Grid
What Search Type?
Buried Sites Follow Archeology
Protocols
 Levels of Search
• Phase 1
– Examine scene with EYES ONLY
– Mark potential evidence
– Photograph
– Draw
– Take Notes
– Measure distances of evidence from fixed
points
 Evidence Team
 Personnel Duties and Responsibilities
 Sketch Preparer
 Diagram area of scene (incl. orientation)
 Rough sketch - accurate dimensions, orientation and
location of evidence (from a fixed point)
 Finished sketch - aesthetic appearance (usually done
later sometime w/ CAD)
 Set forth major items of evidence on sketch (with scale)
 Make measurements (double check)
Crime Scene Sketch
 Evidence Team
 Personnel Duties and Responsibilities
 Sketch Preparer
Finished Sketches
 Evidence Team
• Personnel Duties and Responsibilities
– Photographer and Photographic Log Recorder
• Photograph entire scene (before and after entered)
• Photograph victim, crowd, vehicles
• Photograph evidence before it’s moved (including
fingerprints, casts, etc.)
• Photograph evidence both in wide view (position at scene)
and close-up (with scale)
• Possible use of video recording (does not replace still
photography
• Prepare photographic log
Capture Crime Scene
Wide angle lenses are used to
distort the truth or emphasis it
Details preserved
3D Laser Scanning
 Documentation is Key!
1. Description of item
2. Location in crime scene from which collected
3. Case number
4. Date & time collected
5. Signature or initials of collector
 Crime Scene Processing
• Phase 2
– Collect and store evidence appropriately
– Also collect control samples

Body Bag

Paper bags Pill bottles Tweezers+Tools

Empty Paint Cans

Swabs Manila envelopes
Vacuum
 Packaging Evidence
• Prevents any change after collection
• Proper identification
• Prevents cross contamination (separate
packaging)
• Preserved intact (e.g., blood on clothes)
• Crime scene safety
 What determines the type and manner of
collecting and preserving physical evidence?

• The nature of the

evidence
 Crime Scene Processing
• Large areas many be sawed out and
transported
• Cars removed to lab garage
 Crime Scene Search
• Phase 3 (most intrusive)
– Open drawers
– Turn over items in scene
– Look in clothes
– Develop latent prints
– Spray Luminol
– Remove carpet and wall sections
 On Site Analysis
• Visible prints on immovable objects will be
photographed
• Latent prints (invisible) will be dusted or fumed
for visualization
– lifted
– Photographed
• Presumptive Tests
– blood
– semen
– hydrocarbons (arson)
 On Site Analysis
• Bullet trajectory
– best established at crime scene
– direct measurement of distances between holes
– investigator can stand in the 3-D space
to get sense of relationship of the holes to one another
• Bloodstain pattern
– measurements of pattern help establish the direction &
angle of impact
– standing in 3-D space gives useful impression of how
the pattern was created
Chain of Custody

Validates authenticity,
validity, integrity of
evidence
Non-biological Impurities
– storing improperly sealed volatiles in the
same physical space
• cross-contamination
– crime scene investigator tracking soil from
outside a crime scene into crime scene or
from one scene to another
 Non-biological Impurities
– chemicals which also react in a test
• paraffin test for nitrate residue on hands (firearm
discharge)
– tobacco & fertilizer give positive tests
 Non-biological Impurities
– chemicals may be introduced in an attempt to
locate evidence
• dusting for fingerprints
• Luminol for detecting non-visible blood
• accommodations can be made in analysis &
interpretation since the presence of these
materials is known
 Biological Impurities
• Biological Impurities
– Microorganisms
• Can destroy a sample overnight
– bacteria & fungi grow well in warm moist conditions
– microorganismal spores are ubiquitous
– prevented by drying & freezing (sterile lab equipment)

– Non-human physiological substances

• generally no effect on human biologicals
• marker systems for human protein or DNA
– Human physiological substances
• if source is known a substrate control can be incorporated
into the analysis
 Crime Scene Safety
• Infectious materials
– Wear gloves, have
biohazard bags, shoe
covers, Kleengard
suits and masks,
disposable writing
instruments
 Crime Scene Safety
• Sharps
– Be alert and once
encountered they
are packaged
 Crime Scene Safety
• Explosive Scenes
Boston
Marathon
Bombing

A Meth Lab
 Crime-Scene
Reconstruction
Step 1 - State problem - type of crime and the legal elements.

Step 2 - Collect data - - records checks and police checks, interview

victim, witnesses, and suspects, try to get additional witnesses and
comparison samples from suspects

Step 3 - Form a hypothesis - look at all evidence - determine motive

and possible suspects

Step 4 - Test hypotheses - evaluate how truthful and reliable the

stories are, weigh their stories against the physical evidence

Step 5 - Follow up the most promising hypotheses (theories)

Step 6 -- Draw conclusions - supported by court-admissible evidence

leading to the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the offender.  

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 Crime-Scene
Reconstruction
• Was there more than one person
involved?
• How was the crime committed?
• Reconstruction supports likely
sequence of events by the
observation and evaluation of
physical evidence and statements
made by witnesses and those
involved with the incident
• Reconstructions can play a vital
role in aiding the jury to arrive at
an appropriate verdict.

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 Crime-Scene
Reconstruction

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Saferstein “Criminalistics”
Kennedy Assassination

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Homicide: Rape: Robbery: Burglary:

1- focus on deceased 1- focus on victim 1 - modus operandi 1 - focus on scene

2 -crime scene 2 - medical reports 2 - crime scene 2 - records check
3 - crime lab 3 - crime scene 3 - police records 3 - property check
4 - usual suspects

Source: adapted from Gilbert, J. (1980) Criminal Investigation. Columbus: Merrill.

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