The Crime Scene

A Visual Guide

Marilyn T. Miller, Peter Massey

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780128013588
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Forensic Science
• Index: Law

The Crime Scene: A Visual Guide provides visual instruction on the correct way to process a crime scene. While the primary crime scene comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by crime scene investigators (CSIs), forensic scientists, or law enforcement personnel, this book also covers secondary and often tertiary crime scenes, all locations where there is the potential for the recovery of evidence.

By using photographs and other diagrams to show proper and improper procedures, the reader will learn how to identify the correct principles required to process a scene. The book presents chapters on the investigation, the varying types of documentation, and the tactics used to connect events through crime scene reconstruction using evidence

The book's authors have a combined experience of over 70 years in crime scene investigation as primary responders and consultants giving testimony in all levels of the U.S. court system. In addition, both teach forensic science and crime scene investigation at the university level.

• Coverage of techniques, documentation and reconstruction at a crime scene
• Shows side-by-side comparison of the correct process versus the incorrect process
• Online website will host: videos and additional instructional material

Part I

Preliminary Preparations

Outline

Chapter 1. Crime Scene Investigations

Chapter 2. Initial On-Scene Procedures

Chapter 1

Crime Scene Investigations

Abstract

Crime scene is the source of the physical evidence that is used to associate or link suspects to scenes, victims to scenes, and suspects to victims. That is the Locard Exchange Principle. It is the basic tenet of why crime scenes are investigated. Anything can be physical evidence found at a crime scene. The evidence might be visible or “invisible” it is up to the crime scene investigator to anticipate, search, and find the evidence at the crime scene. It is the crime scene physical evidence that is used to provide a variety of information to the investigator. The work at the crime scene is always predicated on the legality of search and seizure.

Keywords

Associative evidence; Fourth amendment; Legal concerns at crime scene search warrants; Linking evidence; Locard exchange principle; Permission to search; Physical evidence; Scientific crime scene investigation

Chapter Outline

Types of Physical Evidence and Crime Scenes 3

Use of Physical Evidence Found at the Crime Scene 5

Locard Exchange Principle 6

General Processes and Procedures at the Crime Scene 6

Scientific Crime Scene Investigation 11

Legal Concerns for the Crime Scene Investigator 11

Discussion Questions 14

Example Mincey Warrant Template 15

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this chapter the reader should be able to:

• Identify various types of physical evidence found at a crime scene and the usefulness of the evidence in a criminal investigation.

• Discuss and apply the Locard Exchange Principle to the investigation of crime scenes.

• Identify and utilize a variety of general processes and procedures to begin a crime scene investigation.

• Understand and apply legal requirements as part of a crime scene investigation.

Types of Physical Evidence and Crime Scenes

Any attempt at identifying all the types of physical evidence that could be found at a crime scene would be folly. See Photo 1.1.

Physical evidence can be anything. It is oftentimes not always visible to the investigator. Visualization and enhancement to assist searching for physical evidence at scenes must be done and become part of every scene investigation. Just using your sight is not enough. This is especially true with bloodstained impressions. (See unenhanced bloody footwear impression and enhanced bloody enhancement in Figure 1.1.)

The physical evidence can range in size from huge to microscopic. It can be animal, vegetable, or mineral. The crime scene investigator must expect the unexpected and more. By identifying the categories of physical evidence at the crime scene, investigator will be assisted primarily in the determination of the collection mechanism or container to use. Regardless of the type of physical evidence found at the crime scene, the scene investigator must always remember that it is the physical evidence that will make or break an investigation.

Because any item found at a crime scene can be physical evidence, it can be labeled the debris of criminal activity. While there is considerable overlap of identifications of evidence, it can be categorized into the following broad groups based on its origin, composition, or method of creation:

1. Biological evidence—any evidence derived from a living item. Includes physiological fluids, plants, some biological pathogens.

2. Chemical evidence—any evidence with identifiable chemicals present.

3. Patterned evidence—any evidence with a pattern or predictable pattern of appearance.

4. Trace evidence—any evidence of such a small size so as to be overlooked, not easily seen or not easily recognized.

Photo 1.1 Crime scene with a variety of different types of physical evidence.

Figure 1.1 Unenhanced and enhanced bloody footwear impressions.

Use of Physical Evidence Found at the Crime Scene

In addition to identifying the type of physical evidence found at a crime scene it is necessary and possible to obtain valuable investigative information from the analysis of the items of physical evidence. The types of information that can be obtained from the use of physical evidence:

• Determination of corpus delicti—the evidence is used to determine if a crime has taken place. For example, a red-brown stain on a wall in a kitchen may not be human blood. It may just be dried tomato sauce. A broken window may not always mean a breaking and entering has occurred (see Figure 1.2).

• Modus operandi identification—criminals repeat behavior. Repeated methods of entry, for example, by kicking in a back door with the same shoe leaving the same footwear impressions throughout the crime scene (see Figure 1.3).

• Association or linkage—the Locard Exchange Principle—transfer of evidence by contact. See the next section to follow.

• Disproving/supporting victim/suspect/witness statements—the evidence may or may not support what these groups say. For example, an eyewitness may say that the suspect fled the crime scene wearing tennis shoes but the only footwear impressions and shoes found at the scene are bloody slippers (see Figure 1.4).

• Identification of suspects/victims/crime scene location—fingerprints and even DNA can be used to identify who was present at a crime scene (see Figure 1.5).

• Provide for investigative leads for dete...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Part I. Preliminary Preparations
• Part II. Making a Scene Relevant-Documentation
• Part III. Concluding Processes
• Appendix 1. Crime Scene Investigation Necessities
• Appendix 2. Death Scene Investigation Checklist
• Appendix 3. Recipes for Commonly Used Reagents at the Crime Scene
• Glossary of Commonly Used Terms
• Index