Criminal Investigation Crime Scene Processing Part 10

Crime Scene 1. Evidence - most crimes - to identify - to convict a. Reproduce the crime - evidence collection - evidence collection - forgery / shoplift: no crime scene - forgery / shoplift: no crime scene b. Prepare while enroute - observant / mental notes - observant / mental notes

Scene, cont. (1) Check for suspect (1) Check for suspect - officer protection - officer protection (2) Injuries to victim (2) Injuries to victim - medics / pronounce dead - medics / pronounce dead (3) Call for assistance (3) Call for assistance - additional officers / experts - additional officers / experts b. Protect scene - neighbors / officers / news / medics - neighbors / officers / news / medics

Scene, cont. - guided through - guided through (1) First officer (1) First officer - in charge until relieved - in charge until relieved (2) Building search (2) Building search - two officers - two officers - stay together - stay together (3) Protection methods (3) Protection methods - vehicles to block streets / alleys / etc - vehicles to block streets / alleys / etc

Scene, cont. - officers at certain points - officers at certain points - police tape - police tape (4) Information in report (4) Information in report - necessary for court - necessary for court - defense attorney - defense attorney 2. Crime scene search - probative value - items of no value

Search, cont. a. Basic function - thorough / legal - thorough / legal - evidence present - evidence present (1) Goal of search (1) Goal of search - crime occurred / type - crime occurred / type - when committed - when committed - identify who - identify who - how committed - how committed - suggest why (motive) - suggest why (motive)

Search, cont. (2) Do not search until: (2) Do not search until: - photo / sketching complete - photo / sketching complete - conduct walk-through / mental picture - conduct walk-through / mental picture b. Photography - important role - important role - court presentation - court presentation (1) Picture / video (1) Picture / video - accurately represents - accurately represents - immediate / kept in roll - immediate / kept in roll

Search, cont. (2) Equipment (2) Equipment - instamatic - instamatic - Polaroid - Polaroid - Press cameras (35mm) - Press cameras (35mm) - fingerprint camera (1 x 1) - fingerprint camera (1 x 1) - movie / videotape - movie / videotape - specialized cameras - specialized cameras (3) Lens / filters (3) Lens / filters - wide angle / fisheye / telephoto / micro - wide angle / fisheye / telephoto / micro - eliminate colors - eliminate colors

Search, cont. (4) Film (4) Film - black and white / color / infrared - black and white / color / infrared - ASA: speed of film - ASA: speed of film 3. What to photograph - general areas - specific locations - objects of evidence a. Long-range pictures - take of locality - take of locality

Search, cont. - suspect’s entry / exit - suspect’s entry / exit (1) Entry to property (1) Entry to property - doors / gates / etc - doors / gates / etc (2) Exterior (2) Exterior - buildings / grounds - buildings / grounds (3) Identification shots (3) Identification shots - street sign / house numbers - street sign / house numbers - other identifiable structures - other identifiable structures

Search, cont. b. Medium-range pictures - immediate crime scene - immediate crime scene - objects of evidence - objects of evidence c. Close-range pictures - entire surfaces (bullet hole / chair / table / etc.) - entire surfaces (bullet hole / chair / table / etc.) - specific (hair / fiber / blood / finger-footprint) - specific (hair / fiber / blood / finger-footprint) (1) Several shots (1) Several shots - different locations - different locations - do not disturb - do not disturb

Search, cont. d. Instant photos - bruises / wounds - bruises / wounds - vandalism - vandalism - photo array - photo array 4. Properly performed - most valuable aids - little expertise - become familiar - basic class

Photos a. Investigative photographs - any made to record object / event - any made to record object / event - clarify a point - clarify a point (1) Photo laboratory (1) Photo laboratory - greater enhancement - greater enhancement b. Admissibility - if investigator can testify - if investigator can testify - accurately depict - accurately depict - area he/she observed - area he/she observed

Photos (1) Accuracy (1) Accuracy - degree it represents appearance - degree it represents appearance - form / tone / color / scale - form / tone / color / scale (2) Camera lens (2) Camera lens - not pickup perspective / scale / distance - not pickup perspective / scale / distance - supported: sketch / investigative notes - supported: sketch / investigative notes - ruler / scale measurement - ruler / scale measurement (3) Negative (3) Negative - sufficient proof / refute allegations - sufficient proof / refute allegations

Photos c. Highest quality of evidence - depict scene precisely - depict scene precisely - as found - as found (1) Exclusive function (1) Exclusive function - no people working in scene - no people working in scene - no police equipment - no police equipment d. ID of photographs - precisely identified - precisely identified - data noted on each shot taken - data noted on each shot taken

Photos (1) Technical history of photo (1) Technical history of photo - recorded in notes - recorded in notes - how relates - how relates - permanent part of case - permanent part of case e. Custody - establish chain of evidence - establish chain of evidence (1) Who took photos (1) Who took photos - primary / lab technician - primary / lab technician

Photos (2) Who maintained the film (2) Who maintained the film - evidence locker - evidence locker - case file - case file - locked desk - locked desk (3) Who developed (3) Who developed - police crime lab - police crime lab - commercial processor: mail/return receipts - commercial processor: mail/return receipts (4) Who maintained pictures (4) Who maintained pictures - detective / evidence technician? - detective / evidence technician?

Photos f. Admissibility f. Admissibility - material / relevant / competent - material / relevant / competent (1) Material (1) Material - relates to the case (2) Relevant (2) Relevant - assists or explains testimony (3) Competent (3) Competent - represents what it purports

Photos - properly identified - properly identified - follows chain of evidence 5. General considerations - time: an essential factor - preempt other aspects of investigation a. Cannot be moved / examined - until photographed - until photographed - all angles - all angles

Photos (1) Undergoes significant change (1) Undergoes significant change - passage of time - passage of time (2) Photo ASAP (2) Photo ASAP b. Camera positions b. Camera positions - recorded on crime scene sketch - recorded on crime scene sketch (1) Measure distance (1) Measure distance - immoveable object - immoveable object - vertical line / from camera lens - vertical line / from camera lens

Photos (2) Interior scenes (2) Interior scenes - depict as a whole - depict as a whole - move in closer - move in closer - specific object - specific object Marking devices Marking devices - used in the field of view a. Rulers - good method - good method - relationship of objects - relationship of objects

Devices b. Identifying letters - A / B / C / etc. - A / B / C / etc. - used to describe items of evidence - used to describe items of evidence - letter ‘A’ next to bullet hole - letter ‘A’ next to bullet hole - shown in notes / reports - shown in notes / reports c. Similar marking devices - chalk marks / string / etc. - chalk marks / string / etc. (1) Can be contested (1) Can be contested - not truly represent original scene - not truly represent original scene

Devices (2) Two photographs (2) Two photographs - one with marking device - one with marking device - one without - one without 7. Types of photographs a. Victims (1) All possible angles (1) All possible angles - impossible to “over-photograph” - impossible to “over-photograph” - controlled / protected crime scene - controlled / protected crime scene

Types (2) Obtain: body part not visible (2) Obtain: body part not visible - back of body - if found on back b. Witnesses b. Witnesses - same approximate location - same approximate location (1) Statement from witness (1) Statement from witness (2) Review at trial (2) Review at trial - help from being confused

Type c. Clothing c. Clothing - description recorded - description recorded - before moving body - before moving body (1) Clothing removed (1) Clothing removed - photograph where found - accurate measurements taken d. Weapons d. Weapons - photo where found - photo where found - before moving - before moving

Type (1) Unable to photo (1) Unable to photo - take of general area - notes taken: allow accurate testimony e. Bloody areas e. Bloody areas - colored photos - colored photos - large concentrations / small bloodspots - large concentrations / small bloodspots (1) Include ruler (2 nd photo) (1) Include ruler (2 nd photo) - bloody drag marks - bloody drag marks - photo completely - photo completely

Type (2) Photo any / all clothing (2) Photo any / all clothing - boot / shoe - boot / shoe - ruler next to - ruler next to (3) Notes at time - direction blood was traveling - direction blood was traveling - approximate size of spots - approximate size of spots f. Scrape / drag marks f. Scrape / drag marks - all that show a struggle - all that show a struggle - bent grass / heel marks in sand - bent grass / heel marks in sand

Type (2) Important role (2) Important role - what actually happened - what actually happened - before / during / after - before / during / after g. Impressions g. Impressions - tire / shoe / boot - tire / shoe / boot - fabric on dirt / paint / dust - fabric on dirt / paint / dust - ruler: oblique lighting - ruler: oblique lighting h. Other articles h. Other articles - bottles / glasses / cups / playing cards / etc. - bottles / glasses / cups / playing cards / etc.

Type (1) No object should be moved (1) No object should be moved - until photographed - until photographed - original location - original location 8. Most important element - maintaining perspective a. Viewed from particular point - relative position / size - relative position / size b. Any distortion

Type c. Natural perspective c. Natural perspective - aiming camera at 90 degree angle - aiming camera at 90 degree angle - opposite wall - opposite wall - outdoors: fixed object - outdoors: fixed object d. Keep at eye level d. Keep at eye level - unless tripod - unless tripod - viewer can see at eye level - viewer can see at eye level e. Overlapping segments e. Overlapping segments - one direction around the room / area - one direction around the room / area

Type 9. Critical photographic requirements a. Approaches to the scene b, Surrounding areas c. Close-up: entrance / exit d. General scenario shot e. Minimum: 2 photos of body / 90 degree angles

Type f. Body close-ups f. Body close-ups g. After removal of body g. After removal of body h. Fingerprints h. Fingerprints i. Blood stains i. Blood stains j. All items of evidence j. All items of evidence