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 scene  Record scene  Evidence present  Systematic search  Preservation and collection of evidence  Chain of custody  Reference /Standard Samples  Crime Scene Safety  Legal 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  4 th 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 variations  Filters for lighting  Tripods

How to achieve various angles Video? Long range, medium and close ups First 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. Constitution Fourth 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 in notebook