1. Chapter 3: THE CRIME SCENE
“Oh, how simple it would all have been had I been here before they came like a herd of buffalo and wallowed all over it.”
—A. Conan Doyle, in The Boscombe Valley Mystery, 1892
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CRIME SCENE
Students will learn:
The steps to take when processing a crime scene.
That different types of evidence are packaged differently
The importance of the chain of custody
Students will be able to:
Secure, record, and search for evidence at a mock crime scene.
Collect and package evidence at a mock crime scene using proper forensic procedures.
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3. CORPUS DELICTI “Body of the Crime”
Scientists try to prove
that a _____________ _____________
that the _________ ___________with the crime was responsible for the crime
Top Reasons for Committing a Crime
Money
Revenge
Emotion—love, hate, anger
Sources of Physical Evidence
________________ _______________
______________ and/or ______________ Crime Scene
_______________)
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CRIME SCENE TEAM
A group of professional investigators, each trained in a variety of special disciplines.
Team Members
First Police Officer on the scene
Medics (if necessary)
Investigator(s)
Medical Examiner (if necessary)
Photographer and/or Field Evidence Technician
_____________ _______________
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5. FIRST OFFICER ON THE SCENE (this is not the forensic scientist)
First officer duties include:
A Assess the crime scene and assist those hurt
D Detain the witness
A Arrest the perpetrator
P Protect the crime scene
T Take notes
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6. CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
Based on the scientific method and the Locard Exchange Principle, logic, and forensic techniques
Involves:
_________________—scene survey, documentation, collection
______________________—comparison testing
______________—evaluation and interpretation
___________________—reporting and presenting
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7. PROCESSING A CRIME SCENE
__________________ the scene
___________ the scene
_______ for evidence
____________ evidence, protecting and preserving it while maintaining the chain of custody
_______________evidence to the crime lab
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CRIME SCENE SURVEY
_____________________—performed by the crime scene investigator, the first officer and sometimes the lead detective
___________ of a reconstruction theory (but keep an open mind, be curious and skeptical)
______________________________ that could change over time.
________________________conditions
___________________________, as well as paths of travel within the crime scene
_______________________ of who, what, where, when, and how
___________________ within the crime scene for personnel, precautions or equipment and notify superior officers or other agencies
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DOCUMENTATION
_____________conditions, description of the crime, location of the evidence relative to other key points, the names of all people involved, modifications that have occurred and other relevant information
_______________—photos of scene and surroundings, mid-range to close-up photos with various angles of each piece of evidence, photos as viewed by any witnesses.
______________—inclusion of date, time, scale, reference points, distance measurements, names of investigators, victims, suspects, and a legend (key)
_________________—allows narration (non-subjective) to be included
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SEARCH METHODS
_________________in large, outdoor scenes
__________—basically a double-line search; effective, but time-consuming
__________—most effective in houses or buildings; teams are assigned small zones for searching
________________on small, circular crime scenes
____________—may move inward or outward; best used where there are no physical barriers
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SEARCH METHODS
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CRIME SCENE SKETCH
Date: August 14, Criminalist: Ann Wilson
Time: 11:35 am Location: Rockledge Dr, St. Louis, Mo.
Scale info N
Birds-eye view
(shown) or
Elevation
Sketches ______and _____
attention to relevant items
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13. COLLECTING AND PACKAGING EVIDENCE
One individual should be designated as the evidence collector to ensure that the evidence is collected, packaged, marked, sealed, and preserved in a consistent manner
Each item must be placed in a __________ container, ___________, and ___________ with ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Most fragile is collected and packaged first
Different types of evidence require specific or special collection and packaging techniques
The body is the property of the coroner or medical examiner. The collection of evidence on the body is usually done by that department but may be done by scientists
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PACKAGING
Most items should be packaged in a primary container and then placed inside a secondary one. These are then placed inside other containers such as paper bags, plastic bags, canisters, packets and envelopes depending on the type and size of the evidence.
Biological evidence ___________________________
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CHAIN OF CUSTODY
There must be _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The evidence container must be marked for identification
The collector’s initials, time, and date should be placed across the seal
If evidence is turned over to another person, the transfer must be recorded.
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16. CRIME SCENE RECONSTRUCTION
Stages reflect scientific method
O: Detect/collect evidence and data
H: State hypothesis
E: Examine, test, analyze, experiment
C: Conclude/form theory
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17. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER AND THE CORONER
A medical examiner is a medical doctor, usually a pathologist and is appointed by the governing body of the area. There are 400 forensic pathologists throughout the U.S.
A coroner is an elected official who usually has no special medical training. In four states, the coroner is a medical doctor.
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18. MEDICAL EXAMINER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
Chapter 3
MEDICAL EXAMINER’S RESPONSIBILITIES
Identify the deceased
Establish the time and date of death
Determine a medical cause of death—the injury or disease that resulted in the person dying
Determine the mechanism of death—the physiological reason that the person died
Classify the manner of death
Natural
Accidental
Suicide
Homicide
Undetermined
Notify the next of kin
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MORE INFORMATION
For additional information on crime scene investigation, check out Court TV’s Crime Library:
On Michael Baden and the autopsy:
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