...importance of good crime scene management and the maintenance of sample integrity. This paper will firstly define the five building blocks, procedures and protocols that underpin good crime scene management. Secondly, the paper will argue the two most important factors that enable good crime scene management and sample integrity with reference to the highly publicised cases of OJ Simpson and Amanda Knox. Thirdly the paper will conclude to explain how good crime scene management and sample integrity is essential to enable successful convictions. A ‘crime scene’, refers to the primary or secondary area in which a suspected crime has taken place where physical evidence can be obtained. Such areas include indoor or outdoor locations, vehicles or persons as noted by Jackson and Jackson (2011). Upon identifying a crime scene one is presented with a myriad of information and questions. In order to obtain the answers and evidence the crime scene presents that may lead to a successful future conviction(s), there are a number of important principals, procedures and methods that must be stringently followed and managed by the police’s criminal investigative team. As Jackson and Jackson (2011, p.15) has noted, “The way in which scenes of crime are managed and recorded, and how the physical and digital evidence is located, collected, packaged, labelled and stored, are all fundamental to the success of subsequent forensic examinations.” The main objective of the crime scene investigation...
Words: 1942 - Pages: 8
...it is in their possession. Initial Collection * Before any evidence is removed from the crime scene, there should be an evidence custodian designated as the person in charge of initiating and maintaining all evidence. This person needs to document the crime scene location, as well as his time of arrival. There should also be a crime scene log established, witness list and documentation of identification, arrival and departure times of all law enforcement crime scene personnel. Record Keeping * The investigator who handles the evidence initially should affix her name, badge number and assignment to the package containing the evidence. When the evidence leaves the officer's possession, a record should be made in her case notes identifying to whom the evidence was given, the date and time, and the reason it was turned over. A signed receipt should be obtained from the person accepting the evidence and another signed receipt should be obtained when the item is returned. When the item is returned, the officer should examine the item and determine if the item is in the same condition as when it was discovered DNA Evidence * DNA evidence can have a critical role in determining a person's guilt or innocence. Many states now require permanent storage of any DNA collected at crime scenes. The chain of custody documentation for biological matter collected at a crime...
Words: 667 - Pages: 3
...in social interactions and the development of restricted repetitive patterns and behaviors, interests, and activities. Emma is very invested in her son’s diagnosis and had him in behavioral therapy and speech therapy, which improved his communication. On top of all of his medication, Emma works really hard to pay for Jess his social skills tutor, which Jacob meets with twice a week. It here where Jacob works on improving his social skills and how he expresses himself to others. Jacob has an intense interest in forensics and thus likes to visit crime scenes that he finds out from his police scanner. One day, Jacob goes to the house that Jess is house sitting for his weekly meeting, and it is here where he finds Jess dead and thus decides to frame Jess’s boyfriend that he loathes as the murderer but in fact she slipped out of the shower when she was startled by seeing Jacob’s brother Theo in the house. The police show up to the crime scene after Jess’s boyfriend reports her missing however Jess’s body was not in the house and the police decided to begin investigating her disappearance. It is here with Jacob finds himself in trouble with the law because of his strong interest with forensics. After receiving an anonymous tip, police find Jess dead in a forest with Jacob’s favorite blanket wrapped around her leading them straight back to Jacob for questioning. When questioned by the police, Jacob’s Asperger’s force him to answer questions truthfully and accurately because he is unable...
Words: 520 - Pages: 3
...A Forensic Nightmare Shepherd Leach CRJ311 Dawn George March 25, 2013 The Enrique Camarena case was one of many mistakes on the part of the corrupt Mexican government. Evidence was improperly collected, scenes were contaminated and much evidence was lost or destroyed. The United States did what they could do and collected what they were able to collect to try and solve his murder and the murder of another agent. This paper will discuss the evidence that was collected, the steps that the investigators followed the many mistakes that were made and what was done well and what could have been done better. In the end the case was tried and the right people were convicted and the mystery solved. The case begins in February of 1985 with a man being shoved into the backseat of a small car from in front of a restaurant where Mr. Camarena was to meet his wife for lunch. This is also when the first of the mistakes in this case were made. A couple of well known drug traffickers were detained as suspects and then allowed to go, only to have it come out later that the Primer Comandante of the Mexican Federal Judicial Police was paid a six figure bribe for allowing the drug traffickers to go. The forensic evidence found in the case of Enrique Camarena was that of a small piece of burial sheet, a piece of rope, a portion of a pillowcase, lab reports, hair, fingerprint and soil samples and some fibers from a nylon rug or carpet. Most if not all the evidence was...
Words: 1284 - Pages: 6
...Crime Scene Reconstruction Devry University Kemisha Askew October 20, 2012 The topic I am writing about is Crime Scene Reconstruction. Crime Scene Reconstruction is the use of scientific methods, physical evidence, deductive reasoning and their interrelationships to gain explicit knowledge of the series of events that surround the commission of a crime. Crime Scene Reconstruction looks at the physical evidence and attempts to determine “What Happened? And how did it happen?” The reason why I have selected this topic is because I find it intriguing how physical evidence is broken down, evaluated, and reconstructed to actual tell how a crime occurred and what happened in the process. There are many television shows I watch daily that portray the crime scene investigation process in a certain light this is another reason why I chose this topic. I’d like to find out firsthand what actually goes on in the reconstruction process versus fictional exploitations of it on television. Crime Scene Reconstruction looks at the physical evidence and attempts to determine “What Happened? And how did it happen?” A similar method that is used is Criminal Profiling. Criminal Profiling is the application of psychological theory to the analysis and reconstruction of the forensic evidence that relates to an offender’s crime scenes, victims and behaviours. Crime Scene Reconstruction is the use of scientific methods, physical evidence, deductive reasoning and their interrelationships to...
Words: 1748 - Pages: 7
...Crime scene processing is the actual act of processing the crime scene in the field. The processing refers to the whole job of examining, photographing, quickly drawing, and using field ways of doing things to identify, (figure out the worth, amount, or quality of), document, process and collect physical, testimonial and fingerprint (event(s) or object(s) that prove something). Processing a crime scene needs/demands great attention to detail and detail. To preserve(event(s) or object(s) that prove something), proper steps must be taken in time-based order. The steps employed to do enough to test/evaluate any crime scene are, quite basically, to interview, examine, photograph, sketch and process a crime scene. There are (more than two, but not...
Words: 343 - Pages: 2
...Topics Crime Scene Investigator In: Other Topics Crime Scene Investigator Crime scene investigation is the meeting point between science, logic and law. Processing a crime scene is and long and tedious process and is the job of crime scene investigators (CSI). CSI has the responsibilities of collecting, documenting, preserving, reconstructing and presenting evidence. It is their job to examine any physical evidence that could remotely shed any light on what happened and who is responsible. There are no typical crime scenes, evidence or investigative approaches and every crime scene should be approached in a systematic sense. According to Robert R. Ogle Jr., a crime scene search is defined as a systematic, methodical search for any physical evidence at a crime scene. Before the job of CSI can begin, there has to be a crime committed. For instance, CSI are on call for murder scene investigations to collect and examine evidence. When CSI is contacted, their job begins. Evidence is a major part in any investigation. Without evidence, a case can grow cold quick. Anything can be evidence and when in a crime scene, everything should be treated as such. Evidence has many different categories: trace, firearm, impression, drug and alcohol, document, and biological fluids. All of these categories of evidence play an important part in finding out valuable information towards solving a case. The most important aspect of evidence collection and preservation is protecting the crime scene...
Words: 347 - Pages: 2
...Crime scene investigation is the meeting point between science, logic and law. Processing a crime scene is and long and tedious process and is the job of crime scene investigators (CSI). CSI has the responsibilities of collecting, documenting, preserving, reconstructing and presenting evidence. It is their job to examine any physical evidence that could remotely shed any light on what happened and who is responsible. There are no typical crime scenes, evidence or investigative approaches and every crime scene should be approached in a systematic sense. According to Robert R. Ogle Jr., a crime scene search is defined as a systematic, methodical search for any physical evidence at a crime scene. Before the job of CSI can begin, there has to be a crime committed. For instance, CSI are on call for murder scene investigations to collect and examine evidence. When CSI is contacted, their job begins. Evidence is a major part in any investigation. Without evidence, a case can grow cold quick. Anything can be evidence and when in a crime scene, everything should be treated as such. Evidence has many different categories: trace, firearm, impression, drug and alcohol, document, and biological fluids. All of these categories of evidence play an important part in finding out valuable information towards solving a case. The most important aspect of evidence collection and preservation is protecting the crime scene. When first approaching a crime scene, first responders should secure the...
Words: 1445 - Pages: 6
...Crime Scenes Crime scene investigation is the meeting point between science, logic and law. Processing a crime scene is and long and tedious process and is the job of crime scene investigators (CSI). CSI has the responsibilities of collecting, documenting, preserving, reconstructing and presenting evidence. It is their job to examine any physical evidence that could remotely shed any light on what happened and who is responsible. There are no typical crime scenes, evidence or investigative approaches and every crime scene should be approached in a systematic sense. According to Robert R. Ogle Jr., a crime scene search is defined as a systematic, methodical search for any physical evidence at a crime scene. When a crime has been committed, law enforcement team members use many scientific methods, along with their natural intuition and skill, to discover who is responsible. In modern crime scenes, finger and shoeprints, hair, blood, bones, and even DNA are used to help solve the puzzle and catch the criminal. Criminals find newer, cleaner, and smarter ways to kill, while the criminal investigators and forensic scientists, find newer, cleaner, and smarter ways to catch the criminal. Investigating a crime scene can take hours, sometimes days. Scene processing is the term applied to the series of steps taken to investigate a crime scene. Although the methods and techniques may differ between the experts involved, their goals are the same: to reconstruct the exact...
Words: 1051 - Pages: 5
...present a framework for digital forensics that includes an investigation process model based on physical crime scene procedures. In this model, each digital device is considered a digital crime scene, which is included in the physical crime scene where it is located. The investigation includes the preservation of the system, the search for digital evidence, and the reconstruction of digital events. The focus of the investigation is on the reconstruction of events using evidence so that hypotheses can be developed and tested. This paper also includes definitions and descriptions of the basic and core concepts that the framework uses. 1 Introduction Since the first Digital Forensic Research Workshop (DFRWS) in 2001 [Pal01], the need for a standard framework has been understood, yet there has been little progress on one that is generally accepted. A framework for digital forensics needs to be flexible enough so that it can support future technologies and different types of incidents. Therefore, it needs to be simple and abstract. On the other hand, if it is too simple and abstract then it is difficult to create tool requirements and test procedures for each phase. For this paper, we have examined the concept of an investigation to determine what is required. The result is an event-based framework that can be used to develop hypotheses and answer questions about an incident or crime. Hypotheses are developed by collecting objects that may have played a role in an event that was related...
Words: 6869 - Pages: 28
...STUDENT NUMBER 2014OSC58443 Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Level 3 STUDENT NUMBER 2014OSC58443 Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Level 3 COURSE CODE – OSC532(V1.0) COURSE CODE – OSC532(V1.0) UNIT 5 – EVIDENCE HANDLING zoe wRIGHT UNIT 5 – EVIDENCE HANDLING zoe wRIGHT 2015 2015 Introduction This unit will be discussing the various packaging techniques in handling evidence taken away from crime scenes with the most appropriate ones being considered for each type of evidence found. It will be discussed having the implications of poor packaging and the results which lead to contamination of all evidence if not packaged properly and the outcome when it is taken to court also the reliability of the CSI’s involved. It is also the job of the CSI to make sure all health and safety procedures are in place before handling and taking any piece of evidence as there are varying risks involved like sharps, contamination of evidence, weather conditions other witnesses interfering with the scene, other personnel and any form of biological hazards. These must be taken seriously and analysed before any search. Unit 5 1. Detail the forensic evidence that would have been taken away from the scene by the perpetrator. The crime scene is probably the most important part of any criminal investigation. It is where forensic science starts. Locard’s Principle states that...
Words: 2900 - Pages: 12
...convicted if the television show CSI was not aired, as people see it as real. Prosecutors say the CSI effect forces them to explain why they have no forensic evidence, and jury selection takes longer as the people who seem to be influenced by the show are removed. Defense attorney’s agree about the effects of the television show. Producers of CSI say their show has an educational effect on the public(teaches them science). Some police feel that CSI helps educate criminals on how not to get caught. Educators think CSI attracts students to want a career in forensic science.(Knight,2010). The CSI effect does have some benefits such as understanding the use of resources to investigate cold cases and for people who have information about a crime to come forward. Donald Shelton, Greg Barak and Young Kim randomly chose 1,027 jurors in Ann Arbor, Michigan to participate in a study. First, they got demographic information, asked what they watched on television, how often and if...
Words: 560 - Pages: 3
...320 WK 6 FIELD REPORT CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION To purchase this visit here: http://www.activitymode.com/product/crj-320-wk-6-field-report-crime-scene-investigation/ Contact us at: SUPPORT@ACTIVITYMODE.COM CRJ 320 WK 6 FIELD REPORT CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION CRJ 320 WK 6 Field Report Crime Scene Investigation - Murder Kicks Refer to the scenario Crime Scene Investigation – Murder Kicks, The Death of a Soccer Star, located in the online course shell. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you: 1. Analyze the victim and physical evidence of the body as shown in the photograph. 2. Analyze the physical elements shown in the photographs of the inside of the house, noting how these elements connect to the crime. 3. Analyze the physical evidence from photographs of the exterior of the house, noting what might be the escape route. 4. Analyze the photo taken by a neighbor of a truck the week prior to the crime. 5. Propose a list of evidence that should be preserved and provide a rationale for each item on the list. 6. Propose a chain of preservation for the evidence. CRJ 320 WK 6 FIELD REPORT CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION To purchase this visit here: http://www.activitymode.com/product/crj-320-wk-6-field-report-crime-scene-investigation/ Contact us at: SUPPORT@ACTIVITYMODE.COM CRJ 320 WK 6 FIELD REPORT CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION CRJ 320 WK 6 Field Report Crime Scene Investigation - Murder Kicks Refer to the scenario Crime Scene Investigation – Murder...
Words: 765 - Pages: 4
...Angeles police department establish the first American forensic lab. Forensic science has been around over 300 years or more and it continues to improve and emerge today as science and technical knowledge find more improved and accurate techniques. Forensic science has come to be a critical instrument in allowing guilt or demonstrating innocence in the system of criminal justice. In the late 80’s (DNA), society was accepting of (DNA) and forensic science continues to develop and unfold Technology in this fast pace world. Forensic science has been through many changes because of the maturity of the Science labs and its accurate findings. Forensic science is very important because it helps in solving crimes and exonerating people of crimes they did not commit. They also solves crimes through investigation such as cause of death, identifying a suspect /victim, missing...
Words: 1265 - Pages: 6
...Presentation, which pertains to the courts. A forensic case will involve all aspects of each of the three structured elements, each being as important as the other. It is obvious that there needs to be a shared approach for the successful end of each case. Each step in forensic science must be done in an exact order; therefore it can be assured that the investigation can have few doubts about what is being debated. The purpose of crime scene investigation is to help establish what happened at the crime and to identify the responsible person or people. Carefully documenting the situation at a crime scene and recognizing all-important physical evidence do this. The ability to recognize and properly collect physical evidence is often times vital to both solving and prosecuting violent crimes. It is no exaggeration to say that in the majority of cases, the law enforcement officer who protects and searches a crime scene plays a significant role in determining whether physical evidence will be used in solving or prosecuting violent crimes. Documenting a crime scene and its conditions can include directly recording brief details such as lighting, furniture, fingerprints, and other valuable information. Certain evidence if not collected right away can easily be lost, destroyed or ruined. The range of investigations can also...
Words: 644 - Pages: 3
