When investigating an explosion, many agencies and their specialized personnel may unite to locate valuable evidence. A criminalist is responsible for detecting and identifying chemicals that were used to ignite the explosion, as well as the detonating mechanisms. For this reason, a criminalist primary concern should be locating the crater and examining the hole to remove soil and debris before a possible contamination occur from heavy foot traffic. Once the important soil and debris has been collected, only then should a sifter be used for further investigation.
Criminalist Hughes failed to make locating the crater his number one priority because he chose to search the surrounding areas first and then question several witnesses. The crime