Crime Scene Management
Crime Scene Management
• Crime scene: Crime scene is the place where an
offence has been committed and the place where the
forensic evidences may be gathered.
• Crime scene is starting point for the investigator, which
provides him information about the victim, about the
suspect and helps in the reconstruction of crime.
• The scene of occurrence cannot be limited to one
place only. It may extend to one or more places. It may
also not be limited to immediate surrounding. It may
extend to a wider area depending upon the nature of
the crime committed.
Types of Crime Scene
The scene of crime may classified as
• Outdoor
• Indoor scene.
When a crime committed on a road or on a field then
it is known as an outdoor crime.
Whereas, if a crime committed in a house, a car, etc,
is an indoor crime.
There may be certain types of crime, which have no
scene at all. The crime of this nature are forgery,
embezzlement etc.
Causation of Crime
Causation of crime means to establish the cause of
conduct by connecting or relating the conduct with
the resulting effect.
For example: If some body fired a bullet and which
resulted into injury of victim.
Who is involved in a crime-scene investigation?
Crime Scene Investigation requires teamwork.
• Police Officer: is usually the first one to arrive at crime scene.
or
Safety is the primary concern
Assist the victim
To conduct the Interviews of the witnesses
Search for and arrest suspect
Detain the witnesses
document the scene in detail, collect and
record evidences.
Crime Scene Investigation requires teamwork.
Medical Examiners: may be necessary to determine the cause
of death.
Forensic scientist: To guide for the collection and preservation
of evidences.
•Specialists: such as insect biologists (entomologists), Medical
examiner (cause of death), Crime investigator, squads etc.
depending on the type of crime.
Photographer
Videographer
Processing the Crime Scene
1. Securing/ Preserving the Crime Scene
2. Crime Scene Recording
3. Searching the Crime Scene
4. Collection of Physical Evidence
Processing the Crime Scene
1. Securing/Preserving of the Crime Scene
2. Crime Scene Recording
3. Searching the Crime Scene
4. Collection of Physical Evidence
Securing/Preserving of the Crime Scene
Securing the Crime Scene
Crime scene is secured to protect the clues as
there will be mutual sharing of traces or evidence
during crime, according to Locard’s Principle of
Exchange .
Secure the scene with physical barriers
One officer is assigned to prevent entrance of
unwanted personnel till the investigation is not
completed.
Log should be kept for each and every disturbed
object if present at scene of crime.
Securing the Crime Scene
• Set initial boundary larger than the scene
• Locate physical evidence for collection
• Document all actions taken by responders:
– Personal information
– Actions and statements of persons entering and
exiting the scene
– Items moved or removed and who moved them
Processing the Crime Scene
1. Securing the Crime Scene
2. Crime Scene Recording
3. Searching the Crime Scene
4. Collection of Physical Evidence
Crime Scene Recording
After the scene is secure, the investigator officer :
Note points of entry/exit that require attention
Recording of notes
Photographs
Sketches
Documenting the Scene
• Documention is the most important and time-
consuming activity at a crime scene because:
– It shows the evidence in the context of the crime scene.
– It allows crime scene analysts to do a reconstruction of
the corpus delecti .
– Helps in creating and maintaining the chain of custody.
– It may become evidence in court.
• Notes, photographs and sketches/diagrams are all
used to record the crime scene and the location of
physical evidence.
Crime Scene Documentation
Record of notes of crime scene includes:
Date and time of FIR
Nature of crime
Location of crime scene and brief description of area.
The name of officers, witnesses, investigators and special
personnel at the crime scene.
The name of personnel who took the photographs, evidences,
sketches etc.
The weather and lighting condition at the time of recording of
the scene
A description about the interior and exterior of the crime
scene, number of rooms, doors, windows, etc.
The location and collection of evidences
The date and time of completion of recording and examination
of the crime scene
Crime Scene Documentation
Videotaping the Crime Scene
Introduce with case #, date, location
Begin with surroundings (include entrance/exits)
Tape Evidence (wide angle, close-up)
Victims viewpoint
DO NOT:
Narrate the video or discuss contents
Edit original video
Photography
Crime Scene Documentation
Photographing the Crime Scene
Take examination quality photographs (used by
experts to interpret evidence)
Every photo should be recorded in a log
Take with and without a scale
Photography
• You can never take too many photos of a crime scene. At a scene
there may be 200-500 shots taken from every possible angle of
view.
• Victim and evidences must not be moved until they have been
photographed from all necessary angles.
• Physical evidence is photographed with a scale to show it’s size
and also it’s location relative to the entire scene.
Photography
• A photo log also be created.
– Date and time
– Camera settings
– Film roll number and exposure number or
file name
– Type of shot
– Distance to the subject
– Brief description
Outdoor Photography
Outdoor Photography
Indoor Photography
Living Room
Bedroom
Indoor Photography
Sketching the Crime Scene
Goal is to record the exact position of all evidence to
aid in reconstruction.
• Sketch showing the representation of all essential
information, evidence and measurements at a crime
scene drawn at the crime scene.
Sketching of crime scene
• Other items included in a sketch:
– Case identifier, sketch artist
– Date, time, location, weather, lighting
– Key or legend
– Compass direction or geographic orientation
Processing the Crime Scene
1. Securing the Crime Scene
2. Crime Scene recording
3. Searching the Crime Scene
4. Collection of Physical Evidence
Searching of Crime Scene
• The search for physical evidence at a crime scene must be thorough
and systematic.
• Systematic search ensures no piece of physical evidence is missed.
• The search pattern selected will normally depend on the size and
location of the scene and the number of evidence collectors.
• Physical evidence can be anything from massive objects to
microscopic traces.
• Investigators should wear gloves and shoes to prevent
contamination of the evidences and scene.
• Begin search outside or at the point of entry or exit and move
inward.
Systematic Search for Evidence
Processing the Crime Scene
1. Securing the Crime Scene
2. Crime Scene Documentation
3. Searching the Crime Scene
4. Collection of Physical Evidence
What Evidence Would You Collect
and How Would You Collect It?
• Temporary, fragile, or easily lost evidence should be
collected first.
Collection of Evidence
• Arson evidence (flammables, ignition source, etc.)
– Locate by sight and smell
– Place wood, and absorbent materials in clean painted
cans and seal the lid
– Place flammable liquids in glass bottle with tight-fitting lid
• Chemicals and drugs
– Locate by visual observation
– For chemical field tests are used to classify or identify
them at the scene
– Place liquids or solids in a screw cap jar or vial
Collection of Evidence
• Trace evidences (hair, fibers, soil, etc.)
– May be extremely small or microscopic
– Collect by forceps, tweezers, scraping etc.
– Document and collect the questioned and known samples
– Besides, these evidences, medical examiner may provide
other evidence from the corpus after autopsy finding in
case of homicide.
Collection of Physical Evidence
• It is important to notice and collect the possible
carriers of trace evidence, such as clothing, and
fingernail scrapings, in addition to more obvious
physical evidence.
• Liquid or volatile evidence placed in airtight
containers
• Each evidence should be packaged separately and
properly sealed along with the documentation.
The Victim Can Provide Evidence
• The search for physical evidence is continued from the scene
of crime up to the autopsy room of a deceased victim.
• The medical examiner will carefully examine the victim to
establish a cause and manner of death.
• Tissues and organs will be retained for toxicological
examination.
• He (Medical examiner) can also provide many important
physical evidence from the body of the victim.
Packaging of Evidence
• Each item must be placed in a separate container to prevent
cross-contamination.
• The package should be clearly labeled and sealed with evidence
tape.
• Take entire piece of evidence as it is found at the scene, if
possible.
• Wet blood should either dry first and then scraped or can be
collected on a swab.
Packaging of Evidence
• Unbreakable plastic pill bottles with pressure lids are excellent
containers for hairs, glass, fibers, and other kinds of trace
evidence.
• Manila envelopes, screw-cap glass vials, or cardboard pillboxes
are also good containers.
• Ordinary mailing envelopes should not be used because powders
will leak out of their corners.
• Arson evidence is placed in clean painted cans.
Beyond The Crime Scene
The medical examiner or coroner will examine the victim
to establish a cause and manner of death and preserve
tissues and organs for the further analysis.
They may also collect some or all the following:
1. Victim’s clothing
2. Fingernail scrapings
3. Head and hairs
4. Blood (for DNA typing purposes)
5. Vaginal, anal, and oral swabs (in sex related crimes)
6. Recovered bullets from the body
7. Hand swabs for gunshot residue analysis
Submitting Evidence to The Lab
• Evidence should be sent directly to the lab to maintain the chain of
custody.
• These are submitted to the lab in person.
• Chemicals, radiological agents, and explosives may be special
transportation via UPS or FedEx.
FedEx Ground® and UPS:
Can provide safe, reliable shipping for
hazardous materials.
Chain of Custody
Chain of Custody
• In court, all evidence will be subject to questions about
chain of custody.
• The chain starts with the evidence’s original discoverer.
• The chain is broken if movements are not documented; that
may result in evidence being excluded in court.
• So preserve the chain of custody by making sure that
investigator is documenting everything that may act as
piece of evidence at the scene and when it is received in the
lab.
Crime Scene Investigation
Crime Scene Investigation involves:
• Processing of Crime Scene
• Lab Analysis of Evidence
After the processing of crime scene,
evidences are analyzed
Crime Scene Reconstruction can begin
To solve the problem
Crime Scene Reconstruction
Initial evidence leads to the formation of
Hypotheses (to know what happened)
Hypotheses are tested by additional analyses
Disproved hypotheses are thrown out,
leaving a reconstruction theory as it is.
Analysis must start with new way with new
hypothesis.
Reconstruction of Crime Scene
To solve the problem
Crime reconstruction is the discipline of forensic science in
which one gains knowledge of the series of events that
surrounded the commission of a crime using reasoning,
physical evidence, scientific methods, and their
interrelationships which involve in the evaluation of a scene
and physical evidence and help to identify what happened and
in what order it happened.
Check the
results
what
actually
happened?
