SCENE OF CRIME OPERATION

PREPARATION PRIOR TO THE CONDUCT OF SOCO:

1. Ensure the availability of packaging and collection materials necessary for

typical search circumstance.

2. Prepare the preliminary format for the paperwork needed to document the conduct
of search.

3. Discuss upcoming search with the involved personnel.

4. Make preliminary personnel assignments before arrival at scene, if practicable.

5. Consider the safety and comfort of search personnel. Be prepared for probable
impediments which maybe poised by weather or terrain. Ensure that basic crime scene
search equipments are functional. These should consist of the communication,
lighting, first aid, and security equipments.

6. Ensure that all SOCO Team elements tasked to enter the crime scene must be
wearing surgical gloves and other protective gears as maybe necessary.

7. Assess the personnel assignments normally required to successfully process a

crime scene and ensure that such assignments are in keeping with the training,
experience, attitude, and aptitude of each individual.

Approaching the Crime Scene

Be alert for discarded evidence

Make pertinent notes as to possible entry and exit points of the perpetrator

General SOCO Procedures

Preparation Prior to Conduct of SOCO

Crime Scene Approach

Preliminary Crime Scene Survey

Evaluation of Physical Evidence

Narrative Description of the Crime Scene

Crime Scene Photography/Videography

Sketch of Crime Scene

Detailed Crime Scene Search

Physical Evidence Recording and Collection

Final Crime Scene Search

Turn-Over/Release of Crime Scene to Investigator-on-Case

Designation of a Command Post

� Command Post- an area which, is ideally located adjacent to the Crime Scene
where the CSI Evidence Custodian stays and receives the pieces of evidence turned
over to him for safekeeping by the other evidence collectors.

Initiation of Preliminary Survey

Makes a general assessment

Takes a cautious walk- through

Takes down extensive note to document important factors

Establishes the evidence most likely to be encountered

Defines the extent of the search area

Determines the personnel and equipment needed, and makes specific assignments

From his assessments, he develops a general theory of the crime scene.

Removable inferences about what happened are produced from the crime scene
appearance and information from what happened. These theories will give the crime
investigator to document specific conditions and recognize valuable physical
evidence.

Documentation of the Crime Scene

The photographer begins taking photographs as soon as possible. The evidence

collectors do not touch or moved any evidence once it is located until it has been
identified, measured and recorded.

Crime Scene Photography

� Main Objective

To create an accurate objective visual record of the crime scene before any item
is moved or removed as possible physical evidence.
Guidelines for taking photographs of a Crime Scene

� Photographs of a crime scene should be taken as soon as possible, before note

taking, sketching or a search for evidence begins.
The pictures should illustrate the original, uncontaminated condition of the crime
scene.

Photographs should be taken of the crime scene only, without spectators or police
personnel.

� To adequately present the crime scene initially, the photographs must form an
organized sequence and show all relevant locations and objects.
� The crime scene photographs must progress from general to specific.

Three Major Types of Pictorial Views

1. Long- range photograph of the over all scene

Distance: From the doorway to the room and other corners of the room

2. Mid- range photograph

Distance: Eight or ten feet from the victim

3. Close- up photograph

The investigator himself should ensure that;

1. Overall photos of the scene are taken to show the approach to the area,
street signs, and street light locations in relation to the actual scene, street
addresses and identifying objects at the scene. Pictures should also be taken of
every room in the house, even if their relationship to the crime scene is not
readily apparent.

2. Photograph the scene in a clockwise pattern before altering the body's position
or any other evidence within the scene. Photograph the scene from at least 2
opposite corners, but from all four corners is even better. This way, nothing is
missed or hidden from view by intervening objects.
3. Photograph the body and the immediate vicinity around the body. If you have a
camera boom, take pictures from ceiling height down of the victim and any other
evidence. This perspective often shows things missed when viewed from ground or eye
level.

4. Keep a photo log.

The most important prerequisite for photographing a crime scene is for it to be in

an unaltered condition. Unless there are injured parties involved, objects must not
be moved until they have been photographed from all necessary angles.� As items of
physical evidence are discovered, they are photographed to show their position and
location relative to the entire scene.

After these overviews are taken, close-ups should be taken to record the details of
the object itself.

�When the size of an item is of significance, a ruler or other measuring scale may
be inserted near the object and included in the photograph as a point of reference.

Crime Scene Sketches

� Sketches are useful in questioning of suspects and witnesses as wall as in

the writing of investigative reports.
�
� A rough sketch is prepared indicating the actual measurement of things with
scale and proportion observed and oriented to the North Pole. All necessary
information are placed in the sketch.

Sketches of the scene are made:

� Rough Sketch �A draft representation of all essential information and

measurements at a crime scene. This sketch is drawn at the crime scene. It shows
all recovered items of physical evidence, as well as other important features of
the crime scene

� Finished Sketch �A precise rendering of the crime scene, usually drawn to scale.
This type is not normally completed at the crime scene

� Unlike the rough sketch, the finished sketch is drawn with care and concern for
aesthetic appearance

� Sketches are excellent companions to photograph. Where photograph provide

exact details, sketches offer accurate information about the placement of objects
and they show relationship and distances between things.

Elements of sketch

a. Measurement

b. Compass direction

c. Essential items

d. Scale and proportion

e. Legend

f. Title

Specific kinds of sketch

a. Locality- give picture of the scene, the crime and its environs, including
neighboring buildings, roads etc.

B.Ground- picture of the scene of the crime with its nearest physical surrounding.

c. Details- the immediate scene only

d. Exploded/ cross projection- gives the clear impression of the scene in cases
where blood stains or bullet holes are found

Note Taking

� Note taking must be a constant activity throughout the processing of the

crime scene.

Notes must include:

Detailed written description of the Crime Scene with locations of physical evidence
received
The time when the physical evidence was discovered

The person who discovered and collected physical evidence

How the evidence was packaged and marked

The disposition of the item when it was collected

� Documentation

These documentation are made by the crime scene investigator for purposes of future
crime scene reconstruction which help the prosecutor and the judge understand
conditions at the crime scene.

Crime Scene Search

� The search for physical evidence is done using the accepted methods of search
depending upon the actual location to be searched.

� A crime scene search could only be started after it has been photograph and
sketched.

Objectives of a Crime Scene Search

� To systematically look for physical evidence that may prove useful in

establishing that a crime has been committed.

� To determine what method of operation the perpetrator may have used.

Different Search Methods

� Strip- the searchers will proceed at the same pace along the path parallel to
one side of the rectangle.

� Spiral- the searchers will follow each other in the path of a spiral,
beginning in the outside and spiraling towards the center. Clockwise/ counter
clockwise.

� Zone- the area to be searched is divide into four quadrants and each
searcher is assigned to one quadrant.

� Wheel- for area to be searched approximately circular or oval

� Point to point- searcher will stand in a straight line and move forward
together
Collection of Physical Evidence

� The competence to recognize and properly collect physical evidence is

critical to both solving and prosecuting crimes.

� The team leader is always informed of significant evidence located. The

evidence collectors shall put his initial, location and date of collection on the
item and turn it over to the evidence custodian for documentation and safekeeping.

INTRODUCTION

� Whatever you are searching for, you must do it systematically and

thoroughly. Additionally, when you are searching a crime scene and many onlookers
are nearby, you must appear to know what you are doing. If you carry out your
search in a haphazard and careless manner, you will cause irreparable damage to
your reputation and that of your department. A sloppy search indicates that the
searcher is probably sloppy in everything he or she does.

� The community policing programs that involve your department and the
public have a very positive effect because the public is more involved, but a
cautionary note is that those people are watching their officers more carefully,
and they are more likely to recognize sloppy police work. The ubiquitous media,
especially those presenting �breaking news,� will be nearby to record your activity
for posterity, and many armchair detectives will critique your work every time your
act is shown on local news programs. A word of advice: Be thorough and be
professional.

� As the crime scene investigator, do not begin to search or process the

scene when a suspect may still be present. If you are the primary investigating
officer who is also responsible for CSI, you need to first devote your full
attention to searching for suspects who might still be on the premises.

� Once you determine that suspects are in custody or have left the scene,
then you can concentrate on the collection of evidence. It is, of course, prudent
to remember that it is possible to miss a suspect during a search, or a suspect may
return to the scene while you are processing the scene. In that eventua1it it is
wise to have another officer on the scene while you are devoting your attention to
the crime scene investigation.
PLAN YOUR SEARCH

� All searches require that you proceed according to an organized and

coordinated plan. There are different kinds of searches, depending on what you are
looking for, such as searches for people (missing and lost children and adults, and
suspects of all ages and genders) and searches for objects. You may be searching
the premises where a burglar has taken away stolen objects and left behind
evidence. You may be searching an office building for bombs purported to have been
planted on the premises. In all searches you are looking for evidence of all types.
Planning is your key to greater success in finding what you are looking for, as
well as many items you had no idea you would find. Whether you work alone or with
other searchers, draw a plan on paper and apportion the search so that each area is
searched at least twice, and each time by a different person. Draw your search
plan, assign searchers, and check off each area when the search is complete. If
curious onlookers are nearby, post a guard to watch the searched areas to prevent
contamination or evidence planting.

INTERIOR SEARCHES

� Try to arrange for optimum lighting conditions, utilize available lights

at the scene, bring in more flood lamps with portable generators, and use your
battery-operated flashlights as well. If you are searching a building where the
electricity is off, your only available lighting will probably be your flashlights
and portable floods. Under these conditions, when you move from a lighted area
where your eyes are conditioned to the light into a dark room or area, stop for a
few seconds when you enter the dark and let your eyes adjust to the light change.
The rods and cones of your eyes reverse functions when going from dark to light and
vice versa, and the more dramatic the change, the longer the transition time.

� Wear gloves for your search. If you believe there is the possibility of
a suspect still being on the premises, you may choose to move with your weapon to a
ready position. In those situations it is also wise to open each door by slamming
it open until it strikes the wall or doorstop. If you hear a loud �Ugh� when you
slam the door open, you have probably located a suspect hiding behind that door. In
most crime scene searches, you or your colleagues have probably already cleared the
area of any suspects, so it will not be necessary to move with a weapon in your
hand or to slam doors open. You have now moved on to the evidence search phase of
the investigation.

� As you move from room to room or from one section of the search to
another, stop frequently and listen for sounds, try to identify odors, and absorb.
the atmosphere of the scene. Sounds such as air conditioning or heaters turning on
and off, or the foundation settling, and odors, such as perfume, cigar, or pipe
smoke, and aftershave lotion may prove valuable to your investigation later. For
example, a person confessing to the crime may at some time state that the air
conditioner was on full blast and made him shiver. As for odors, you may recognize
the odors on the suspect�s person as being similar to those you smell earlier
during your crime scene search.
� Take Polaroid photos or start video recording the scene as you enter and
move around the scene to get an overall view before you start your intensive
searches. If you have neither a Polaroid camera nor a camcorder, use a voice-
activated tape recorder or take good notes. These will be your initial
observations. You will later begin using your 35mm SLR camera for the more detailed
evidence photos that we will cover in Chapter Nine. If you have a notepad in hand,
make a rough sketch of the crime scene and the general area for orientation
purposes. You will prepare more detailed sketches later. These photos and rough
sketches may help you reconstruct the scene in your mind when you are preparing
your reports, and sometimes the initial photos may show certain items that may not
show up later in your more detailed photographs. It may lead you to discover that
something has possibly contaminated the scene or someone just inadvertently moved
something. In the celebrated Jeffrey McDonald murder case several years ago, it was
revealed that one of the ambulance drivers picked up and pocketed an item at the
scene, believed to be a wallet belonging to McDonald.

� Even though you are wearing gloves, touch nothing that you believe might
bear trace evidence until you are sure that touching will not wipe away
fingerprints or other traces. Shine a light obliquely across the surface of the
floor and other flat surfaces before you walk on them to search for footprints or
shoe prints in the dust that has settled since the last time the surface was
dusted. Use the oblique light procedure over all surfaces that might have been
disturbed. Sometimes undisturbed dust ma yield information also. For example, one
of the authors was taking a burglary report from an auto parts shop owner, who
listed dozens of items that had been stolen, but about a month�s accumulation of
undisturbed dust was on the shelves where the victim claimed the merchandise had
been stored. Then it was pointed out to the victim that if merchandise had been on
those shelves, the merchandise and not the shelves would be covered with dust. The
owner then admitted he was �padding� the report a little for his insurance claim.
It is reasonable to assume that he probably dusted his shelves more frequently
after that.

� Divide the room or area into halves or quadrants, depending on the

number of people you have involved in the search, and assign individuals or teams
to each section. Next, divide the room into levels at which the search will be
performed, such as one-third of the wall from the floor up, then the second one-
third, and finally the rest of the way to the ceiling, followed by the spaces above
the ceiling or false ceiling and crawl hole. Later, when each officer or team of
officers has completed their part of the search, switch searchers and repeat the
process. It is not unusual for one person to miss something that another person
will find. As you know, sometimes we have blind spots where we look at something
yet do not see it. Has it ever happened to you that a close friend comes within
your visual range at a conference, for example, and didn�t see that person until
perhaps a half-hour later, and your excuse was �1 didn�t see you come in�? In the
more serious crimes, a secondary search should be considered mandatory, and
preferably at a time when the lighting conditions are at an optimum level.

Ceiling Area

� Look for false ceilings, and search the area between that structure and
the real ceiling, and the attic where there are accessible crawl spaces. Burglars
have been known to climb up into crawl holes that one would not imagine could bear
such weight and bulk. The moral here is to search even the most illogical places
for people and contraband, so your search is truly more thorough than if you were
to search only the obvious places. Search inside the ceiling light fixtures and
ducts for air conditioning, ventilation, and heating systems. Sound or speaker
systems, power conduits, other pipes, and enclosed areas should be given meticulous
attention. Look behind and inside moldings and frames if they are loose or appear
to have been disturbed. Search an� facade or other object that appears to be part
of the room design but might he hollow and hide contraband.

Windows and Door Frames

� Look for access points to hollow cores of doors and framing that have
been disturbed or that could possibly conceal small hidden items, such as bindles
of drugs or folded paper. Curtain and drape rods are good hiding places.

Walls

� The spaces between walls are extremely good hiding places. Sometimes a
false wall can conceal an entire room that has been sealed off with plaster and
wallboard. If you think there might be such a hidden room, take outside
measurements of the structure and compare that with inside measurements. If you
discover an unexplained difference of several feet, it could well be that a sealed
closet space that has been designated as a hiding space, which is perhaps
accessible from the attic or a crawl hole in the ceiling of the basement. Switch
plates, plug plates, and spaces behind photos and other wall hangings provide
access to the walls. Merely tapping on the wall will produce a hollow sound because
most walls are hollow. Look around the edges of the wall, such as at the ceiling
and floor and door and window frames. In very critical searches, it may be
necessary to tear out part of the wall.

Floors

� Check the floor carefully for any loose boards, recently-installed tiles
or carpeting, or recent repair work to the floor or its covering. Color differences
of floor covering may indicate that stains have been removed. You may search any
area that might have contained bloodstains with tests that are described in Chapter
Seven. In a murder case several years ago, the murderer decided to break up with
his girlfriend. When she objected to such an abrupt end to their relationship, he
acceded to a final fling, but he wanted it to be a threesome with another woman
participating. They had their menage a trois with the second woman videotaping a
sex act between the two who were breaking up, during which the man tortured and
murdered the victim. This was all on tape. Afterward, the videographer handed the
tape to the killer and went home. Some time later, the killer was questioned about
the disappearance of his former girlfriend,, then eventually arrested and
prosecuted for her murder. The third party in the sex scene who took the pictures
testified to what had happened that fateful night and told about the tape. The
police could not find the tape and relied only on that witness�s account of the
murder. The defendant testified that he was innocent and knew nothing of his former
lover�s whereabouts. The defense then brought up enough evidence of alcoholism and
mental instability of the prosecution�s star witness that the jury voted for
acquittal of the murderer.

EXTERIOR SEARCHES

� Once you and your colleagues have established the parameters of the
crime scene and search areas, divide each area into workable portions and delegate
each subarea to yourself and your colleagues, who are working either solo or in
teams of two. If you are conducting the search by yourself, sketch out the entire
area, break it into workable subareas, then search one subarea at a time, checking
off on your sketch each part of the search area as you complete that part of the
search.

� You may choose to use any method you believe best for each individual
search, such as a spiral, quadrants, ever-expanding or contracting circles, or back
and forth in a straight line in a pattern as one follows when mowing a lawn. What
you call it is of lesser importance than how thoroughly you conduct your search.
Even when you are working alone, go back and search again, changing your method so
as to maximize the chances of finding something you might have missed the first
time. You not only must be efficient, but also you must present the image that you
know what you are doing. This is true especially when you have people watching you
work, such as that news photographer in a tree nearby, or some Monday morning
quarterback who will tell everyone within earshot how sloppy you were when looking
for evidence. It may sound a little paranoid, but believe us, what you do and how
you do your job reflect on other people�s assessment of your department. You do not
want your operation to be called a �cesspool of incompetence.� In other words, you
must not only know what you are doing, but you must appear as though you know what
you are doing.

� If the weather is working against you, such as rain, snow, or high

winds, you are probably going to change the sequence of your investigation so that
you may search for those items that are most likely to be destroyed or altered.
Shoe prints in a mud puddle or pools of blood that will be washed away unless
collected immediately will take precedence over evidence that can wait until you
have taken care of tie short-lived evidence. If you are conducting your search on a
street, a highway, or a heavily-traveled sidewalk during rush hour, you will want
to plan your search so that your investigation will not suffer yet will get the
traffic moving as soon as possible.

� There is no sense or reason where people choose hiding places. For that
reason, you must expect to find people and objects where one would least likely
find them. Desperate people can fit into places so small that it takes the fire
department and its jaws of life to get them out. People have been found in trash
compactors (a nine-year-old boy), air-conditioning and heating ducts, chimneys,
kitchen and bathroom cabinets, even desk or dresser drawers. Even when you are
looking for larger items, consider that the person who hid them has possibly
dismantled them and hidden their parts in several places. A postal inspector once
told the story that a soldier during the Korean War sent a souvenir of an enemy�s
confiscated gun home, but not all in one piece. As the story goes, an alert postal
clerk discovered a single piece of the gun. When the soldier sent the last piece,
the postal inspector put all the separate pieces together and reconstructed the
whole gun. He then charged the soldier with sending a firearm through the mails.
Even though the story sounds a little �fishy,� it does make the point that people
do ingenious things to skirt the law.

� If it does not complicate your investigation, have someone familiar with

the place to be searched, possibly an employee or tenant, accompany you while you
search for items that are missing or that have been left behind by the perpetrator.
Be cautious when listening to claims about certain items stolen or moved, and do
not accept at face value every word that person tells you. He or she may have a
secret agenda, which might include misleading the investigation or exaggerating his
or her losses to defraud the insurer. Some people play burglars and thieves to
steal their cars or merchandise so that they can collect the insurance and split
their earnings with the people who allegedly victimized them.

SEARCHES FOR BOMBS

� Searches for suspected bombs or phoned-in bomb threats should be left to

the specialists who are trained and equipped for such searches. But, as a crime
scene investigator, you may find yourself the first one on the scene and searching
for suspicious objects until the bomb squad arrives. Be careful to leave in place
any object that you suspect might be a bomb, evacuate the area, and stand by until
the experts arrive. If the suspected object is in a building, evacuate the entire
building. If you do conduct such a preliminary search, take along someone who is
familiar with the building and its contents to advise you of objects disturbed or
perhaps a package left on the premises that was not there earlier. Parcel
deliveries, including packages that arrived by a postal carrier, should be handled
as though they were bombs until the bomb squad has cleared them.

� When searching for a bomb or similar device, do not use any radio
equipment, turn on or off any light switches, or operate any device that might
spark and set off a device of some sort. Do not allow anyone to smoke, and avoid
inserting and pulling out electric plugs. Some explosive devices have spring-wound
clocks for timing and may be heard ticking if you are searching in absolute
silence. If and when you find what you recognize as a bomb or what you suspect
might be a bomb, and once you have verified that the bomb squad is on its way to
the scene, withdraw from the area and make sure the surrounding area has been
evacuated. After the bomb has been removed and/or neutralized, then continue your
crime scene search.

THE SEARCH CONTINUES

� If practical, put plastic covers over your shoes, wear gloves to avoid
leaving impressions of your own at the scene, and continue your search. We have
conveniently forgotten the name of the author, hut one writer of an investigation
text recommends that you keep your hands in your pockets while searching a crime
scene. This is neither wise nor practical, as evidence can he collected only by
moving and collecting things. Your responsibility is to determine if a crime has,
in fact, been committed and to conduct a thorough investigation. Keep an open mind
throughout the entire time you are on the premises, and avoid forming any
preconceived notions about the outcome of your search. If you have a fixed
objective, you may find only what you expect to find during your search. Sometimes
claims made by crime victims may not be borne out by the facts. If your
investigation is thorough, the evidence will speak for itself and either verify or
disprove the statements made by the victims.

� As you continue the process of investigating, stop occasionally and

conceptualize the crime as it might have happened. What would be the likely point
of entry? Exit? What route of travel did the perpetrator(s) take while committing
the crime? Imagine that you are in the perpetrator�s shoes and how you would have
carried out the action. Consider the timing. How much can be accomplished in the
time �window� when the crime must have occurred? For example, in an armed robbery
of a gold vault, the two owners of the company stated that they were held up at
gunpoint and tied up. Then several million dollars� worth of gold bricks were
removed from the vault in 20 minutes by two men who used a three-quarter-ton pickup
truck to cart away the loot. Gold is heavy, as the officers knew. All they did was
add up the tons of gold that had allegedly been stolen, then estimate that a pickup
truck of that size would have had to make several trips over a couple of hours to
cart all that gold away. After pointing this out to the victims when questioning
them separately, one of the victims confessed that actually they had only about a
half dozen bricks in all in, their vault, which they showed to the owners who
wanted to look at their gold. They used the same gold bricks to show all the people
and did not expect anyone to take their gold out of the vault because gold has to
be assayed and weighed each time it is moved. Handling gold causes small particles
to be scraped off with fingernails or by such objects as rings or bracelets, and
consequently handling reduces its value. The two vault owners panicked when they
received a surprise notification from one of their customers, who became suspicious
of their activities and told them that he had gone to the police to investigate
what he believed to be a major scam. They feared that the police would come with a
search warrant and find that they had been selling the same few gold bricks many
times over, and that there were actually only a half dozen gold bricks in the
entire building. The vault owners were subsequently convicted for major felony
fraud and the misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report was dropped.

� In order to avoid allegations of incompetence or dishonesty, he sure to

document your search very carefully with accurate notes, photographs, and fellow
officers paying attention to each other throughout the investigation. Do not
overlook the possibility of using a videographer for the express purpose of
liability protection, as covered earlier. You will want to document discrepancies
between what victims and witnesses describe happened and what did or did not
happen. For example, a witness may distinctly remember having seen the culprit
crawl in through the window. When you examine the window, you will see that the
glass has been broken, and jagged pieces of the glass still sticking up in the
frame, but no blood or snagged clothing on the jagged edges of the glass or on the
windowsill, which would surely be there if someone had crawled through that window.
Your photos or video will show this discrepancy without your having to editorialize
that the reporting party has probably lied.

� Sometimes a so-called �victim� will try to convince you that a window

was broken from the outside and entry was made though that window. Your
investigation shows that the window was broken from the inside, because it had been
raining during the past few hours, and there are no muddy footprints in the
flowerbed below the window, and there are no muddy scuff marks on the outside wall,
which would have been placed there by a person climbing in through the window.

� It is not usual for a bona fide crime to be enhanced by victims who

magnify their losses, either intentionally or unintentionally. Under extreme
emotional stress, three assailants may appear as five, or a man, who is five foot,
three inches, may seem to be much taller and heavier. Some victims are embarrassed
to say that they were beat up by someone smaller and who might appear weaker than
they are. Some victims exaggerate their losses so that the insurance will pay them
for their entire loss and also cover their deductible amount, or to replace worn-
out tools that they would rather the insurance company buy for them. Other victims
make simple errors in describing the event and calculating their losses.

RECORDING THE SEARCH

� We have already mentioned the use of recording devices, such as a tape

recorder, video camcorder, Polaroid camera, and other cameras. When your
investigation team is large enough one of the members of the team should be the
scribe. Otherwise, you are the scribe along with your other duties. Every action
taken by the team members should be written down exactly as it happens, and
whenever a discovery of some new information or evidence is made, the scribe should
record the time, exact location, description of the find, and precisely who made
the discovery (Figure 6.1).

� The scribe should also keep a log to record arrivals and departures of
all persons at the scene for any reason whatsoever. If a supervisor just drops by
at 8:47 A.M. to check on the progress of the investigation, the time and name of
that supervisor should be entered on the log. You should take photos of their shoes
or their fingerprints if they have touched anything during their visit to the
scene. Include all persons, because sometime later it may be discovered that one of
those people may have left shoe impressions at the scene (Figure 6.2).

� The scribe�s log will be incorporated into the completed package of

reports. Some crime reports and supplemental reports add up to thousands of pages
before the case finally goes to court. In addition to the scribe�s log, each
participant involved in the investigator� will be required to complete an
individual report with a complete account of exactly what he or she did and might
have found and all the details f his or her participation. The officer assigned as
principal investigator of the case will have the responsibility of collecting and
coordinating all of those reports, and the principal investigator puts them
together so that they will have continuity and clarity for those who will read
them. All participants should later read through the reports of their individual
actions to check for the accuracy of their contributions.
TRANSIENT OR SHORT-LIVED EVIDENCE

� Be careful to identify and protect transient evidence that is not likely

to last long because of weather conditions such as rain, snow, or warming sunlight,
or because of vehicular or foot traffic that is likely to destroy the evidence if
it is not addressed immediately (Figure 6.3). Skid marks on a heavily-traveled
roadway will soon blend in with previous and subsequent skid marks and may not be
distinguishable from each other. Shoe or foot impressions in dust will blow away
with the next strong gust of wind. Wet prints on a dry floor will dry as the sun
rises. The wet marks should be noted and sketched, and photographed when first
observed, or they will be lost forever. In the rain, muddy shoe prints might wash
away. Sometimes you run across the well-meaning person who will start cleaning up
the mess at the scene even before you have completed your investigation. It is not
unusual for sex crime victims to destroy the evidence of the attack on their own
bodies by bathing or douching, and putting stained bedclothes in the washing
machine. These victims are probably not even thinking of the harm they are causing
to your investigation because of their personal emotional trauma.

� These items of transient evidence may not prove to be your most crucial
evidence, but when you are searching the scene and collecting all available
evidence, you may not be in a position to know which items of evidence are best and
which are not. Meticulously and completely collect all items that are, or that
might be, evidence, and then the evidence itself will often tell you what role it
will play in your case.

CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE CRIME

� Although they may not be counted as evidence, certain circumstances may

help you determine the nature of the crime, the time of day, and perhaps something
personal about the perpetrator, such as taste in food or preferences in radio or
television shows. Here are some of the things you should be aware of while
conducting your search.

� 1. Discarded candy and gum wrappers, cigarette and cigar butts or ashes,
sales slips and receipts that might have fallen out of the perpetrator�s pockets
during the crime.

� 2. Doors that are locked or unlocked, which are different than how the
occupant left them before the crime.

� 3. Is there evidence of damage or destruction of the door or the lock that

would indicate a forcible entry?

� 4. If doors or windows were damaged, was the damage done from the inside or
the outside? This may indicate whether it is a point of exit or entry.

� 5. Was entry made with use of a key? Follow-up investigators will find out
who had keys.
� 6. Is there evidence that a lock was picked, as indicated by metal shavings
and broken pieces of a lock pick?

� 7. Are there small pieces of metal on the premises, possibly from a tool that
the perpetrator took away from the scene?

� 8. Are the windows open or closed? Is the weather outside consistent with
this? On a cold day, and usually at night for security reasons, the windows are
closed and locked by the occupants.

� 9. Are the shades or drapes open or closed? Their position may indicate that
the people inside like dark interiors during the daytime or that it was nighttime
and the window coverings were closed for privacy. Some nudists and other people who
are allergic to sunlight keep their windows covered day and night. Some burglars
close the blinds and shades so that they may work where people outside cannot see
them.

� 10. If a window or door has been broken and the debris on the sill and
surrounding area is undisturbed, you may surmise that nobody could have gone
through that opening without cutting himself or herself and/or disturbing the
debris,

� 11. Are the lights on or off? Which lights may indicate whether a person went
into the kitchen or used the bathroom? The status of the lights may also give you a
clue as to whether the crime was committed during the day or night.

� 12. Specific lighting during any time of the day might indicate what the
victim was doing at the time of the day might indicate what the victim was doing at
the victim was doing at the time of the crime, such as working at a desk with the
desk light on. This also might indicate that a thief might have turned on a desk
light to see better when riffling through a desk drawers. Something like this might
indicate that the perpetrator knew the location of his or her objective, which
might point suspicion toward someone familiar with the premises.

� 13. What is the status of the heating and air conditioning? Some systems arc
designed to keep the ambient temperature constant. Alternating heat and air, hut
most are set at one position or the other. Air conditioning on at full blast might
indicate that the occupants last touched the controls during the heat of the day,
or at night. Some burglars like to work in comfort and may set the controls
themselves.

� 14. How about the food preparation areas in the kitchen? What meal was the
last one eaten or prepared by the occupants? Are the dishes and cups left in the
same condition as they were seen last by the victims? Perhaps the perpetrator(s)
had a bite to cat to sustain themselves during their exploits. Check the kitchen
sink and dishwasher for their contents to see if you get any hints about the modus
operandi or identity of the culprits.

� 15. Is there an indication that perhaps guests were expected or had arrived,
and were the guests possibly involved in the crime? Do the number of place settings
equal the number of residents? This is especially important information to have if
the residents have been murdered.

� 16. Can you detect any identifiable odors, such as perfumes, tobacco smoke,
or medications, such as mentholated chest rub, and other substances that are
foreign to this particular place of business or residence?

� 17. Check the sinks in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room if you have a
blood-related crime, such as a homicide or assault. Sometimes the assailant might
attempt to wash blood off of tools or weapons. Even though the sink may appear to
be clean, the elbow-shaped trap beneath the sink may contain valuable evidence
because the perpetrator did not let the water run long enough to clear the pipes.

� 18. A toilet that has not been flushed completely may yield such evidence as
cigarette butts or human waste deposited by the perpetrator, which may lead to
determination of blood type or DNA of the perpetrator.

� 19. What is the condition of the bedding in the bedrooms? In sexual attack
cases, you will collect all bedding to search for the presence of body fluids,
hairs and fibers, and other evidence to substantiate the charges.

� 20. What is the state of dress or undress of the victims of assault or

homicide victims? A rape suspect, for example, may claim that the sex was
consensual, while the torn clothing of the victim may prove that extreme force was
used.

� 21. Look at clocks and watches around the premises, and on those worn by the
victims and suspects. A wall plug may have been pulled loose during the commission
of a crime, or the time showing on a watch worn by a witness may be incorrect, and
statements made may be crucially connected to his or her reference to the time on
that watch or clock.

� 22. The �star 69� feature on a telephone will possibly call the phone number
of the last party who called the residence or business where the crime occurred. Or
you may choose to press the �redial� button to find out if the intruder made at
least one phone call while on the premises and to whom that call was made.

� 23. If a cellular phone or pager was stolen in the crime, call the number of
that unit and find out if anyone answers. Lost units are also found that way by
calling the number and hearing the ring or buzz and leading you to its location. A
car theft victim called the cell phone in his car. The person who answered was a
friend waiting for the car thief t� get out of class. A brief conversation led the
victim and the local police to a high school in another city, where the car thief
was arrested and the car recovered without damage.

� 24. Small areas, such as stairways, foyers, and hallways, may reveal items
that have dropped out of an intruder�s pockets. Have you sometimes taken your car
keys out of your pocket and accidentally also removed coins or some other items at
the same time?

� 25. Was the place ransacked by a person who was looking for anything of
value, or did the intruder know exactly what he or she was looking for? This may
identify the culprit as a member or friend of the family instead of a stranger.

� 26. If you have one, ask your tour guide through the crime scene if there is
anything at all out of the ordinary supporting our theory of transference.

Marking of Latent Fingerprint Evidence

� All such evidence should be marked in some distinctive manner, such as is the
case with any other type of physical evidence. Precautions should be taken, when
marking evidence, not to damage or destroy potential latent fingerprints.

� Lifted, developed latents should also be marked or sealed in marked

envelopes.

� Photograph-developed latents with and without identifying markings and scale.

Preservation of Fingerprint Evidence

� The primary precaution in all cases is the prevention of adding fingerprints

to evidence, or of destroying those already present.

� Most fingerprints submitted will be on paper, glass, metal, or other smooth

surfaced objects. When articles containing latents must be picked up, touch as
little as possible, and then only in areas least likely to contain identifiable
latents, such as rough surfaces.

� While gloves or handkerchiefs may be used to pick up such exhibits, any

unnecessary contact should be avoided. Although using a cloth to pick up exhibits
prevents leaving additional prints on the articles, the cloth will frequently wipe
off or smear any prints originally present, unless great care is taken.

� Large articles containing latent such as glass, metal articles, and firearms
should be placed on wood or heavy cardboard and fastened down with string to
prevent shifting and contact with other objects in transit.
Where such evidence is to be examined frequently, a pegboard should be obtained on
which wooden pegs can be moved as desired to support exhibits and keep them from
moving. Bottles and glasses may be placed vertically on a board and placed in the
bottom of a box. The base of the bottle or glass can be surrounded with nails to
hold it in place, and the top can be either inserted through a hole in a piece of
cardboard or held in position with a wooden board nailed to the container's lid.

� Papers and documents containing latent prints should be placed individually

in a cellophane or manila envelope. Such a container can be sandwiched between two
sheets of stiff cardboard, wrapped, and placed in a box for mailing.

Firearms Evidence

� Never submit a loaded gun to the Laboratory, unless it is delivered in

person. Unfired cartridges may be left in the magazine of a weapon, provided the
magazine is removed from the gun. A firearm with the cartridge in the chamber
should never be shipped by any method, even if the weapon is not cocked or on
safety.
� Never clean the bore, chamber, or cylinder before submitting a firearm, and
never attempt to fire the gun before it is examined in the Laboratory.

� Never pick up a weapon by placing a pencil or other object in the end of the
barrel.

� Record serial number, make, model, and caliber of the weapon, and mark it in
some inconspicuous manner that does not detract from its value before sending it to
the Laboratory. Marking firearms is important since duplicate serial numbers are
sometimes found on different guns of the same make and general type. Do not confuse
model numbers or patent numbers with serial numbers.

� Place weapons in strong cardboard or wooden boxes, well packed, to prevent

shifting of guns in transit.

� Rifles or shotguns should not be taken apart.

� If blood or any other material, which may pertain to an investigation is

present on the gun, place a clean paper around the gun and seal it with tape to
prevent movement of the gun and loss of the sample during shipment.

� If the gun is to be examined for latent fingerprints, use appropriate

procedures .

Blood Stains Evidence

� Blood that is in liquid pools should be picked up on a gauze pad or other

clean sterile cotton cloth and allowed to air dry thoroughly, at room temperature.
It should be refrigerated or frozen as soon as possible and brought to the
Laboratory as quickly as possible. Delays beyond 48 hours may make the samples
useless.

� If close to the Laboratory, deliver stained object immediately.

� If unable to deliver to the Laboratory, or if the object must be mailed,

allow the stain to air dry completely before packaging.

� Do not heat stained material or place it in bright sunlight to dry. Hang

clothing and similar articles in a room where there is adequate ventilation.

� If not completely dry, label and roll in paper or place in a brown paper bag
or box and seal and label container. Place only one item in each container. Do not
use plastic containers.

Dried Blood Stains

� On clothing, if possible, wrap the item in clean paper, place the article in
a brown paper bag or box and seal and label container. Do not attempt to remove
stains from the cloth.

� On small solid objects, send the whole stained object to the Laboratory,
after labeling and packaging.

� On large solid objects, cover the stained area with clean paper and seal the
edges down with tape to prevent loss or contamination. If impractical to deliver
the whole object to the Laboratory, scrape the stain onto a clean piece of paper,
which can be folded and placed in an envelope. Do not scrape directly into evidence
envelope. Scrape blood from objects using a freshly washed and dried knife or
similar tool. Wash and dry the tool before each stain is scraped off. Seal and mark
the envelope.

� Do not mix dried stains. Place each stain in a separate envelope.

� Never attempt to wipe dried stains from an object using a moistened cloth or
paper.

Standard Blood Specimens

� Autopsy Blood Samples

Request that pathologist obtain the sample directly from the heart into a yellow
(ACD) or purple stoppered vacutainer (some labs request both). In rare cases when
no liquid blood is available, ask pathologist to collect a section of liver, bone,
and/or deep muscle tissue and freeze for typing. In such cases, proceed also with
collection of a secondary standard as described below.

Blood Samples From Live Individuals

For typing purposes, have sample drawn into yellow and purple stoppered
vacutainers. Note these are distinguished from the BA tubes which have grey
stoppers.

If the victim is injured to the extent that a transfusion is necessary, make an

effort to obtain or begin necessary procedures to obtain the pre-transfusion sample
collected by the hospital. These samples are not retained for long periods by the
hospital, so it is important to act promptly. Also, make sure that some
bloodstained garment worn by the individual has been air dried and frozen to serve
as a secondary standard.

Handling and Storage of Physiological Fluid Evidence

Liquids (generally standards)

Blood
� Refrigerate, do not freeze standards collected in yellow stoppered
vacutainers.

� Submit to the lab as soon as possible.

Saliva
� Collect on a sterile gauze pad or swabs, allow to air dry and package in
paper. Do not use plastic containers.

Seminal Stains

� Seminal stains are often, but not always, found on clothing, blankets,
sheets. Allow any stains to air dry, wrap in paper, and package evidence in paper
bags. Do not use plastic bags.

� For sex offense cases, the victim should always be examined by a physician or
medico-legal officer. A Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit is used to collect
evidence from the victim. It is very important that the instructions on the kit be
followed with care in order to gain the greatest benefit from the collected
evidence.

� Label all garments such as undershorts, panties, or other exhibits and

package each garment separately.

� If damp, allow fabric to dry completely before packaging.

� Handle fabrics as little as possible.

Hair

� An examination of human hair can occasionally reveal the possible race of the
individual from whom it came and the part of the body from which it originated.

� Human hair can be compared to determine whether or not two samples could have
had a common origin. The value of the Laboratory examinations of such specimens
will depend upon the amount of hair recovered and the characteristics found in the
examinations.

� Recover all hair present. If possible, use the fingers or tweezers to pick up
hair, place in paper bindles or coin envelopes which should then be folded and
sealed in larger envelopes. Label the outer sealed envelope.
� If hair is attached, such as in dry blood, or caught in metal or a crack of
glass, do not attempt to remove it but rather leave hair intact on the object. If
the object is small, mark it, wrap it, and seal it in an envelope. If the object is
large, wrap the area containing the hair in paper to prevent loss of hairs during
shipment.

In rape cases, the victim's pubic region should be combed prior to collecting
standards. Obtain known hair samples from the victim, suspect, or any other
possible sources for comparison with unknown specimens. The recommended method for
collecting head hairs is to start by having the person from whom they are being
collected bend over a large sheet of clean paper, rubbing or massaging their hands
through the hair so that loose hair will fall out on the paper. More should then be
gathered by plucking them from representative areas all over the head. A total or
50-100 hairs is desired. Do not cut the hair. This same method may be used to
collect hairs from other parts of the body. 30-60 pubic hairs are required. When
the person is a suspect, hair should be gathered from all parts of the body even
though there may only be an interest in hair from the head at that particular time.

Recovery of Evidence Samples

� Shoes and clothing of suspects or other objects contaminated with glass

should be wrapped in paper and submitted to the Laboratory for examination.

� All glass found at hit-and-run scenes should be recovered. The search should
not be limited to the point of impact, since headlight glass may be dropped off at
some distance away as the car leaves the crime scene. Glass from different
locations should be kept in different containers. All glass should be collected
because more than one type may be present. In addition, if just a few
representative samples are saved, individual pieces that could be physically
matched with glass remaining in the headlight shell of the suspected vehicle may be
overlooked.

� Place small glass fragments in paper bindles, then in coin envelopes, pill
boxes, or film cans which can be marked and completely sealed.

� Place large glass fragments in boxes. Separate individual pieces with cotton
or tissue to prevent breakage and damaged edges during shipment. Seal and mark the
box containing them.

Standards for Comparison

� Windows: If the broken window is small, send the whole window or all glass
remaining to the Laboratory. If the window is large, recover several samples from
different areas of the window. If the evidence glass is large enough for physically
matching the broken edges or comparing the fracture lines, hackle marks, surface
abrasions or contamination, the whole broken window is necessary.
� Auto Glass - Auto Headlights: All glass remaining in the shell should be
recovered. If it is suspected that a new glass has been installed, this should be
removed and a careful examination made for small chips remaining in the shell from
the previous lens which is broken. In such cases, also submit the new lens to the
Laboratory.

� Other Glass: When bottles or other glass objects are broken, recover all
remaining glass.

Headlights and Taillights of Motor Vehicles

� As part of the investigation of vehicle accidents, it may be of importance to

determine whether or not a headlight or taillight was illuminated at the time the
light was broken.

� Recovery of the filaments is of primary importance. These are quite small and
their location may require a careful search. If recovered, they should be placed in
a paper bindle or a small pill box sealed with tape. Whether or not the large
filaments are located, all remaining parts of the lamp socket, glass envelope, or
sealed beam headlight unit should be wrapped in paper and saved for Laboratory
study.

Fibers and Threads

� Such evidence is often found in fabric abrasions or caught in torn materials

or other areas on hit-and-run vehicles. In some burglary cases, it may be found
caught in torn screens, broken glass, or other locations .

� Examination of fibers can normally be conducted to determine the type or

color of fiber. Such examinations will sometimes indicate the type of garment or
fabric from which they originated.

� Fibers and threads can also be compared with suspects clothing to determine
whether or not they could have come from this clothing.

� If threads or large fibers are found, they can often be picked up with the
fingers and placed in a paper bindle, then in a coin envelope, which can be sealed
and marked. Never place loose fibers directly into a mailing envelope since they
can be lost from this type of envelope.

� If the fibers are short or few in number, and if it is possible to do so,

wrap the area or the entire item containing the fibers in paper and send the whole
exhibit to the Laboratory.

� Pick up fibers on tape only if the laboratory in your jurisdiction allows it

and gives you its requirements. When fibers or threads are recovered, always send
all clothing of persons from which they might have originated to the Laboratory for
comparison purposes.

� In sex offenses, assaults, and some other cases, it may be possible to

indicate or demonstrate contact between two individuals or between one other
individual and some other object, such as a car seat, by comparing fibers. Such
examinations are only of value when it is known no contact occurred between the two
individuals or an individual and some other object prior to, or subsequent to, the
offense. Extra care must be taken to keep each article of clothing of each
individual or other object separated. Each garment should be-laid on a clean sheet
of paper, and separately rolled up in the paper after marking the exhibit. If the
clothing of one subject touches the clothing of another, or if it is laid down on
the table of placed on the car seat contacted by the clothing of the other suspect,
the comparisons may be of no value.

3.4 Proper documentation of crime scene investigation and techniques involving

special cases;