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Forensics Science > Chapter 2: Crime Scene Investigation & Evidence Collection > Flashcards

Chapter 2: Crime Scene Investigation & Evidence Collection Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the goal of a crime scene investigation?

A
  • to recognize
  • to document
  • collect evidence
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2
Q

When 2 people come into contact w/ each other a physical transfer occurs. These transferred materials are called _______.

A

Trace Evidence
- can be found on both ppl (or objects) bc of the cross transfer
Ex. hair, pet hair, paint, chemicals, soil/pollen, finger prints, etc.

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3
Q

Who is Dr. Edmond Locard?

A
  • responsible for trace evidence
  • direction of the 1st forensic lab in France
  • Locard’s Exchange Principle
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4
Q

What happens during a cross transfer?

A
  • a cross transfer of physical evidence occurs
  • the intensity, duration, and nature of the materials in contact determine the extent of the transfer
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5
Q

What are the 2 Types of Evidence?

A

Direct Evidence
Circumstantial Evidence

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6
Q

Direct Evidence

A

1st hand observations
- eyewitness accounts
- police dashboard cameras
- confessions

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7
Q

Circumstantial Evidence

A

Indirect used to imply a tact but doesn’t prove
- provides 2 link between a crime scene and suspect
- trace evidence is an example
- 2 types

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8
Q

What are the 2 Types of Circumstantial Evidence?

A

Physical and Biological

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9
Q

Physical Circumstantial Evidence

A
  • all types of evidence exempt for fingerprints reduces the # of suspects to a small specific group of ppl
    Ex. fingerprints, footprints, shoe prints, tool marks, bullet shell casings
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10
Q

Biological Circumstantial Evidence

A

Any body fluids
Ex. blood, saliva, vomit, etc

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11
Q

Class Evidence

A

narrows an identity to a group of persons or things
Ex. ABO blood type found at a crime excludes all other blood types

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12
Q

Individualized Evidence

A

narrows down to a single person or thing

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13
Q

Who is involved in a crime scene investigation?

A

Police officers
District Attorney
Crime Scene Investigator
Medical Examiner
Detectives
Specialists

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14
Q

Police Officers

A

1st to arrive

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15
Q

District Attorney

A

may be present if a search warrant is necessary

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16
Q

Crime Scene Investigator

A
  • sketch
  • record evidence
  • collect evidence
  • take pictures
17
Q

Medical Examiner

A

coroner determines the cause of death

18
Q

Detectives

A

interviews witnesses & talks to investigators about the evidence

19
Q

Specialists

A
  • expertise
    Ex. entomologists & forensic psychologists
20
Q

Steps to Processing a Crime

A
  1. Secure the Scene
  2. Separate the Witnesses
  3. Scanning the Scene
  4. Seeing the Scene
  5. Sketching the Crime Scene
  6. Searching for Evidence
  7. Securing & Collecting Evidence
21
Q
  1. Secure the Scene
A
  • done by the 1st responding officer
  • safety
  • preservation of evidence
  • prevent authorized ppl from entering the scene
  • keep a log of who enters the scene
  • may call for more help
22
Q
  1. Separate the Witnesses
A
  • witnesses should not talk to each other
  • avoids a false story
  • when did the crime scene occur?
  • where were you?
  • who called 911?
23
Q
  1. Scanning the Scene
A
  • to determine where the photo should be taken
  • establish if there is a primary and secondary crime scene
24
Q

Primary Crime Scene

A

location of the crime
Ex. Nicole Simpson murder place

25
Q

Secondary Crime Scene

A

location related to the crime where evidence is found
Ex. OJ’s gloves outside of other house

26
Q
  1. Seeing the Scene
A
  • overall pictures
  • close up pictures
  • w/ or w/o rulers
27
Q
  1. Sketching the Crime Scene
A

*- include case #, date, location, and investigator’s name
- accurate rough sketch should be made
- note the position of the body & evidence
- north should be labeled
- scale included
- if outside include the position of trees, cars, hedges & other structures
- more accurate copy is made for court at a later date

28
Q
  1. Searching for Evidence
    (search patterns)
A

4 Search Patterns
- 1. Grid
- 2. Linear
- 3. Quadrant or Zone
- 4. Spiral

29
Q
  1. Securing & Collecting the Evidence
A
  • all evidence needs to be packaged, sealed & labeled
  • liquids & arson remains should be stored in airtight unbreakable containers
  • moist biological evidence should be stored in breathable containers so it can dry out
  • wet evidence should never be packaged wet
  • evidence should be entered into log
30
Q

How do you package dry evidence?
(lab)

A
  • crease a clean paper & place the evidence in the x position
  • fold in the left & right sides, and then fold in the top & bottom - called a bindle
  • put the bindle into a plastic or paper evidence bag placing a seal over the opening
  • write your name on the seal
31
Q

What info needs to go into the evidence log?
(lab)

A
  • Case #
  • Item Inventory #
  • Description
  • Name of suspect
  • Name of victim
  • Date & time recovery
  • Signature of the person who recovered the evidence
  • Signature of any witness present during the collection
32
Q

Analyzing the Evidence
(Who does it?)

A
  • Done by a lab
  • FBI crime lab
  • Lab techs have specialists
  • Lab results sent to detectives
  • Results lead to crime scene reconstruction
33
Q

Chain of Custody

A
  • important to present credible evidence in court
  • a person bags the evidence, marks it for identification, & signs across the sealed edge
  • signed over to a lab tech, who opens it, but not at the sealed edge
  • after analysis, lab tech puts the evidence back in the bags, seals it in another bags, and signs the evidence bag
34
Q

Crime Scene Reconstruction

A
  • forms a hypothesis about the sequence of events
  • how does the evidence fit?
  • evidence is compared w/ witness statements?
  • provides connections
  • establishes identities
  • confirms testimony
  • can be used to find s/o guilty or innocent
    Ex. JonBenet house reconstruction, staircase
35
Q

How to Determine if a Crime Scene is Staged

A
  • evidence doesn’t match witness testimony
  • arson
  • suicide/murder
  • bugerly
  • treat all as death investigators
  • do the wounds match teh type of weapon
    > easily be self-inflicted?
  • establish a profile of the victim
  • evaluate the behavior of the victim/suspect
  • corroborate statements w/ evidence
  • reconstruct the event
  • conduct all forensic examinations to determine the facts of the case

Forensics Science (7 decks)

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