CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

A Multi-Tiered Approach

PART 1 – OVERVIEW OF CRIME

• What is the legal definition of crime?

• A crime is any wrongdoing classified by the state or Congress as a felony or misdemeanor.

• An omission of a duty commanded by public law.

CRIMINAL LAW

• Criminal Law – Public law– Act is offensive to

society– Regulation of rights– Enforcement of rights– State is plaintiff

CRIME CATEGORIES

• What is the difference between a felony, a gross misdemeanor and a misdemeanor?

BAD CRIMES

• ‘Mala in se’- crimes are bad in themselves

• ‘Mala prohibita’- crimes are bad because prohibited

FELONY • A felony is punishable

by at least 1 year and 1 day in prison and a significant fine.

• Examples- Armed robbery, Kidnapping, Rape, Murder, Terroristic Threats and Possession of Schedule II Narcotics

FELONY• Felony offenses are

listed as violent crimes by the F.B.I. when they involve force or the threat of force.

• Felony convictions also result in the loss of civil rights (voting, etc.)

MISDEMEANORS• The punishment for a

misdemeanor is usually a fine and/or up to 1 year in county jail.

• An offender is charged with a gross misdemeanor for repeated offenses.

• Examples- DUI, Trespass, Vandalism and Disorderly Conduct

PRISON VS JAIL• Prison is a place of

confinement.• Prison inmates have

been tried and convicted of crimes and have received a specific sentence.

• Prisons are operated by the state or the federal government.

• There are approximately 100 federal prisons in the United States.

• Prisons have amenities such as recreational facilities.

PRISON VS JAIL• A jail is a place of

detention.• A person that is in

custody and awaiting trial will be held in jail.

• A person that has been convicted of a minor offense may serve their sentence in jail.

• Jails are run by counties.

• There are approximately 3,600 jails in the United States.

• Jails have few amenities.

U.S. CRIME STATISTICS

• The most common non-misdemeanor crime in the United States is property crime. Property crime consists of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.

• A burglary is committed every 15 seconds in the U.S.

• The average loss is $1600.00 and the stolen items are rarely recovered.

• An arrest is made in 13% of the cases.

U.S. CRIME STATISTICS

• Most crimes occur in July and August

• Murder and robbery are more common in December and January.

• Crime rates are higher in the first day of the month.

• Large urban areas have highest violent crime rate.

U.S. CRIME STATISTICS

• Males that are 18-35 years old commit the most crimes.

• Most murders are intraracial. In 2005, 86% of Caucasian murders were committed by Caucasians and 94% of African-American murders were committed by African-Americans.

U.S. CRIME STATISTICS

• On any given day, 2.3 million people are incarerated in America.

• Every year 656,000 inmates are released

• 2/3 of them end up in prison again

• When released prisoners may not associate with other felons, barred from certain professions, cannot receive most government assistance, etc.

FAMOUS UNSOLVED CRIMES

• Jack the Ripper

• Jon Benet Ramsey

• Sam Sheppard

• Zodiac Killer

CELEBRITY CRIMES

• O.J.Simpson

• Robert Blake

• Tupac Shakur

SERIAL KILLERS

• A serial killer murders 3 or more people in 3 or more separate events over a period of time

• Son of Sam – David berkowitz

• The Campus Killer – Ted Bundy

• BTK Killer – Dennis Radar

• The Killer Clown – John Wayne Gacy

CHILD KILLERS

• Considered the lowest of all criminals

The Atlanta Murdered and Missing Children - Wayne Williams

Jeffrey McDonald

Lydia Trueblood

CANNIBALS

• Jeffrey Dahmer

• Edmund Emil Kemper III

OUTLAWS

• Jesse James

• Billy the Kid

• Pretty Boy Floyd

• Bonnie and Clyde

CRIME PREVENTION

• Do not allow strangers into your home.

• Do not flaunt what you own. An empty plasma television box in the garbage is an invitation to a thief.

• Bolt your safe to the floor.

CRIME PREVENTION

• Homes without alarms are three times more likely to be robbed.

• Dogs are not always effective because thieves carry treats in their pockets.

• Do not allow mail, etc. to accumulate while you are on vacation.

After the crime has occurred…

• A crime scene contains fragments of a large and complex puzzle.

• Any crime scene investigator (CSI) must remember Locard’s Exchange Principle in order to connect those fragments.

Locard’s Exchange Principle

• It is impossible for a criminal to act, especially considering the intensity of a crime, without leaving traces of this presence.

• With contact between two items, there will be an exchange

CORPUS DELICTI“Body of the Crime”

is a legal term that refers to the principle that proof of a crime must occur before a person can be convicted of the crime.

You must prove: that a crime occurred that the person charged with the crime was

responsible for the crime

You must determine:Primary Crime Scene Secondary Crime Scene(s)

Source(s) of EvidenceBodyPrimary and/or Secondary Crime SceneSuspect(s)

The Crime Scene Team

A group of professional investigators, each trained in a variety of special disciplines.

Team Members:The First Officer on the SceneMedics (if necessary)Investigators (Lead Detective) Medical Examiner (if necessary)PhotographerNote takerSketch ArtistEvidence Technicians

Complex ReasoningIn Forensic Science

Members of the CSI Team must employ the following skills:

Deductive reasoningCommunicationLogicObservationPatienceMethodical Approach

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How are your deductive reasoning skills?

When Mrs. Jackson came back from lunch, there were several messages on her desk. By changing each digit of the phone numbers to one of the three corresponding letters on the telephone buttons, can you determine her relationship to each caller?

(Answers are on the next slide)

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Deductive Reasoning Answers

336-8478 dentist(222)686-2868 accountant774-6837 printer487-2263 husband247-5463 airline832-2437 teacher

The First Officer on the Scene

Observe persons and vehicles near the scene as well as smells and sounds

Note the time, address and weather conditionsConduct a brief walk through of the scene and

determine if medical assistance is necessary Call for CSISecure and Isolate the scene- must establish

perimeter security especially to control the media

The First Officer on the Scene

• A Assess the crime scene

• D Detain witnesses

• A Arrest perpetrators

• P Protect the scene

• T Take notes

The Rest of the Team

• The first officer on the scene determines if any additional team members are needed.

• Emergency Medical Technicians or Paramedics are only called when a victim is still alive.

The investigator will…

1. Interview witnesses • 2. Take statements • 3. Verify the truth of the

statements • 4. Determine the motive,

means and opportunity for each suspect

• 5. Seek additional information

• 6. Charge and arrest suspects

• 7. Testify in court.

The photographer…

The first photographs that are taken should show an overview of the scene from many different perspectives.

After the evidence technicians have placed markers next to the evidence, then the photographer will create a scale and photograph the evidence

The Photographer

• Photographer should take care to not contaminate evidence when using the ruler.

• Must keep a photo log

The Police Artist

• First, the police artist is responsible for the crime scene sketch.

• A rough sketch is drawn at the scene and the final sketch is created at the police station

The Sketch

• A photograph is a 2 dimensional view of the scene, but a sketch provides accurate measurements and distances between objects.

• The final sketch is drawn to scale using templates, etc.

Other responsibilities of the sketch artist include…

• Creating composite drawings of any suspects

• These composites may be drawn by hand or computer generated

The Note Taker

• The note taker should record everything that happens during the crime scene investigation.

• The notes should include the date, times and names for anyone entering or exiting the crime scene.

Evidence Technicians

Sets up numbers at the pieces of evidence

Has the necessary equipment

Properly collects all evidence

The Medical Examiner

• When a victim is deceased, the Medical Examiner or a representative from the ME’s office will be responsible for retrieving the body from the scene.

• At the scene, photographs and a body temperature will be taken.

• The hands may be bagged and then the body is placed into a clean body bag.

At the Medical Examiner’s Office

• Fingerprints are taken• Evidence is collected

from both the body and the body bag.

• Must maintain the chain of custody

Types of Evidence

Two general types: Testimonial—a statement made under oath;

also known as direct evidence or Prima Facie evidence

Physical—any object or material that is relevant in a crime; also known as indirect evidence. Examples are hair, fiber, fingerprints, documents, blood, soil, drugs, tool marks, impressions, glass.

Evidence Characteristics

Class--common to a group of objects or persons

Individual--can be identified with a particular person or source.

Class vs. Individualized

Class vs. Individualized

Class vs. Individualized

COLLECTING AND PACKAGING EVIDENCE

One individual should be designated as the evidence collector to ensure that the evidence is collected, packaged, marked, sealed, and preserved in a consistent manner

Each item must be placed in a separate container, sealed, and labeled

Most fragile is collected and packaged first Different types of evidence require specific or special

collection and packaging techniques The body is the property of the coroner or medical

examiner. The collection of evidence on the body is done by that department

PACKAGING

• Most items should be packaged in a primary container and then placed inside a secondary one. These are then placed inside other containers such as paper bags, plastic bags, canisters, packets and envelopes depending on the type and size of the evidence.

CHAIN OF CUSTODY

• There must be a written record of all people

who have had possession of an item of

evidence. The evidence container must be marked for

identification The collector’s initials should be placed on

the seal If evidence is turned over to another

person, the transfer must be recorded.

THE PROCESS

• Crime committed

• Investigation

• Analysis of evidence

• Suspect arrested

• Trial

THE VERDICTAND PUNISHMENT

NEUROSCIENCE IN THE COURT SYSTEM

• 2005- Supreme Court struck down death penalty for anyone under the age of 18 years old

• This decision was based on data that the brain is still growing/developing up to the age of 18

• Brain scans and other neurological evidence is now allowed in the courtroom to explain behavior of the criminal