Forensics Labs and Study Guides

FORENSICS
LAB 1: CRIME SCENE PROCESSING

1. Observe crime scene

2. Maintain thorough notes

3. Look for physical evidence (observable)
a. Locate the evidence
b. Photograph it with numbered place cards and rulers (10 points)
c. Describe the object and its location in your notes (10 points)
d. How must each piece of evidence be further processed / tested? (10 points)
e. What might each test reveal about the crime? (10 points)

4. List other unobservable evidence
a. Where would it be located? (10 points)
b. How must each piece of unobservable evidence be further processed / tested? (10 points)
c. What might each test reveal about the crime? (10 points)

5. Sketch the crime scene (don’t forget the legend) (10 points)

6. Triangulate the corpse (measure the distance from one part of the body to 3 stationary points at the scene) (10 points)


• Write a complete report on the crime scene, using all data collected (Follow report format).
• Attach or embed the sketch and photographs to your report.

You have one week from the completion of the lab to turn in the report. The last 10 points are reserved for how well the final report is put together.

LAB 1-Crime Scene Report Format

CRIME SCENE DOCUMENTATION

Proper documentation of the crime scene involves three vital components:

1. A written report
2. Crime scene photographs
3. Crime scene sketch

The Report

The report should be done in chronological order and should NOT include
opinions,
analysis, or
conclusions.

The report must be purely factual. The crime scene investigator or evidence recovery technician should document what he/she sees, not what he/she thinks. A general description of the crime scene should be given just as the investigator sees it when he/she does the initial walk through of the scene. The final report should tell a descriptive story.
Format
The report can be divided into 5 sections:
1. summary
The summary must explain how the team was assigned the investigation. For example: " At the request of Robbery Detective J. Doe, this writer was requested to respond to assist in processing the scene of an armed robbery involving 4 unknown masked subjects. Det. J. Doe's preliminary investigation revealed that the subjects startled the victim as she returned home from shopping". For further details of this investigation refer to Det. J. Doe's report… etc.
2. scene (including a detailed body description if in a death investigation)
In the scene section of the narrative, give a detailed description of the scene as observed by the investigating team. The scene description usually includes anything that is unusual and out of place. Any weather or environment conditions are also included. Again this is a description of what one sees - no opinions! Mention any evidence observed and its location, condition, or anything remarkable about the item. The statements must be consistent with any numbers, letters, or labels indicated in the photographs, or drawn into a sketch of the scene.

3. processing
The processing section is a description of what the team did - was assistance needed during the processing stages? Who assisted, and what functions they performed.
4. evidence collected
The evidence collection section is to organize what pieces of physical evidence were recovered from the crime scene, where the items were recovered from, and what lab the items were sent to for analysis.
5. pending
The pending section would be for any known tasks that would need to be completed at a later date in the investigation. For example: If all accessible evidence has been collected, but your team has to return to the scene to excavate the ground or return with scuba divers, etc.

What is turned in to the Department (or teacher, in this case):
1. A written report
2. Crime scene photographs
3. Crime scene sketch