This document provides information and instructions for processing a crime scene. It outlines the objectives, materials, safety procedures, and tasks involved including making tent cards to mark evidence, photographing and sketching the scene, and taking detailed notes. It also provides information recovered from the crime scene including bodily fluids, fingerprints, injuries, and documents. Finally, it discusses crime scene reconstruction and common search patterns used.

1. Crime Scene
Investigation

2.  To document and process a crime scene
through photography, sketching and note-
taking.
OBJECTIVE

3.  Camera
 Computer
 Paper
 Writing utensils
MATERIALS

4.  Do not contaminate the crime scene!
SAFETY

5.  Make tent cards and
number them to mark
all evidence located
on the crime scene.
 Once you have been
separated into groups
I will tell you how
many tent cards your
group will make.
 Do NOT begin making
cards until you have
been told how many
to make!!!
Tent Cards – Marking Evidence

6.  Record a pictorial view of the scene.
 Record items of evidence.
 One person in your group may pull out
their phone to take photographs of the
crime scene.
 Make sure I check them before you move
on.
Photograph the Scene

7.  A rough sketch should be
completed by the crime
scene technician to
demonstrate the layout of
the crime scene and to
identify the exact position
of the deceased victim or
evidence within the crime
scene.
 Make sure ALL
requirements are included
on your sketch, just like
the sketch you did last
week.
Sketch the Scene

8.  Must provide all the details necessary to
complete a finished drawing
 Must identify every object in the room
 Need to be to scale
 Needs to have measurements (have someone in
your group verify this).
 Needs to be marked “N” for North to orient the
drawing
 Needs a legend to explain any symbols that are
used to identify various objects (In small
areas, various objects may be lettered or
numbered and keyed in the legend)
Sketch the Scene

9.  In this case and at this crime scene, the note taker has two jobs.
◦ The first job is taking notes over crime scene. Make
notations over placement of objects, the position of the
body, blood spatters, bugs or insects that are on the
body, etc. Anything and everything is note-worthy.
◦ The more detailed your notes are, the better off you are.
◦ The notes taken will help to reconstruct the crime scene
after it is longer available to you.
◦ Notes should contain any of your own thoughts and any
“memory joggers” that will help you remember the
specifics about the case.
◦ Be sure to work closely with the crime scene sketcher
and the photographer so that nothing is missed.
◦ Notes need to be typed up and placed in the file so that
they do not get lost. They are a very important
permanent record about the crime scene.
Note-taking

10.  The second job is that you will do is provide
leadership for your team. You will be the
one who assists the sketcher on double-
checking measurements. You will be the
one to question the photographer to make
sure that all the evidence, strange marks, or
footprints were photographed. Once the
POE has been established, photographs
have been taken, and notes have been
written, it will be your responsibility to
make sure that your evidence collector does
a thorough and proper job. If asked, you
will be the one who holds the envelope
while the evidence is placed into it.
Note-taking

11.  Name – Deaundre Jackson
 D.O.B – 11.21.64
 Race – Black and Hispanic
 Height – 5’10”
 Weight – 182 lbs.
 Occupation – Teacher
Victim’s Information

12.  Blood spatter on the east wall belonged
to the victim.
◦ It is reported to be the initial blow.
 Blood found on the floor near the yellow
student desk belonged to the victim.
Bodily Fluids

13.  It is the victim’s blood on the hole-
puncher.
 Blood smear near the hole-puncher is the
victim’s.
Bodily fluids (Victim)

14.  Hair belonged to the victim on the hole-
puncher.
Trace Evidence

15.  Fingerprints found on the hole puncher
did NOT belong to the victim.
 Fingerprint found on the paper towel
dispenser did not belong to the victim or
the f.p. found on the hole puncher
Fingerprints

16.  Victim died of blunt force trauma to the
head.
 Hole-puncher was determined to be the
murder weapon due to the impression left
on the posterior side of the skull.
 T.O.D. – estimated at 11:00pm (which
suggested watch was broken during the
struggle)
Injury Report

17.  Blood spatter (puddle) near the victim
was the victim’s blood
 Trail of blood near the victim did NOT
belong to him.
 Blood and skin was found under the
victim’s nails on his right hand.
 Saliva was discovered on the cell phone.
 DNA from the saliva, blood trail, and skin
found under the nails ALL came from the
same person.
Bodily Fluids (Suspect)

18.  Note: “Have interesting new info. See
you tonight. Dion”
 Handwriting does not match that of
signatures from the victim.
Questioned Document Analysis

19.  Dion Jackson – step brother of Deaundre.
 D.O.B. – 5.13.79
 Race – Black American
 Height – 5’11”
 Weight – 200 lbs
 Unknown bodily fluids and skin (found
under the nails of victim) matched this
suspect’s DNA
Suspect #1 Information

20.  Dion Carter– co-worker of Deaundre
 D.O.B. – 10.12.77
 Race – Black American
 Height – 5’10.5”
 Weight – 210 lbs
 Fingerprint on the paper towel dispenser
matched this suspect’s prints
Suspect #2 Information

21.  Crime scene reconstruction is the use of
scientific methods, physical
evidence, deductive reasoning, and their
interrelationships to gain explicit knowledge
of the series of events that surround the
commission of a crime.
 It is a disciplined and principled approach
towards objectively understanding a crime
scene.
 Using evidence found at a crime scene the
incident can be reconstructed to determine
what happened, and possibly find more clues.
Crime Scene Reconstruction

22.  Specific Incident Reconstruction (Traffic
Accident, Homicide, Bombing, etc.).
 Specific Event Reconstruction
(Sequence, Direction, Condition, Relation,
Identity).
 Specific Physical Evidence Reconstruction
(Firearms, Blood, Glass etc.).
Types of Crime Scene
Reconstruction

23.  The pattern selected will normally depend
on the size and locale of the scene and
the number of collectors participating in
the search.
Crime Scene Search Patterns

24. Spiral Search Method

25. Grid Pattern

26. Quadrant/Zone Pattern

27.  Moving up and down in a straight line
through the crime scene
Strip/Line Pattern