Criminalistics; Forensic Tools | Discussion

Question 1

There are some concerns I have that police officers and first responders may have contaminated the scene unintentionally as they worked before my arrival. The collection of evidence requires preservation of evidence to ensure successful criminal investigation. The physical evidence collected by police officers may be inappropriate, some materials or objects may be overlooked. Besides, the police and first responders may provide poor securing of the crime scene. They may fail to safeguard evidence or their efforts to minimize contamination may be ineffective. Moreover, the access to the crime scene may be not limited by the police. As a result, there may be confused findings obtained during the criminal investigation procedure. According to experts, safety measures should be taken by the police and first responders, working at the crime scene. For example, it is forbidden to “eat, drink, smoke and use cellphones in the crime scene” (Fish et al., 2010, p. 36). If the safety measures are not taken, there may be problems caused by poor protection of evidence. the proper equipment should be used by the police officers to collect evidence. The photographs of the crime scene should be taken effectively to ensure accurate description of the location and the victim’s appearance (Lee et al., 2010).

Undoubtedly, these concerns may affect my review of the evidence in different ways. The initial review of evidence and crime scene provides analysis of the following elements: “victim location, layout of the scene, bloodstain locations, physical evidence, etc” (James et al., 2005, p. 424). My concerns may lead to poor analysis of the crime scene and evidence, as well as to improper findings.

Question 2

The obvious clues and pieces of evidence that could be used for a subsequent prosecution include bloody clothes, bullets, hair, documents, cups, cigarettes, and other items that can be found on the table, bed, floor, etc. It is necessary to remember that if the crime scene is not properly protected, it may influence any subsequent prosecution that will be developed. These pieces of evidence can be collected and preserved as any type of physical evidence. It is necessary to package each item to prevent the destruction of evidence. These pieces of evidence can help to solve the crime either directly or indirectly. Crime scene investigators have legal duty to preserve evidence to avoid cross contamination and improper collection of the pieces of evidence. Besides, testimonial evidence can be used for a subsequent prosecution. The interviews with the witnesses of the crime, the victim’s friends, relatives and neighbors, the offender’s friends, relatives and neighbors can be employed in the court. Actually, these types of evidence may influence the court’s ruling (Doss et al., 2014; Lee et al., 2010; James et al., 2005).

Question 3

Some unobvious pieces of evidence that need to be looked for include drugs, money, jewellery, documents, weapons, or other things that are valuable and help to give explanation to the offender’s intentions. These pieces of evidence could be collected and preserved by the police officers and first responders. In this crime investigation, there is a need for collecting a wide range of physical evidence and verbal forms of evidence. The paper documentation includes the victim’s diaries, letters, notes and other types of documentation written by the victim. These pieces of evidence can be found at the scene of crime. Besides, it is necessary to check prior police incident reports, criminal record or history of the offender, computer data, e-mails, text messages, and other types of electronic evidence in order to explore the victim’s personality and the offender’s personality (Lee et al., 2010).

In addition, the pieces of evidence obtained in the process of crime investigation can give a clear circumstantial of the offender’s intent to commit the murder of a young woman. Crime laboratories work based on the established standards provided by the FBI laboratory.  It is forbidden to throw away any important physical evidence, such as wet clothing, bloody fabrics, which should be kept in paper bags. It is forbidden to give the victim’s items to her friends and family members. Each piece of evidence should be kept in separate bags. Plastic bags are not appropriate for preserving evidence (Lee et al., 2010).

Question 4

It is very important for me, as a crime investigator, to document everything that I encounter in the case and to keep this information and evidence thorough notes. As a detective for a city police department, I should document all necessary facts related to the scene of a single murder. According to experts, “documentation of the crime scene and the collection of the physical evidence are important aspects of the crime scene investigation and must be properly done” (Lee et al., 2010, p. 16). Crime scene photos can be used to preserve crime scene. I can preserve the crime scene in diagram or film so that a future jury can get an idea of what the scene looked like. Actually, film preservation can be viewed as important evidence that can be brought to the court. The type of equipment necessary to preserve the crime scene in film is camera (Lee et al., 2010).

Today crime scene photographers use different cameras, such as digital cameras, ultraviolet cameras, video cameras and infrared cameras.  It is possible to employ crime scene diagram and photos for reviewing if necessary. Diagrams of crime scenes developed by crime scene investigators can help the defense attorney to present the key facts about the crime. Besides, it is possible to use the services of crime laboratory personnel to ensure the proper documentation of the crime scene. Well-trained technician can use the proper devices to diagram and sketch the scene of crime. These devices include Global Positioning System and electronic distance measuring device. These devices can be effective in documenting the scene crime (Lee et al., 2010).

Question 5

It is very important for me to maintain a proper chain of custody for any evidence gathered at the scene of crime. Custody procedure should be focused on depicting the collected evidence. Failure to maintain the proper chain of custody could lead to the prevention of admissibility in the court of law. The chain of custody is started with the police officers and first responders who collect the evidence. It should be maintained properly regardless of who received it (Doss et al., 2014, p.555). According to experts, “the chain of custody is especially important regarding court proceedings and the proceeding of cases within the justice system”(Doss et al., 2014, p.555). Actually, the chain of custody should be maintained as it links the defendant to the collected evidence that should be brought to the court.

The defense attorney could attack the credibility of any evidence gathered if a solid chain of custody is not thoroughly and competently established. The defense attorney provides suggestion of the scenario to the court, which can be objected by the prosecutor. When the defense attorney challenges the evidence, the chain of custody is broken.  In this case, the court tends to rule that the evidence provided to the court is inadmissible. Hence, a chain of custody can be viewed as a method that maintains both credibility of evidence and validity of evidence (Doss et al., 2014, p.555). Hence, the defense attorney’s decision plays an important role in the court.  Any piece of evidence can change the overall process of crime investigation and affect the defense attorney’s point of view (Doss et al., 2014).

Question 6

From the evidence collected by the police officers and first responders, my immediate assessment of what probably took place at the apartment is the following: A Hispanic girl aged 24 years old, single was in her apartment alone. The killer arrived unexpectedly. The offender used a black ski mask to commit rape and murder. He entered the apartment, when the girl was taking a shower. He raped her and then killed her with a gun. The victim was wearing underwear as she did not have time to put on her dress. The evidence that the shower had been used recently proved that the victim was taking a shower. Besides, it is possible that the victim was obstructing the killer, who managed to cut the phone cable with a dull knife. The girl had no chance to call the police. One 9mm shell casing was found next to the bed on the ground. The killer probably used a 4 door late model dark blue Chevrolet Caprice Classic. The car left the crime scene abruptly after the “pop” sound came from the apartment. The killer escaped before the police arrived.

My theory of crime is based in the obtained evidence, but it can be changed if more evidence is collected, gathered, and examined. It is possible to change the overall interpretation of the collected evidence due to the interpretation of the key conclusions of the scene crime analysis. The victim might be a drug dealer or a burglar, while the killer might be a mad man or manic. Hence, my theory of crime depends on the collected and preserved evidence.

Question 7

For this sort of crime scene, forensic science is essential to solving the case. Forensic science stands for the application of science to criminal and civil laws. The scientific evidence collected and preserved should be analyzed during the crime investigation process. It is possible to use a laboratory in order to analyze evidence. Due to careful examination and analysis of evidence, forensic scientists can provide findings that help criminal investigators to determine if the suspects for the crime should be arrested. The following physical evidence requires forensic investigation: bloodstains, fingerprints, bullets, hair, fiber and other. Hence, the forensic evidence can be used at trial to exonerate or convict the murderers (Lee et al., 2001).

The types of crimes that would most likely require forensic science to solve the cases include homicide, suicide, sexual assault, robbery, arson, burglary, theft, forgery and fraud. Forensic science can be applied to criminal cases and civil cases. The examples of civil court cases, which depend on the results of the forensic science investigations, include car, train and aircraft accidents, machinery and equipment failures, building collapses, etc. Some other types of crime scenes where forensic science would not play as big of a role include different cybercrimes. Evidence of physical objects is insignificant in cybercrimes. According to experts, “the discovery of physical evidence at a location or on a person can often link a scene or person to a specific criminal act: for example, a firearm with an obliterated serial number found at a scene” (Lee et al., 2001, p. 10). Computer forensic investigation can be used to provide a thorough analysis of computers and other types of data processing equipment. 

Question 8

The various forensic science tools I could employ to solve the murder of the Hispanic girl include DNA analysis, Firearms, Bullets and Ballistic Identification, fingerprint identification, matching hair, drug testing, and other tools. DNA analysis is one of the most reliable tools of forensic science, which can be successfully used for identification of offenders. DNA analysis produces valuable and reliable results, especially in case when it is necessary “to determine whether or not a piece of evidence is connected with a particular source” (Jones, 2012). This tool is effective in identification a person from such items as hair and bloodstains. Firearms, bullets and ballistic identification is an effective tool in forensic science that helps to investigate the trajectory of the bullet. Matching hair technique allows to provide analysis of hair found in the bathroom and to compare it with the victim’s hair and the hair of the offender. Fingerprint identification helps to compare fingerprints found at the scene of crime and to determine how many people were in the room. Drug testing allows providing a comprehensive “analysis of biological samples for the presence of toxins present in an individual to determine whether the amount of those substances is above a harmful level” (Jones, 2012).

These forensic tools can be applied to the case in order to determine the major reasons of the offender’s intention to kill the victim. Solving the crime is a complicated process, which depends on the application of the proper forensic science tools. The analysis of evidence allows rebuilding crime scenes through effective crime scene investigation process, which involves bloodstain pattern interpretation, analysis of evidence, and interpretation of the key findings and conclusions (Doss et al., 2014).

References

Doss, D. A., Glover, W. H., Goza, R. A., Wigginton, M. (2014). The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems. CRC Press.

James, S. H., Kish, P. E. & Sutton, T. P. (2005). Principles of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis: Theory and Practice. CRC Press.

Jones, J. (2012). “Forensic Tools: What’s Reliable and What’s Not-So-Scientific,” Frontline. Retrieved from:< http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/forensic-tools-whats-reliable-and-whats-not-so-scientific/>

Lee, H. C., Palmbach, T. & Miller, M. T. (2001). Henry Lee’s Crime Scene Handbook. Academic Press.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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