Transcript Crime+Scene+Basics

• Certainly going back to
Sherlock Holmes we have a
tradition of forensic
science featured in
detective stories.
Jeffery Deaver
Forensic Science
Definition…….
• The application of the sciences to answer
questions by the legal system in relation to
a crime or a civil action.
• Encompasses methodology, norms and
facts to authenticate the answers to the
questions posed.
Challenge One:
People, Places and Things
• Match the people, places and things with
their definitions.
Crime Scene
• Crime Scene
• Primary Crime
Scene
• Secondary Crime
Scene
• Suspect
• Accomplice
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Alibi
Victim
Evidence
Investigator
Crime lab
Evidence
• Evidence used to resolve a crime can be split into 2 areas:
testimonial evidence and physical evidence.
– The testimonial evidence would be any witnessed accounts of
an incident or crime.
– The physical evidence would refer to any material items that
would be present on the crime scene or the victims. These
items would be presented in a crime investigation to prove or
disprove the facts of the issue.
• Examples include DNA, the body itself, the weapon used,
pieces of carpet, blood and other body fluids, fingerprints,
or casts of footprints or tire prints.
• Trace evidence refers to evidence that is found at a crime
scene in small but measurable amounts.
Evidence Examples
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Paint
Explosives
Glass
Dust and Dirt
Firearms or Ballistics
Fluids
Blood
Wounds
Tool Marks
• Shoeprints & Tire
Prints
• Physical Fracture
Matches
• Questioned Documents
• Bite Marks
• Hairs & Fibers
• Skeletal Remains
• Fingerprints
Source: http://www.virtualsciencefair.org/2004/fren4j0/public_html/trace_evidence.htm
Challenge Two:
Evidence Talks
• List three things that the evidence
tells us about the crime.
Source: http://www.virtualsciencefair.org/2004/fren4j0/public_html/trace_evidence.htm
In reality, those rare few cases
with good forensic evidence are
the ones that make it to court.
Pat Brown
What will evidence collected at a scene do for the investigation?
• May prove that a crime has been committed
• Establish any key elements of a crime
• Link a suspect with a crime scene or a victim
• Establish the identity of a victim or suspect
• Corroborate verbal witness testimony
• Exonerate the innocent.
• Give detectives leads to work with in the case
What evidence can be found at a crime scene?
Brainstorm with your group to come up with a list of evidence you
might find at a crime scene and how it could be used by investigators.
Investigating
theEvidence
Evidence
Investigating the
Drug Chemistry – Determines the presence of controlled substances and the identification
of marijuana
Trace Chemistry - Identification and comparison of materials from fires, explosions, paints,
and glass.
Microscopy - Identification and comparison of hairs, fibers, woods, soils, building
materials, insulation and a broad group of materials referred to as "particulate unknowns.”
Biology/DNA - Presence and comparison of body fluids and dried stains such as blood,
semen, and saliva.
Toxicology – Determines the presence of drugs and poisons in tissue, blood, urine and other
body fluids.
Latent Prints - Identification and comparison of hidden impressions from sources like
fingers, palms, feet, shoes, ears, lips or the tread on vehicle tires.
Firearms & Toolmarks - Examination and comparison of fired bullets, discharged
cartridges, guns, gunpowder patterns, and marks left by erased serial numbers in metal or by
burglary tools like a pry bar or screwdriver.
Questioned Documents - Side by side comparisons of questioned handwriting and hand
printing, ink, paper, writing instruments, printers, photocopiers, additions, eradications,
obliterations, watermarks, and impressions.
Challenge Three:
Crime Scene Protocol
• Put the five-step crime scene
protocol in order of what you
do first, second, third, fourth
and last.
Crime Scene
Protocol
• Interview
• Examine
• Photograph
• Sketch
• Process
Challenge Four: Careers
Match the forensic careers with the
graphic or picture that represents
the career.
Crime Laboratory
The evidence is collected and the experts in the laboratory test all of the evidence.
Below is a list of some of the specialists you might find in the lab.
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Criminalistics
Digital Forensics
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Archaeology
Forensic Entomology
Forensic Geology
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Forensic Meteorology
Forensic Odontology
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Psychology
Forensic Toxicology
• I wanted to be a forensic
scientist for a long
time...It's like putting the
pieces of a puzzle together.
Solving mysteries seemed
like it would be fun, scary
and exciting all at the same
time.
• Kristin Kreuk