Criminal Investigation Chapter 2 PDF

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Criminal Investigation With Dr. Wydra...

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❖ Chapter 2: The Crime Scene: Field Notes, Documenting, and Reporting ➢ Vocabulary: ■ Field Notes- An investigator’s most personal and readily available record of the crime- scene search. ■ Field interview Cards- A method for documenting information on the street through the use of cards. ■ Chain of Custody- Documentation of all who handle evidence in a criminal case. ■ Hearsay Evidence- Second- Party statements offered to the court by a person who did not originate the statement. ■ Authentication- A principal requirement to admit a photograph into evidence. ■ Markers- Items place in crime- scene photos that call attention to specific objects or enable the viewer of the photo to get a sense of the size of the object or the distance between objects. ■ Surveillance- Surreptitious observation. ■ Rough Sketch- The initial crime-scene sketch drawn by officers on the crime scene. ■ Finished Sketches- A completed crime scene sketch drawn to scale. ■ Coordinate method- Measuring an object from two fixed points of reference. ■ Baseline Technique- Crime scene measuring technique in which a line is drawn between two known points. ■ Triangulation method- A bird’s-eye view of the crime scene using fixed objects from which to measure. ■ Cross- Projection Method- Used in indoor crime scenes, it is basically a top-down view of the crime scene where the walls of the room have been “folded” down to reveal locations of bullet holes, blood-spatter evidence, and so on. ➢ Field Notes ■ The note-taking process begins as soon as the investigators gets a call to the scene of a crime. ■ Notes should be complete and well organized. ■ Most information can be learned by asking the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how. ■ Essential information in field notes ● Dates, times, and locations ● Description of the victim ● Wounds on victim ● Description of crime scene ● Notes on photos taken at the scene

● Type and location of evidence ● Absence of items ● Witness Information ■ Field interview cards/reports ● Used when happening upon people or circumstances that appear suspicious but are not a sufficient cause for arrest. ● Document pertinent information and filed for future reference ● Denote “Suspect” on report ➢ The Investigative Report ■ The official police report is the backbone of the criminal prosecution process. ■ Official reports should be factual, thorough, and to the point. ● Do not use police jargon (GOA, B&E, etc.) ● Write report in first person ■ Steps in report writing ● Collect information about the crime scene, informants, and witnesses. ● Take complete notes. ● Organize the information. ● Prepare the report (write in chronological order of events) ● Proofread and evaluate the report. ➢ Fact Sheet Components ■ The information included in an initial complaint ● Type of crime ● Date ● Case Number ● Officer’s name ● Suspect’s name (or description) and address ● MO ● Victim ● Witnesses ● Synopsis of crime and investigation ● Details of crime and investigation (vehicle info, a statement from victim/witness, weapons, items were stolen, multiple suspects ● Attachments (medical/hospital records, proof of purchase/serial numbers, photos/videos from cell phones ➢ Supplemental Reports ■ Longer than the initial complaint because it goes into much greater detail on pertinent aspects of the case. ● Full-length interview statement (victim, witness) ● Full-length interrogation statement (suspect, actor)

● Picture/video: how obtained, what footage shows ● Autopsy ■ Incorporates and more in-depth the Who, What, When Where, How and (sometimes) Why of the case. ● Follow up of the investigation ➢ Photographing the Crime Scene ■ Authentication ● The photo must be accurate and correct. ● Testimony by the photographer or someone who was at the scene ● Trained and certified ■ Digital images must be handled with special care and consideration to preserve their integrity as evidence. ● Initially stored on removable media such as SD cards and memory sticks ● As soon as possible within reason, images moved to a flash drive or other protected media to create a “master drive” ● Master drive must be safely maintained until such time as there is an official determination that there is no future need for the images. ● Chain of custody ■ Photographs and video of the crime scene are usually taken in three stages: ● General view ● Medium range view ● Close-up view ● Crime Scene Video ● Too much evidence ■ Advantages of photographs ● Provide easy storage and retrieval of data on the crime scene ● Remove many inferences ● Give the investigator a source of reference ■ Disadvantages of photographs ● Do not show true or actual distances ● Can distort color and perceptions ● Can be ruined by mechanical or technical errors in processing ➢ Photo Legality ■ Material photograph ■ Relevant photograph ■ Prejudicial images (detrimental to the defendant – predisposition of the defendant) ■ Distorted photograph ➢ Photographic Log

■ Information in the photographic log ● Type of case ● Description of the subject of the photo ● Location ● Names of persons handling evidence (Chain of Custody) ● Assigned case number ● Any other relevant information ➢ Photography Types ■ Surveillance photography is used covertly in a criminal investigation. ■ Surveillance photography is also used as a deterrent for offenders. ■ Night vision technology helps overcome difficulties with low light settings. ■ Much depends on the quality of the technology – video and storage ➢ Crime- Scene Sketch ■ Measure the scene Cross-projection – overview with walls folded down ■ Locate items to be included ■ Create a rough sketch ■ Complete a finished sketch. ■ Rough sketch ● Drawn by officers at the crime scene ● Generally, not to scale but should reflect accurate dimensions and distances between objects of importance ■ Finished Sketch ● Completed sketch drawn to scale ● 3D Imaging ■ Sketching methods ● Coordinate/baseline ● Triangulation ● Cross-projection – overview with walls folded down...