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MURDER 1001
Casebook Message Boards: General Discussion: Research Issues / Philosophy:
MURDER 1001
Author: Scott E. Medine
Friday, 26 October 2001 - 09:11 am |        | Murder.
In all of its forms, it is the most heinous of all crimes to be perpetrated on any human. Here is a primer, for lack of a better term, for arm chair detectives. It is a look into what goes into murder with thoughts, from killers, in all forms, that I have spoken with and interviewed in my 20 years with the New Orleans Police department. It also takes the amateur detective step by step through a murder investigation.
I will piece this forum together bit by bit. Stay tuned, grab some snacks, and hold your questions to the end of each section. |
Author: Philip C. Dowe
Friday, 26 October 2001 - 11:35 am | | Hi Scott,
woukd you mind if a forensic psychologist to this?
Philip |
Author: Scott E. Medine
Friday, 26 October 2001 - 01:13 pm | | Not at all!
I have pratical experience with the subject, but my cv will in no way comapre to yours!
Peace,
Scott |
Author: Scott E. Medine
Friday, 26 October 2001 - 01:58 pm | | Conversations with the Dead
The Crime Scene
There is always evidence left at the scene of the crime. The body is a store house of evidence. No human body can go anywhere, or be brought anywhere, dead or alive, with out leaving a record of his or her being there. This record is called trace evidence.
Trace evidence has been responsible for the successful detainment, arrest and prosecution of more people than all other forms of evidence to date.
The collection of trace evidence depends on the knowledge and ability of the officers, detectives, medical examiners and crime scene unit specialist. It is dependant upon their ability to work as a team. No, attitudes or grandiose feelings of superiority should be allowed into the crime scene. It begins with the successful locking down of the crime scene by the initial officers responding to the scene.
Police officers are the same everywhere. Police procedures are pretty much the same everywhere. Departments will have subtle differences in their policies and procedures, but these are small and do not effect the outcome of an investigation. I remember being in London in 1996. I was there giving a class on investigating gang related homicides. As I stepped out of the cab at my hotel the first thing I noticed was an illegally parked police car. No matter where in the world one is standing the police are all the same.
When the police receive word of a possible death, the first to arrive are the uniform patrolman. When the patrolman reasonably determines that the subject is deceased his first call is for his immediate supervisor, if the supervisor is not already there. The next step is for the supervisor to call the homicide unit and the coroner. In some places the coroner is referred to as the medical examiner. The coroner may or may not actually come to the scene. One of his deputy coroners or investigators may arrive at the scene. It is the coroner or his designated representative that pronounces the subject officially deceased.
The next step is to determine what kind of death is involved. There are four categories of death. They are; homicide, suicide, accidental and death by natural causes. It may be easy to determine the category, such as a gunshot wound, stab wound, over dose any number of ways that may reveal the immediate cause. Sometimes it is not so clear and it then falls upon the coroner and the post mortem investigation. In big cities it may be weeks before the official ruling of homicide is given.
In the mean time, the crime scene unit has arrived and are beginning to go over the entire crime scene. with a fine tooth comb. The photographer photos the body from all angles. He photographs anything and everything at the scene. There is not telling what in the future may be needed by the detectives. Most of the time the photographer is working under the guidance of one of the detectives at the scene. I remember a discarded gum wrapper across the street being the soul piece of evidence that revealed the killers fingerprint and thus put our prime suspect at the scene of a mafia hit. It seems he remembered to wear gloves for everything else except for putting the piece of gum in his mouth.
Measurements will be taken at the crime scene. he measurements will be metric as they provide for a more accurate measurement. These measurements will usually help in the determinating whether or not a subject we may later find can move around in the crime scene as seen. These measurements will also be taken to a forensic draftsman and a detailed drawing of the crime scene will be rendered in scale. Maps of the area along with architectural drawings of the building, if the crime scene is indoors, will also be retrieved.
The uniform patrolman will begin to cordon off the crime scene with the familiar bright yellow tape. They will actually stand guard and allow or deny entrance to the scene. If one is denied entrance it is extremely unadvisable to try and enter. Remember the Rodney King incident? Expect the same treatment.
The officer positioned at the entrance will keep a written journal. He will log in everyone who enters and leaves the scene. Time in and time out along with their purpose for being there. Another patrolman will direct traffic. No, really he will. He will tell the person entering where to walk. What to touch and not touch. Someone, if necessary, from victim services will be present to greet family members at the entrance to the scene. The family may or may not be allowed entrance. It is important to note here that different cultures morn in different ways. Some Asian cultures want to touch the body. This will not happen until it has been cleared by the detectives and the coroner’s office. Phillip may be able to provide more light into the morning process.
As far as the body goes, noone but detectives assigned to the case and the coroner’s office will touch the body. There will be a police officer with another journal. He is writing down who touched the body and where along with date and time. Handling of the body for sanitary reasons and preservation of evidence will only be done with surgical gloves. Back at the office detectives will later pull the finger print cards of the responding officers should their prints be pulled off the body.
Crime scene specialist will begin dusting for finger prints. Everything will be dusted. If necessary and/or possible the entire area may be fumed for prints after everyone is gone. We will discuss prints in detail later. Everything is bagged separately. Some evidence needs to be treated and handled with care and under strict guidelines. Evidence such as blood, bodily fluids, anything that may give us a DNA profile and fibers and liquids fall into this category. Like fingerprints, blood and DNA will be discussed in detail later. I am not a DNA specialist so that section will be a short one that will be brought together with blood. The temperature of the crime scene will be logged as will weather and lighting conditions. This will be done whether the scene is inside or outside.
Before the body is moved, the familiar chalk outline will be drawn. Paint and tape are also now used to outline the body’s position. The body will be moved to the city or local morgue and await the coroner to fix time of death.
Next lesson....the Mortis family. |
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