crime scene investigation aim csi1a – what do police do at a possible corpus delicti?
TRANSCRIPT
Crime Scene Investigation
Aim CSI1a
– What do police do at a possible corpus delicti?
Parts of a REALCrime Scene Investigation
Part I – Preliminaries The initial actions taken when
a scene is determined to be an actual crime The steps taken when police
officers actually have a corpus delicti
The proper handling of evidence is primary to the resolution of any case
Second only to the safety and well-being of victims of the crime
Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation
Part I – Preliminaries Initial actions:
Render assistance – is anyone in need
of medical help? Search the scene for the perpetrator(s) Determine what area makes up the crime scene
Set up crime scene tape Immediately process any weapons
Secondary actions Obtain personal evidence CANVAS the crime scene for witnesses
Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation
Part II – Documentation - a written or visual record of the crime scene.
A. Photography Visual record of crime scene Cameras as well as video tape records of
sceneB.Crime Scene Sketches
Positions evidence at the scene Allows investigators to get a “bird’s eye
view” of the scene
Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation
C. Written Notes/Documentation
Allow investigators to keep track of crime details
Includes: all witness statements Notes of investigators Any reports detailing the crime
– ME reports– psych reports– evidence analysis reports
Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation
Copius notes must be taken of the scene and its evidence
May be referred back to in court, especially when months or years have passed between the crime and the associated court case
Questions that may arise later: Who found or processed the evidence? When was it found? Where was the evidence at the scene? Who said what at the scene and after?
PPPSCRIPT An acronym for looking at a crime
scene Each letter represents a part of the investigation
at the start
P – Pulse R – Record
P – Protect I – Identify
P – Photograph P – Package
S – Sketch T - Transport
C – Collect
“Pulse” Victims are an important
source of informationThey can say who did itOr describe the suspect A live witness’s personal
evidence is always better than a dead victim’s physical evidence 9 times out of 10
Render first aid if necessaryEven if this means losing evidence!
“Protect”Check the crime scene for the perpetratorsSecure weapons
So no one accidently injures self
To protect if perpetrator is still in vicinity
Tape the area off from all unauthorized personnel Witnesses Reporters Spectators Non-essential personnel (ex: the mayor)
Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation
Aim CSI 2b- What does PPPSCRIPT stand for?
Photographic Evidence
Photograph everything A visual record of the scene Multiple photos at varying angles of:
Evidence Victims’ bodies Entryways / exitways Panoramic or overlapping photos of
entire scene
Photographic Evidence
Example of key photographic evidence Ted Bundy’s bite marks on dead woman’s
buttocks. How did police know this bite occurred after
death? How did they identify it with Bundy?
“Sketch” Crime Scene Mark positions of all evidence Should correlate to the photos
taken Gives a sense of position for
later trial case… Example
“12 Angry Men” The position and movement
of the old man in his apartment
Could he have really made it to the door in time?
Polar (rectangular) Coordinate Sketch All evidence measured
from fixed points that are at right angles to each other Walls of a room Fences or streets
outside Distance measured to
nearest inch
Triangulation Sketch Two fixed reference
points used Distance of crime
scene evidence from reference points
For irregular scenes with no right angles
Outdoor area like woods or fields
Also – used in accident scenes
Ban
k
Cross Projection Sketch
3D view necessary to show all evidence
“open shoe box” view In case of
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre bullet holes would
have been shown all over the walls
bodies shown on the floor
“Collect” EvidenceCollection of evidence will help to determine… Corpus delecti (the body of evidence)
was there actually a crime?
Modus operandi (MO) what was the method used to commit the
crime?
Can we determine the perpetrator’s identity at this point?
Elimination prints – take prints of all those who may have had access to area; includes: Family Friends Delivery people P.O.s investigating the scene
Search Patterns
Ways of searching the crime scene
Spiral Lots of evidence Tight area Few officers
Search Patterns
Ways of searching the crime scene
Grid Search Few officers Large area to cover Each square of the
grid is searched individually
Search Patterns
Ways of searching the crime scene
Line search Large
number of officers
Large area to cover
Search Patterns Ways of searching the crime scene Point to Point search
Often allows officers to find the perpetrator Example: a Hauppauge Cat Burglar finally caught by
police
“Record” Information
Note locations where evidence is found (sketches), who found it, and when.
Note all witness statements.
Which type of sketch is this?
Parts of a Crime Scene Investigation – Taking the evidence – “IPT” ofPPPSCRIPT
“Identification” of Evidence
Type of evidence being processed
Where is it going to go? (i.e. Serology lab, Fingerprint lab)
Which type of analysis will be done?
“Package” the EvidenceEach type of evidence is handled in a specific way:
Blood and serums: Stained materials paper bagged - allowed to air dry Blood and serum samples can be simple taken and stored or; some samples are preserved with chemicals for later analysis
Prints or objects to be printed: are boxed and stored for transport in special containers
Everything else bagged All evidence labeled
Date Time Collecting officer’s name
“Transport” the evidence
Proper carrying of materials to be processed
Follow the “chain of custody” The whereabouts of
evidence must be known from beginning to end
From the moment evidence found to the time the DA passes it into evidence in court
Chain of Custody The location of evidence
must be maintained at all times
From crime scene to court Three groups may
handle the evidence prior to court The prosecution – they and their experts (crime lab) The defense – they and their experts (forensic
consultants, e.g. Henry Lee and the Simpson Case) The evidence storage or lockup
Reconstruction The determination of what happened or
may have happened at the scene based on evidence; observations of the crime scene; and witness statements.
The reconstruction may involve Scaled diagrams or sketches; Models of the scene; Or whole reconstructions of the scene
Reconstruction is a hypothesis that attempts to explain the circumstances of the crime Police and prosecutors test this hypothesis with all of the above Both facts and assumptions may be in evidence
Case Study – Jeffrey McDonald and Charles Manson
Case StudyJeffrey McDonald
Jeffrey Robert MacDonald was born in New York, grew up in Patchogue, LI Attended Patchogue High School voted "most popular" and "most likely to
succeed“ won a scholarship to Princeton University. In the fall of 1963, married his high school
sweetheart Colette was pregnant with their daughter
Kimberley
Case StudyJeffrey McDonald
After Princeton attended medical school in Chicago second child, Kristen, was born in May
1967 after med school, joined the Army as a
Group Surgeon in the Green Berets in 1969
entire family moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Location: Fort Bragg, NC Time: 3:42 a.m. Date: February 17, 1970,
Two phone calls made to Military Police at Fort Bragg
First call could not be understood Second call - MacDonald reported a "stabbing“
Officers arrived to find Colette, Kimberley, and Kristen all dead in their respective bedrooms.
Colette, pregnant with her third child
Found lying on bedroom floor
Bludgeoned repeatedly (both her arms were broken)
Stabbed 37 times McDonald’s torn pajama top lay across
her chest On headboard: "pig" written in blood
Case StudyJeffrey McDonald – the Murders Kimberley, age five, was
found in her bed
Also bludgeoned and stabbed with a knife between eight and ten times
Her younger sister Kristen, age two, was also found in her bed
Stabbed with a knife 33 times and stabbed with an ice pick 15 times
MacDonald was found next to his wife, alive but wounded His wounds were much less severe than
his family's injuries Suffered cuts and bruises on his face and
chest Also had a "clean, small, sharp" incision This caused one lung to partially collapse Treated in the hospital and released after
one week
Case StudyJeffrey McDonald – His Story
MacDonald had fallen asleep on couch the night before He was awakened by the
screams of Colette and Kimberley
As he rose from the living room couch to go to their aid
He was attacked by three male intruders
A fourth female intruder chanted "Acid is groovy, kill the pigs."
Case StudyJeffrey McDonald – His Story
The three males attacked him with a club and ice pick.
During the struggle, MacDonald claimed that he then used his pajama top to ward off thrusts from the ice pick.
Eventually, MacDonald said he was knocked unconscious by his assailants
Evidence found and later used in court
Blood trail found in hall way from MacDonald master bedroom to Kimberly’s bedroom
Ice pick found Blue pj fibers all over bedroom “PIG” written in blood Holes in pj top McDonald used to defend himself
Evidence lost Blood and hairs fingernails A barefoot print left in blood on the wood floor of
the master bedroom
Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty Evidence and story initially
pointed to the hippie killer theory McDonald went back to
surgery after military discharge
Starts to party and run around with women
Appears on Dick Cavett Show, laughing and joking
No sign of grief Collette’s parents ask case to
be reopened
Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty
Civil case – McDonald’s personal evidence vs physical evidence Fought for his life – little damage to living room Stated he did not own an icepick – in fact did PJ top stab - damage not consistent with what should
have happened Blood trail - not consistent with his story
Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty
Reconstruction of fateful night MacDonald’s wife wanted divorce Knew he was cheating on her In a fit of rage, killed her Daughter Kimberly walked in – still in rage, killed her
Realization sets in – cover up time Kills daughter Kristen, Manson family style Stabs pj top to make it appear he defended self Stabs self to make it appear he was attacked
Case Study Jeffrey McDonald – Innocent, than Guilty
MacDonald found guilty of 2nd degree murder in wife and older daughter’s deaths 1st degree murder in younger daughter’s death Serving life in jail Has remarried (2002) Will not be eligible for parole again until 2020
(he will be 77 years old)