In this assignment, you will be exploring tasks that an actual crime scene investigator might accomplish.
There has been a murder in which it is clear that a person riding a mountain bike on the side of a dirt country road was intentionally struck down by a suspect. The suspect then stepped out of his or her vehicle and shot the biker.
A witness riding an ATV heard the shot and came on the scene just in time to see the suspect kick the victim hard a couple of times, presumably to determine if he or she was dead.
You have executed a warrant for the shoes of the driver/shooter and obtained the shoes worn by the suspect for examination.
Select a pair of shoes from your personal wardrobe, or borrow a pair from someone else. It is important that you select shoes that are at least 6 months old and are worn often (new shoes will not have much evidence on them. Using a household magnifying glass and a strong white light source—either a desk lamp or flashlight—closely examine the pair of shoes you selected.
Identify 3 or 4 items from the soles of the shoes, and explain in a 3–5-page paper how you conducted your examination, the type of items you found, their possible significance to the crime scene, and how you would recover and package the evidence you found.
Note: The following are just suggestions and are not mandatory for your paper grade. You may find this an instructive exercise.
You may have access to an ultraviolet light source like the ones used for identifying water marks on money and checks, commonly found at cashiers’ stations. Wear a pair of yellow glasses used as sporting glasses for skiing and shooting. This is just an extra suggestion and is not mandatory for the assignment.
You may also photograph items you have found and attach the photos to the paper if you care to. If you decide to photograph the items, do it on a piece of white bond paper—the photos will turn out better.
Category: Criminalistics II
Trace evidence consists of small items of material largely made up of human and animal hair, cloth fibers (natural and synthetic), items such as geological soil, small glass particles, pollen, wood splinters, gunshot residue, and small smears or flecks of paint. These items are found throughout many crime scenes and are often overlooked or lost.
Explain to your CSI partner in training the methods of finding trace evidence, cautions on not losing or destroying it, and collection methods.
Relate to your partner the components of human hair that are considered class characteristics.
Further, explain how the Locard Principle plays a major part in the transfer of trace evidence and the importance of identifying and collecting it for the
In this crime scene scenario, there are a number of evidence types that you will need to collect. The crime scene is a single-floor house with a burned-down tool shed in the back. There is a mailbox that appears to have been hit by a car backing out of the driveway. It is 90 degrees (F) with 100% humidity.
The items you will collect include the following:
A vial of liquid blood
Stains on clothing that may be semen
A paper packet containing an unknown powder
Fumes from the shed that was burned to the ground, containing a body (the body will be handled by the medical examiner, not you)
Paint transfer apparently from a vehicle onto the mailbox in front of the crime scene
Hair and fiber found on a hammer with what appears to be dried blood
In a 4–6-page paper, complete the following:
Describe the methods you would use to pack these items for transport to the lab.
Explain the danger of the evidence degradation due to the environment.
Describe the instrumentation at the lab that might be used to examine the evidence.