Rayat Group of Institutes

Rayat College Of Law

Project On. Forensic Law

Topic – Crime Scene Investigation.

Supervised By :
Ms. Balwinder Kaur
Submitted By :
Neelesh Bhandari
B.A. LLB(Hons.)
IXth Semester
Roll no. 12174
 Acknowledgement

The success and final outcome of this project required a lot of guidance
and assistance and I am extremely privileged to have got this all along
the completion of my project. All that I have done is only due to such
supervision and assistance and I would not forget to thank all who
helped me with this project.

I respect and thank Ms. Balwinder Kaur for providing me an

opportunity to do the project work and giving us all support and
guidance which made me complete the project duly. I am extremely
thankful for providing such a nice support and guidance.
 Index

Sr. No. Topic Page No.

1. Introduction 1-2
2. Historical Background 2-3
3. Principals of Crime Scene Investigation 3-5
4. Determining Value Evidence 5-6
5. Object 6-7
6. Procedure for Crime Scene Investigation 8-9
7. Crime Scene Investigators 9
8. How a Crime Scene Investigation is Conducted 10-12
  Introduction

A body washes up on a lonely stretch of beach. A fire in a

methamphetamine lab devastates an apartment building. A car
accident claims the life of a driver during her trip home. These
are all potential crime scenes.

By conducting a systematic examination of these areas, crime

scene investigators uncover the physical evidence to help
identify what happened and who was involved. This process
must be conducted carefully and thoroughly to ensure that
crucial evidence is collected and fragile evidence is not
destroyed in the process.
At a scene, the case investigator and crime scene personnel work
together to: define and secure areas that may contain evidence;
examine and document the scene; collect physical evidence; and
preserve, package and submit the evidence to the laboratory for
analysis. With these key pieces of evidence, the investigator can
attempt to reconstruct the elements of the crime.
The more thorough the crime scene team is at conducting its job,
the more likely it is to accurately determine the facts of the case.
The quality of the evidence and the manner in which it is
handled will also impact the ability of the attorneys to argue the
facts of the case and ultimately the jurors’ ability to come to
conclusions regarding guilt or innocence.

 Historical Background

The word forensic comes from the Latin term forensis, meaning
"of or before the forum". The history of the term originates from
Roman times, during which a criminal charge meant presenting
the case before a group of public individuals in the forum. Both
the person accused of the crime and the accuser would give
speeches based on their sides of the story. The case would be
decided in favor of the individual with the best argument and
delivery. This origin is the source of the two modern usages of
the word forensic – as a form of legal evidence; and as a
category of public presentation.

In ancient India, some suspects were made to fill their mouths

with dried rice and spit it back out. Similarly, in ancient China ,
those accused of a crime would have rice powder placed in their
mouths. In ancient middle-eastern cultures, the accused were
made to lick hot metal rods briefly. It is thought that these tests
had some validity since a guilty person would produce less
saliva and thus have a drier mouth; the accused would be
considered guilty if rice was sticking to their mouths in
abundance or if their tongues were severely burned due to lack
of shielding from saliva.

18th century, criminal investigation became a more evidence-

based, rational procedure − the use of torture to force
confessions was curtailed, and belief in witchcraft and other
powers of the occult largely ceased to influence the court's
decisions. Two examples of English forensic science in
individual legal proceedings demonstrate the increasing use
of logic and procedure in criminal investigations at the time.

 Principals of Crime Scene Investigation

The key principle underlying crime scene investigation is a

concept that has become known as Locard’s Exchange
Principle. It states that whenever someone enters or exits an
environment, something physical is added to and removed from
the scene. This principle is generally summed up by stating:
“Every contact leaves a trace.”

The logic behind this principle allows investigators to link

suspects to victims, to physical objects, and to scenes. Any
evidence that can link a person to the scene is referred to as
associative evidence. This may include items such as
fingerprints, blood and bodily fluids, weapons, hair, fibers and
the like. This type of evidence answers the question “Who did
this?”

While associative evidence links people to the place of the

crime, reconstructive evidence allows investigators to gain an
understanding of the actions that took place at the scene. A
broken window, a blood spatter pattern, bullet paths and shoe
prints can all reveal what actually happened. This type of
evidence answers the question, “How did it happen?”

To help establish the linkage of people and things to a scene, the

investigator may also collect known substances, called control
samples. These can be items such as fibers from carpeting at the
scene, glass fragments, soil, vegetation and other trace
evidence. If these are found on the suspect’s clothing, in their
vehicle or at their residence, it could provide circumstantial
evidence linking the person to the scene.

For example, police are called to a residential neighborhood

where a home invasion and burglary has just occurred.
Investigators collect glass fragments from a shattered cabinet
door with a distinct pattern etched into the glass. A tip leads
investigators to a local man with a known history of burglary.
Examination of the suspect’s clothing yields glass fragments
with the same distinct pattern as the smashed cabinet doors.

Eliminating people who could not be the perpetrator is also

important. Control samples of fingerprints and DNA are often
collected from any person(s) who have access to the scene who
are not considered suspects.

 Determining the Value of Evidence

a) It is unique - If an item is found that helps narrow the

possibilities of who might be considered a suspect, or the
manner in which a crime was committed, this evidence
would be of use. Is an impression from a vehicle tire found
in the dirt at the scene? The tread impression can be
compared to others to determine the type of tire that was on
the car. Is a shoe print left in the soil? The tread may help
to identify the size and type of shoes it came from and the
wear pattern could be used to match it to a specific pair.

b) It has a low probability of occurring by chance -

Considering the mathematical probabilities will help to
determine the odds that a piece of physical evidence found
 at the scene could appear merely by coincidence. If DNA
evidence found at the scene matches a suspect, the chances
are exceedingly low that another person could have left this
sample. But even evidence that has a much higher
probability for instance, a common type of shoeprint that is
left in the soil is still valuable. When combined with other
high probability evidence, these can help narrow the list of
possible parties and build a compelling case.

c) It is inconsistent - If an item is found that is out of place or

inconsistent with the setting, or is out of character for the
victim for instance if the victim was a non-smoker but a
cigarette butt is found at the scene this could be an
important bit of evidence.

d) It is a physical match - If trace evidence is found on the

suspect or in his possession that matches something at the
scene, this makes this item valuable as evidence. For
instance, broken plastic parts or a broken fingernail that can
be matched by fracture marks can demonstrate that two
pieces were once a part of the same item.

 Object

Collecting physical evidence from a scene can help an

investigator recreate the crime scene and establish the sequence
of events. Physical evidence can also corroborate statements
made by the victim, suspects and witnesses.

In practice, a wide range of scenes are secured, documented and

investigated including the scenes of:
 Burglaries
 Violent Crimes
 Suicides
 Fires
 Auto Thefts
 Auto Accidents

The type of case being investigated dictates the type of evidence

that an investigator will attempt to locate and collect. However,
as the facts of the case slowly get pieced together, this may
change the theory of what occurred. Investigators may discover
that several crimes have been committed instead of just one, or
they may discover multiple scenes that require investigation.

In some cases, an investigator may not be able to examine the

primary crime scene because it is unknown; for instance, if a
body is found buried in a field far away from where the death
actually took place. The area where the body is discovered is
referred to as a secondary crime scene.

 Procedure for Crime Scene Investigation

o Types of Evidence Found in a Crime Scene

A wide variety of physical evidence can be collected at a
scene that is deemed valuable (“probative”) for collection
and investigation:
 Biological Evidence (e.g., blood, body fluids, hair and
other tissues)
 Latent Print Evidence (e.g., fingerprints, palm prints,
foot prints)
 Footwear and Tire Track Evidence
 Trace Evidence (e.g., fibers, soil, vegetation, glass
fragments)
 Digital Evidence (e.g., cell phone records, Internet
logs, email messages)
 Tool and Tool Mark Evidence
 Drug Evidence
 Firearm Evidence
For Example:
The type of evidence collected will vary with the type of
crime. In the case of a burglary, for example, it would be
 common to perform tasks in the order listed below. This will
help ensure that evidence isn’t inadvertently damaged or
destroyed:
1. Photograph and document the scene
2. Collect trace materials (especially from probable points of
entry)
3. Collect low-level DNA evidence by swabbing areas of
likely contact
4. Collect other items that may contain biological evidence
5. Locate and collect latent fingerprints

 Crime Scene Investigators

The number and type of professional(s) responsible for

investigating a scene and collecting evidence largely depends
on the type of crime and the resources of the law enforcement
agency. Larger agencies often have dedicated, highly trained
crime scene specialists, while smaller agencies may require that
first responders or detectives process the scene in addition to
their other duties.

In many instances, a case will be investigated by a detective

who is responsible for interviewing persons of interest and
victims, pursuing leads and piecing together the information
that is developed from the materials collected at the scene. The
detective works in tandem with a team of crime scene personnel
who search the scene and collect the evidence. The crime scene
 investigation team may consist of crime scene photographers
and evidence collection personnel specializing in gathering
specific evidence such as latent prints, DNA, trace evidence and
the like.

 How a Crime Scene Investigation is Conducted

The circumstances that investigators encounter at the scene will largely

dictate the approach used to process the scene. A homicide will likely
require different treatment and processing than a burglary. However,
to ensure a thorough process, the seven steps outlined below are often
followed. These steps can be conducted in a different order, combined
or even skipped altogether to meet the needs of the situation.

1. Establish the scene dimensions and identify potential safety and

health hazards - Investigators initially locate the “focal point” of the
scene, the main area of disturbance. This could be a ransacked
bedroom, the area where an attack occurred, or the room in which a
victim was found. Radiating out from that point, investigators establish
an area that is sizeable enough to likely contain all relevant physical
evidence that may be present. It is easier for investigators to condense
the size of a scene at a later point than to discover that sensitive
evidence outside the scene has been damaged or destroyed by other
responders, media or onlookers. In addition, potential paths of
perpetrator entry/exit are identified. Safety is of paramount
importance during the initial approach to the scene. Weapons,
biohazards, chemical hazards and even intentional traps could be
waiting for responders. If medical, fire or coroners will be on scene,
they will need to be advised regarding evidentiary issues as well.

2. Establish security - According to Locard’s Exchange Principle, every

person who enters or exits the scene will add or subtract material from
the crime scene, so it’s crucial to quickly secure the area. To control
access, the scene may be cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape,
cones or by other means. In addition, a common entryway is often
established that all crime scene personnel will use to enter and exit the
scene and all people entering or leaving the scene are documented
once the boundaries have been established. Additional areas for
consultation and evidence storage may also be established if necessary.

3. Plan, communicate and coordinate - Before collecting evidence,

investigators must first develop a theory regarding the type of offense
that occurred. Knowing the type of crime will help investigators
anticipate the evidence that could be present. This may require
gathering information from witnesses or persons of interest. Based on
this information, the crime scene team will develop an evidence-
collection strategy taking into consideration weather conditions, time
of day and other factors. Additional forensic resources may also be
requested to handle special situations.

4. Conduct a primary survey/walkthrough - An initial survey of the

scene is then conducted to prioritize evidence collection. During this
walkthrough, the lead investigator will identify potentially valuable
evidence, take notes and capture initial photographs of the scene and
the evidence. The crime scene is documented to record conditions such
as whether lights were on or off, the position of shades and doors,
position of movable furniture, any smells present, the temperature of
the scene, etc. To facilitate this process, crime scene specialists may
create an evidence-free pathway leading to the primary area of interest
by conducting a thorough sweep for evidence in that area.
5. Document and process the scene - With a plan in place, the crime
scene team conducts a thorough, coordinated investigation of the
scene, collecting all probative evidence. This entails detailed
documentation with digital and video cameras or, if available, a 3-D
scanner. For some situations, sketches and diagrams are also created.
During the evidence-collection process, it is crucial that the crime scene
investigator follow proper procedures for collecting, packaging and
preserving the evidence, especially if it is of a biological nature.
Biological evidence can be destroyed or damaged by weather
conditions, individuals can inadvertently contaminate it, or it can be
overlooked entirely if alternate light sources are not used to inspect the
scene.

6. Conduct a secondary survey/review - To ensure that the scene has

been thoroughly searched, a second survey of the area is conducted as
a quality control step.

7. Record and preserve evidence - To make certain that all evidence is

accounted for, an inventory log is created. The descriptions recorded
into the log must match the photo of the evidence taken at the scene
and the description included in the crime scene report. For instance, if a
gun is collected, the serial number of the firearm in the evidence log
must match the serial number shown in the photo that was taken at
the scene. This paper trail establishes the chain of custody that will
follow the evidence throughout the lifecycle of the case.

Bibliography
 [Link]’s ‘Forensic Science in Crime Investigation’
(Asia Law House, 3rd Edition)
 Adams, T; Krutsinger, J. Crime Scene Investigation; Prentice Hall: Upper
Saddle River, NJ. 2000
 Ritter, N. DNS Solves Property Crimes (But Are We Ready for
That). NIJ Journal.

Webliography
 [Link] [Link]
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