Crime Scene Management by 
Crime Scene Investigation, Criminalistics, and the Law by 
The Encyclopedia of Crime Scene Investigation by 
Fingerprints and Impression Evidence by 
Ballistics by 1.03 The 7 S's of Crime Scene Investigation
List the 7 S's for analyzing a crime scene.
Explain when a warrant should be obtained prior to performing a crime scene investigation.
Interactive crime scene investigations
Interactive case for crime scene investigations
Crime Scene Processing
In crime scene processing course the students will learn about the following topics:
Introduction to Physical Evidence
Types of Evidence
Crime scene search principles
Crime scene photography
Crime scene sketches
Latent Fingerprint evidence
Trace evidence
Biological fluid stain Evidence: blood, semen, and saliva
Firearms evidence
Impression evidence
Drug and alcohol evidence
Document evidence
Vehicle scene investigations
Homicide Scene Investigations
Sexual assault crime scene investigations
Crime scene reconstruction
Entomological Evidence
Categories of evidence:
Direct Evidence: Evidence that proves a fact without inference or a presumption
Circumstantial Evidence: series of facts, although not the fact at hand, but with interference leads to the main fact.
Testimonial Evidence: evidence given by a witness. the test for accuracy is based on the credibility of the witness.
Physical Evidence: physical objects that link to the commission of a crime or tort.
First responders at the scene: respond and arrest suspects, tend to injured personnel while maintaining visual and observing the nature of the crime scene. Securing the scene should been done as soon as possible. They should establish a pathway for all entering and leaving the scene. The responding officer should make the initial survey of the scene and relay all information upon the investigators arrival.
Crime scene Investigator: purpose is to document the scene with all methods possible. They must record all pertinent data immediately. Document time called, time arrived, actions taken to secure scene, document all personnel at the scene, record all data for departments involved with names and phone numbers, names of all victims and suspects known at the time. Tour the scene with the first responder. record everything found in notes and photograph and sketch scene.
A crime scene search is a systematic and methodical search for any physical evidence at a scene. There are several methods that investigators can use to search a scene:
Strip Method: Outdoor scenes. Set up strips or lanes that will be search by one individual in the line. known also as linear.
Grid Method: outdoor scenes. Also known as the double strip method because it works similar to the strip method except once the line completes the grid search they will change angle and search the area again. This means every area is searched twice.
Zone method: indoor and outdoor scenes. this is where you divide the scene into zones to be searched.
Spiral Method: for large objects in large outdoor scenes. The search teams starts at the center of the scene and follows a spiral path outward until perimeter is reached.
Types of crime scene sketches:
Locality layout sketch: illustrates the general area of the crime scene or rough sketch. done at crime scene occurrence. Used to compare with other sketches.
Detailed sketch: contains measurements of all evidence locations, not drawn to scale.
Blow up sketch: higher accuracy of measurements for blood splatter, bullet trajectories, or other pattern evidence. detailed sketches of smaller areas inside a larger area.
Exploded view sketch: used to illustrate the interrelationships of blood spatter, bullet holes, and trajectories or other patters of significance. The walls are drawn flat on this sketch as if the room exploded.
Elevation sketches: used to show slopes present at the scene. used to show terrain without measurements.
Finished sketch: two kinds of finish sketches are to scale and not ot scale. not to scale doesn't have measurements but the area is proportional to the actual measurements. For instance one square on the sheet might represent 10 ft. for a 10 by 10 room. Sketches drawn to scale should be appropriate for the size of the room. legends and other data should be added along with measurements.
Evidence found at a scene:
Latent Fingerprint Evidence: One of the most common types of evidence and the most useful. Can be used to identify an individual. prints left on a surface by contact with friction ridges. prints are invisible and require a powder to develop them.
Hair evidence: animal and human hair. can be used to identify the person or animal that left the evidence behind which is possible by mitochondrial DNA.
Fiber evidence: textile fibers to make cloth, carpet, or rope. classified as either natural or synthetic fibers.
Glass Evidence: may not be obvious evidence at first but can help solve crimes. Broken glass might be transferred onto a shoe, victim, car, or suspect. Might be present at burglaries, murders, hit and run accidents, and other types of crimes. Can sometimes pinpoint points of entry.
Paint evidence: most common type of physical evidence. paint transfers are associated with hit and runs, burglaries. Can use paint transfers or paint chip to identify an object that was at the scene.
Biological evidence: blood, saliva, skin cells, semen
Firearm evidence: Bullet cartridges, rifle barrels. the impressions made from the firing of a cartridge can help to identify the type of weapon used in the commission of a crime. these impressions are known as land and groove impressions. gunshot residue is also useful to help determine if someone fired the weapon recently. the residue will transfer to one's hands after firing a gun.
Impression evidence: imprints that are left by an object onto another surface. footwear, tire tread, tool shapes are examples.
drug and alcohol evidence: materials defined as a controlled substance and the chemicals and equipment used for illegal manufacturing. alcohol involves standard blood alcohol levels that a driver is presumed to be driving under the influence.
Document evidence: Document examiner will compare handwritings, signatures, and imprints on documents to determine who or what wrote the document, put together torn pieces of paper to determine what an item's originality is, and identify the person who wrote an document by the format and wording.
Must maintain proper chain of custody for all evidence collected at a crime scene
