Homicide Investigation Case Study

On November 1st of 2007 in Perugia Italy, Meredith Kercher was discovered murdered in her room. The focus of the subsequent investigation shifted from the victim to Meredith’s roommate, Amanda Knox, as the prime suspect. This particular case highlights a number of intricate issues that will be discussed across four subsections. Firstly, the importance of the homicide investigative process; secondly, the weaknesses and failures specific to the homicide investigation - such as both the intrinsic and extrinsic difficulties of the case - will be evaluated. Then suggestions for overcoming the investigative failures will be outlined with the scope of hindsight and finally the role the media played in the investigations, proceedings and final outcome

The investigation process of a homicide is intricate and crucial to both the development of the case for evidence and also for court proceedings. The relevance of evidence in the trial is dependent upon the accuracy and process of the evidence being gathered from the scene. In a homicide investigation, there are various elements and sequential stages and procedures that are required to be adhered to.

The process of a homicide investigation involves the following stages:

1. Initial Response

2. Secondary Inquiries

3. Launching a murder enquiry

4. Suspect development

5. Case management phase

It is critical to the development of the investigation and the trial that the stages are followed stringently. The manner in which the evidence has been handled and the investigation has proceeded is evaluated and imperative to the three phases of the Italian court accusatorial system: The Preliminary Investigation Phase (where both inculpatory and exculpatory evidence is included), The Preliminary Hearing Phase and The Trial Phase. The first of the stages, being the initial