Process of Solving a Homicide

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Solving A Homicide

Solving a crime is difficult for detectives. Homicides are even harder cases to solve, the only person that can really tell what happened is dead. So many people are afraid to step up as witnesses, they fear their life would be in jeopardy for helping the detectives. For homicide detectives, the first forty-eight hours is the most critical part for solving a case. After that, the probability of solving the case reduces by fifty percent. Each passing hour gives suspects more time to get away, witnesses more time to forget what they saw, and crucial evidence more time to be lost forever. There are several steps to take in solving a homicide.

From the moment the first officer arrives on the scene, he/she will need to take detailed notes. The safety of all officers and any individuals in or around the crime scene will be the lead officer's first priority. As the first officer arrives on the scene he/she will cautiously enter the crime scene taking note of any suspicious persons or vehicles while looking for any potential evidence. Once the officer has determined that the crime scene is safe, he/she will then proceed to make sure medical attention is provided to anyone injured while continuing to minimize contamination to the crime scene. During the entire investigation, the officer on the scene will be observant while entering and exiting the crime scene and will take detailed notes making certain not to miss a thing.

The next step would be to secure the crime scene and take control of all persons at the scene. Then the lead officer will identify all individuals at the scene, he/she will then differentiate between the witnesses and suspects. The lead officer will continue to monitor all persons at the scene...

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...st to solve each case. Every step that is taken to solve a crime is critical to each case, one missed piece of evidence or one missed witnesses could cause the case to be added to the list of unsolved homicides. The first responding officer has one of the most important parts, he/she is relied on to collect evidence and preserve the scene, including taking detailed notes until homicide detectives arrive and take over. One thing that hurts a homicide case the most is witness participation, the witness fears they will get hurt or possibly killed if they talk, and that fear is what makes them not come forward. Homicide detectives are driven by the challenge of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, but there first commitment is to the family's of the victims. The detectives become the voices for the victims since they are no longer here to speak for themselves.

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