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Physical evidence in murder cases
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Prosecution in a Murder Trial
When there is no body present in a murder case, the prosecution must first prove the victim was killed and the death was the result of a criminal act by establishing evidence other than what would have been on the missing body. Since a defendants’ confession to a crime where there is no body present is not sufficient evidence to convict, the prosecution must provide substantial independent evidence which would tend to establish trustworthiness of the confession. The prosecution could accomplish this by establishing a violent history between the defendant and victim, producing eyewitnesses to the crime, proving the defendant was the last one to see the victim prior to their disappearance, and producing the existence
``In criminal law, confession evidence is a prosecutor’s most potent weapon’’ (Kassin, 1997)—“the ‘queen of proofs’ in the law” (Brooks, 2000). Regardless of when in the legal process they occur, statements of confession often provide the most incriminating form of evidence and have been shown to significantly increase the rate of conviction. Legal scholars even argue that a defendant’s confession may be the sole piece of evidence considered during a trial and often guides jurors’ perception of the case (McCormick, 1972). The admission of a false confession can be the deciding point between a suspect’s freedom and their death sentence. To this end, research and analysis of the false confessions-filled Norfolk Four case reveals the drastic and controversial measures that the prosecuting team will take to provoke a confession, be it true or false.
The idea, you understand, is that two men have crept up to the lonely little mountain house in the late afternoon, George Small creeping ahead with the heavily loaded shot-gun in his hands, really being driven forward by Cal Long, creeping at his heels, a man, Luther explains, simply too strong for him, and that, at the fatal moment, when they faced Harvey Groves, and I presume had to shoot or be shot, and George weakened, Cal Long just touched George on the shoulder. The touch, you see, according to Luther's notion, was a command It said, "Shoot!" and George's body stiffened, and he shot. (4)
Murder at the Margin is a murder mystery involving various economic concepts. The story takes place in Cinnamon Bay Plantation on the Virgin Island of St. John. It is about Professor Henry Spearman, an economist from Harvard. Spearman organizes an investigation of his own using economic laws to solve the case.
For instance, the defense has denied to present you with the crucial evidence that would prove her innocence: an alibi. Justine was totally unaccounted for on the night of William’s murder, giving her ample time to commit the atrocity of causing his death. The defense has never presented you with anything that could account for her presence at some other location than the crime scene.
My homicide case began when the Shreveport Police Department (SPD) received a call from a male caller via 911 reporting he found a body of a black male found in a park near a cul-de-sac in a residential area. I was dispatched and responded to the scene. Upon arrival, I began steps documenting the crime scene. I initiated a rough sketch of the scene and initiated my field notes. A cordon was initiated as I began identifying possible evidence and identifying witnesses and suspects. I canvassed the area and found four 9mm shell casings near the body.
I feel that the wounds explain what happened in a story in a wrongful death, it all depends on the wounds and where and when the victim was shot. From the direction of the gunshot; the wounds of Mr. Jones indicate that he was shot in the back and he never saw the suspect coming towards him with a gun, because his back was turned to the suspect. According to Orthman, Hess, “The victim’s background provides information about whether the death was an accident, suicide or homicide. If a homicide, the background often provides leads to a suspect. Evidence on the victim’s body can also provide important leads.” (Orthman, Hess, 2013).
found at the murder scene, their own guilty conscious, or even just a witness or partner that
Gary Leon Ridgway may not be a household name, but the infamous Green River Killer is one of the most accomplished serial murderers in U.S. history. In 2003, Ridgway confessed 48 accounts of aggravated first degree murder (more confirmed murders than any other American serial killer) during a two-and-a-half-year period in the early 1980s near Seattle, although it is believed he slaughtered even more. The majority of his victims were runaway teenage girls and hookers whom he picked up on the interstate and strangled to death. But Ridgway was spared the death penalty as part of a plea bargain three years ago, in exchange for his assistance in leading investigators to his victim's remains and revealing other information to help "bring closure" to the grieving families ("Green River Killer Avoids Death in Plea Deal").
Eyewitness testimony needs to be reliable as it can have serious implications to the perceived guilt/innocence of a defendant.
Next is the presentation of evidence. There are two types of evidence, direct and circumstantial. Direct evidence would be things like video recording of the crime. Circumstantial evidence would be something like a witness saw a man running with a gun, a ski mask, and a bag of money in hand, even though the witness didn’t see
ways, such as not having DNA evidence, not enough information about the crime, and lastly
The initial intention of the prosecutor is to protect society, not just the individual victim. Prosecutors obtain an uncommon opportunity, by means of effective early involvement, to put a stop to potential incidences of domestic violence. The verdict to advance with prosecution is not the victim’s choice, but the prosecutor’s. Despite this the rate of prosecution is still regulated by the reluctance of so many victims to participate in the prosecution. When victims cooperate, prosecutors are seven times more likely to proceed with prosecution (McCorkle, 2017). Most victims are reluctant to take part in prosecution because of their own personal goals of enhancing safety, maintaining economic viability, protecting their children, or forcing the offender in participate in batterer’s counseling. There are also some leading elements that motivates victims to initiate prosecution in their domestic violence cases like: the curiosity about how criminal justice system could assist them in meeting their specific needs, the confirmation of
The belief in demons and evil spirits has been around since the beginning of mankind, but should it be considered an applicable defense in the courtroom? Lawyer Robert M. Minnella thought so in the case of Arne Johnson. This case not only shocked the small town of Brookline, Connecticut, but took the nation by storm for one reason, the plea: guilty by demonic possession. After all the debacle over the case, the judge refused to accept the plea, and Johnson was convicted and sentenced to twenty years in prison.Through all the commotion of the trail, fame arised for many people involved and stories about what really happened started to emerge. Regardless of all the beliefs and conspiracies about demons and ghosts, demonic possession should not
How can one know if an admission of confessional evidence is not false? One test proposed on confession is that without independent evidence which corroborates the admission, the confession should not be admitted in evidence. One viewpoint would suggest this would help the authenticity of confessions and deter people from creating false confessions and protect the innocent from unjust convictions, though the justice system requires a balance between this and the ability to convict those which are guilty. Furthermore, a reform implemented as such would undermine the value that is put on confession as being regarded as the highest form of
There are some cases in which criminals leave minimum or no evidence behind them. A case can also be unsolvable if there are no witnesses at all. Investigators declare a case unsolvable only if the result of their investigations, observations are not conclusive and are leading them nowhere. However most of the cases are solvable. In order to make an investigation successful one should follow logical sequence while attempting to solve a case, he should collect as many physical evidences as possible, he should be able to conduct fair and effective interviews with the witnesses and last but not the least, all the suspects should be legally interrogated and the details of the cases are accurate, should be recorded and