Homicide investigators search for evidence and clues that can be used to identify suspects in murder cases. Homicide investigation is a highly professional and specialized job, which requires years of practical experience paired with a process of continual education and training. This job can be rewarding, because it allows you to learn a lot from the cases assigned to you, it also allows you to help people solve their loved one's death. However there are also issues brought on by choosing a homicide detective as your job. These issues can affect a person psychologically and physically.
Murder is the ultimate crime, and that is why solving the case is so important for our society. It is especially important to solve the case, have a suspect,
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The important initial actions that must be taken on by the officers at the scene of the crime are the two basic principles involved in the start of an effective homicide investigation. The first principle is to respond to the call rapidly, this is important because the detective needs to get to the evidence and protect the evidentiary materials before it is destroyed, altered, or lost. The second principle is anything and everything should be considered as evidence. Whether the evidence may be physical or testimonial, it must be preserved, noted, and brought to the attention of the investigators. The only evidence that should be collected at this point of the investigation is eyewitness accounts or statements that a suspect at the scene may have accidentally spontaneously spit out. After the scene is secured; immediate, appropriate, and a complete notification must be made to the homicide …show more content…
The additional crime scenes may include where the body was moved from, where the actual assault leading to the murder took place, where any physical or trace evidence connected with the crime was discovered, this could possibly include body parts, and lastly if there was a vehicle used to transport the body to and where it is eventually found. There are still other areas that could be related to the primary crime scene. These areas could include the point of forced entry, the route of escape, the suspect clothing, hands, body, and the suspect's residence. “It is important that responding police officers be aware of this multiple crime scene possibility. Therefore, during the initial receipt of information by the police concerning a possible homicide, the officer should attempt to ascertain the exact location of the situation requiring police investigation and possible additional locations that may need coverage.” (The Homicide Crime
In criminal justice, detectives need many skills that help capture the suspect. One of the important skills is finding and presenting evidence. This is significantly important because according to the Criminal Justice
The relationship between law enforcement and prosecutors, which goes hand-in-hand, can’t be overlooked. Evidence of a crime that detectives and law enforcement discover is as equally important as a good trial on part of the prosecution. If detectives aren’t able to find good solid evidence – that case usually isn’t bothered in being pursued. Several years ago, in the late 80’s, there was a murder case in Southeastern Oklahoma which now serves as a tragic example to the need for honest, constitutional work in the criminal justice system. Disreputable investigative procedures, fraudulent sources, and bad evidence were the foundation of this case that shattered innocent lives.
The following paper explores a homicide scene at a convenience store / gas station at 3 a.m. The material of the investigation is represented with a number of visible evidence, the dead body with an apparent gunshot wound in the chest and the testimony of the first officer at the scene. The paper is divided into four parts, including the general overview (introduction), latent impression processing, people’s involvement investigation procedure and evidence package for the further fingerprint analysis. The crime scene investigation protocol used in this paper includes interview, examination, photographing, sketching and processing itself (Castleman, 2000: 23). Observing the homicide scene we omit the analysis of the preliminary procedures as security of the scene, integrity precautions, photographing and sketching.
The procedures depicted of the criminal justice system on television are complex, inaccurate, and implausible portrayals of what actually occurs. These shows do not show the planning, timing, and effort that is put into the maintenance of a crime scene. Investigators show up, take some photographs, and continue to the lab for results in a matter of minutes (Forensic Science Degree). Television leaves out the uneventful procedures that are essential in a real crime scene. They also neglect to show how much time is spent on each case, which can take months or even years to finish. There are many techniques and procedures which seem to be forgotten or simplified in the shows. Crime scenes require a variety of people, including the skills of photographers, sketch artists, evidence recorders, and other team members. Intricate notes and sketches of the crime scene give all of the details requ...
They are very similar to the duties that I will face as a police officer but they are dealing with a different type of crime. As a police officer I might just tape off a crime scene and secure it but as a homicide detective I will actually be investigating the crime and capturing the person or persons
As you can see there is no perfect crime. The littlest piece of hair or paint or anything left behind can be found. Suspects often miss these tiny peieces of evidence and while they looked over it, it is still lurking at the crim scene. It is guarenteed that a Crime Scene Investigator will find this evidence no matter how small and use it to find, prosecute, and convict a criminal.
Crime scene investigators have a very important role when it comes to catching criminals and putting them away for a crime they committed. They are also called Forensic Science Technicians. The main role for a crime scene investigator is to investigate crimes and to collect evidence. Most types of evidence being hair, tissue, and fluids like blood or saliva. Basically, they provide evidence that shows information to help either acquit or convict a person of a crime (Crime 1).
The police conduct a preliminary investigation then later conduct a secondary or follow up investigation. The primary goal of the preliminary investigation is to secure the crime scene to protect the integrity of the evidence. The follow-up investigation is when they thoroughly collect, preserve and relinquish the evidence to the evidence tech in the lab with a chain of custody form.
Collecting evidence from a crime scene is a crucial aspect of solving crimes. Before evidence can be seized, there must first be a court order approving the search of the crime scene and the seizure of the evidence found at the scene. Standard protocol for officers is for them to always use latex gloves, avoid plastic bags, double wrap small objects, package each object separately, and to collect as much evidence as possible. It is better to have too much evidence than to not have enough. There are countless amounts of evidence that can be found at a crime scene.
A Criminal Investigator is an exciting, always changing career that also helps make a difference. Criminal Investigators help make a difference in a community by assessing and solving crimes like burglaries, homicides, assaults, and other problems in communities where there is any criminal intent. Also after a crime has been committed, Investigators will follow up on leads and may testify in court (“Criminal Investigator Job Description). Some people that become criminal investigators were or also are police officers. Criminal Investigators work with many people such as, police officers, detectives, medical examiners, and photographers to solve criminal cases.
A forensic scientist analyzes different types of evidence from scenes or incidents, writes reports, and testifies in court as an expert witness. Being a forensic scientist is a very detailed oriented profession and they usually work some sort of a lab setting. Occasionally they may visit crime scenes or numerous accidents to help revamp the crime, gather evidence, or preserve data, but this is a very small part of their duties and is usually saved for a crime scene examiner. Forensic scientist may work for the federal or local government, forensic labs, police departments, hospitals, universities or as an independent forensic science consultant. Some specialist in Forensics Sciences are; Forensic Scientist, Forensic Pathologist, Forensic Anthropologist, Forensic Entomologist,
This is where the crime scene unit (CSU) comes in to play as well as the detectives. Once the detectives arrive on the scene they will be looking for a suspicious individual or individuals and speak to witnesses and take their testimonials or story, they basically tell the investigator what they observed. On a crime scene investigation packet it states "when seeking for witnesses and taking their testimonials it is best to separate them so no individuals have identical stories." Once this has been done and the investigator takes the testimonials they must determine if a crime took place. For example if a person was stabbed in the abdomen and first responders arrived and trying to help the victim and he dies then the crime that took place was a aggravated battery but turned into a homicide. If a person was sexually molested and beaten while being molested then the crime that occurred is a sexual battery and rape. Once this is completed then the investigator will determine the nature of the crime. What this means is that if it is a violent crime, a website
Make sure the crime scene is safe and secure. Once the crime scene is secured, that will be the time to start questioning the victims, witnesses and or the suspects. This would also be the time for some officers to conduct neighborhood canvassing (Hess, K.M. & Orthmann, C.H., 2013). I believe this strategy is important to a follow-up investigation because the witness might hold back information, because they might feel that the information they have is not useful.
First responders play a crucial role in the establishment of a crime scene. Upon arriving at the scene, the first responders have checked for living victims and have rendered aid. It’s important to create a perimeter around the crime scene (this can be altered if additional evidence is found outside the initial crime scene). Only emergency personnel should enter and exit from the central entry point to control contamination, by creating an exit point; it helps avoid any excessive traffic through the crime scene. By secure the scene to ensure that no evidence is misplaced or damaged, or otherwise compromised. Do a cursory check of the crime scene to obtain any transient evidence and secure any weapons found at the scene (in this case it was already at the scene with the suspect). Crime scene analysts and investigators communicate with first responders and are quickly briefed on the situation, and now a more thorough search can be conducted.
Crime scene investigation is the use of physical evidence at the scene of the crime committed, also reasonable and unreasonable reasoning to gain knowledge of the events surrounding the crime. Criminal investigators pursues to establish the methods. Motives, and identities of criminal. This paper will go into great depths of how to conduct an investigation and the proper way to obtain the information. After reading this paper you should be able to know step by step how to keep notes, take accurate photos and a variety of other things that will allow you to conduct a successful investigation.