Process of Solving a Homicide

1026 Words3 Pages

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...

... middle of paper ...

...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.

Show More
Related

  • First 48 Thesis

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • RAND Criminal Investigation Study

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    The RAND Study pointed out that investigative work from a detective's position is time-consuming where as a responding officer gets the call handled more quickly. The RAND Study details that it takes time for a detective to locate a victim/suspect, prepare a case file for prosecution, time spent in court,  traveling that is required within the scope of an investigation, and attaching any analysis to the case file that has been finalized, not to include the disposition of that particular case (Hoover, 2014).

    Read More

  • A Career: The Career Of A Forensic Detective

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Honeymoon Sparknotes

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    The next step is to begin establishing the timeline. This step takes a lot of effort. In this part of the investigation, the detective will learn everything they can about the victim's friends, acquaintances, enemies and everything in between. This helps to learn more about the weeks leading up to the murder. By understanding and knowing everything a detective can it allows them to break suspects alibis. Although there are other steps, this is the most important one in understanding why this crime was committed.

    Read More

  • Homicide Trial Process

    1313 Words  | 3 Pages

    The topic of capital punishment has been the subject of debate for many years as it should be on the minds of society. A society that seek to found justice for the victim who lost their lives at the hand of another human beings. The critics of capital punishment would argue that the government has over reached it authority and have sought to judge in God stead. However, the advocates of capital punishment will argue that many nations whether modern or ancient has used capital punishment as a method of justice.

    Read More

  • The Criminal Justice Process

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The SARA Process

    462 Words  | 1 Pages

    The first step is for the police to recognize the recurring issues and their respective outcomes with the community. They must prioritize the issues at hand. The Police Officers must examine the problems within the larger issue. This step confirms that the problem exists. It also determines how frequently the problem occurs and how long the problem has been taking place. Then it identifies the consequences of the problem.

    Read More

  • Collecting the Evidence From a Crime Scene

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Criminal Justice: Nothing Cuts Deeper

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    Denise Moore 's criminal report starts the investigation. A police investigation of a crime is the entryway into the criminal justice system, once Denise Moore reported the crime, Detective Riley and Detective Clay conducted a photo lineup, an investigative tool used when the suspect is unknown and not in custody, to identify the suspect (Burns, 194).

    Read More

  • A Career as a Criminal Investigator

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine pulling into your driveway and seeing your neighbor’s house surrounded by police, flashing lights, and caution tape with bodies covered in white sheet on the lawn. It was a drive by shooting. Next, a van pulls up and a Criminal Investigator steps out and starts assessing the crime scene. She begins taking photos, marking shell casings, packaging evidence, documenting tire treads on the pavement and inspecting and collecting DNA evidence from the bodies. Criminal Investigators are highly trained college graduates that are a vital part of bringing criminals to justice.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Pre-Liminary Investigation

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Preliminary Investigation For A Criminal Case

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Processing a Crime Scene

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Characteristics Of Criminal Investigation

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    For this reason, it is important that cases be assigned for follow up investigations. Because follow up investigations can sometimes be lengthy and tedious, not every officer is a good follow up investigator. However, a good follow up investigator can often find additional information pertaining to the case/crime, connect it to other known intelligence, and find key information and evidence related to the case/crime. Large criminal investigations can go on for years. It is important for follow up investigations to continue even if it seems all investigative leads have been followed. Possible witnesses to crimes, who were afraid to come forward initially, may later feel more comfortable speaking to investigators. Technology is ever changing, and physical evidence collected may one day become valuable in solving a crime. It is important for Investigators to not only use their current senses and resources to do their job efficiently and safely, but to continually train and learn new techniques valuable to their

    Read More

  • Police Reports In Police Investigations

    313 Words  | 1 Pages

    On follow up, investigators will determine what an officer has done in the case based on the information that has been presented in the report. These investigators will then have to decide what they will need to do next in order to continue the investigation and successfully bring it to a close. When it comes to court it will be up to the prosecutor to understand the full scope of the event simply by reading the police reports. They will then have to determine whether all of the elements of the crime have been presented in order to sustain the proper charge and ultimately prove the case. In addition to the prosecutor, Judges, other attorneys and juries will have to rely on information recorded in police reports to make a decisions about the guilt or innocence of the parties involved in the reported event. If the report is inaccurate, misleading or untruthful there could be damaging repercussions. An officer's integrity and credibility could be at

    Read More

More about Process of Solving a Homicide

Open Document