"Oh what a tangled
web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
Sir Walter Scott
Winter 2003
Volume I,
issue 3
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"Oh what a tangled
web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." |
Winter 2003 |
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Marianne Petit's first book, A Find Through Time, a Native American time travel, was given four stars by Romantic Times Magazine. NY Times best-selling author Janelle Taylor deems Ms. Petit "a rising star in the Native American sub-genre." Past President of the Long Island Romance Writers, when she is not writing, Ms. Petit works with her husband in his Long Island chiropractic office. She is currently working on a murder suspense set in New York. Visit Ms. Petit's website mariannepetitbooks.com; direct email to Marianne Petit or to editor@lifeloom.com. |
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Investigating the Crime Scene
OK.
You've started your thriller. Murdered off a character. The police are on their
way. Now what?
Readers
demand accuracy. Feed them the wrong information and they'll let you know you've
made a mistake. So to the best of your ability you'd better know who does what
and what happens at the crime scene if you are going to write about one.
Sherlock Holmes said: "Whenever you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." In
other words the truth is present at every crime scene. And if it's your character's
job to find it, make sure he's doing his job correctly.
Keep
in mind that precincts vary in their allotment of duties. Not all houses have
a large enough staff to divvy procedures out. In a small town, the local sheriff
may do it all; whereas in a larger precinct, the Patrol division, Identification
section, Scene of the Crimes officer, and detective will likely all be called
in to investigate.
The
following is the procedure used at a crime scene, in a homicide case, by a
large precinct.
The
primary responsibility of those people involved is the isolation and protection
of the crime scene. This is very important. Any discrepancy, any contamination
of evidence jeopardizes the case.
If
this is an outdoor crime scene, conduct all examinations as soon as possible
due to weather and light changes.
The
patrol division usually gets the initial call and goes to the scene to determine
the situation.
Upon
arrival the first officer at the scene should preserve its integrity until
the patrol division supervisor can arrive.
Responsibilities of first officer:
1.
Record exact time of your arrival and or notify Communications that you are on
the scene. 2.
Enter immediate scene using one path of entry.
3.
Check victim for signs of life.
4.
Secure and define the scene by assessing the entire crime scene noting all
exits and paths of entry.
5.
Isolate a perimeter with a type of barrier.
6.
Isolate witnesses and remove all persons from the immediate area.
7.
Ascertain whether or not any evidence is present and control collection. 8.
Request additional units as needed.
Responsibilities of patrol supervisor:
1.
Take an initial survey of the area, developing a mental image to ensure the scene
is preserved.
2.
Record names, addresses, dates of birth, and telephone numbers etc of all persons
present. 3.
Set up a command post if police are to be at the scene for a long period of
time.
4.
Start a crime scene log to enter everyone who enters the crime scene.
5.
Interview witnesses.
6.
Notify the homicide division and record time of notification and who was notified.
Important: Don't touch anything; unless there's an injured person. Once backup arrives, if the victim is removed from the scene, an officer should accompany the victim, in the ambulance, to the hospital. Upon
arrival, the detective takes over. It is now the officer's job to assist the
detective.
The detective will:
1.
Record exact time of his or her arrival.
2.
Interview witnesses.
3.
Canvass the area. Note the surroundings, who's loitering around. Everything should
be considered as evidence.
4.
Record everything from the time, to the weather, the lighting, to the amount
of people on the scene, which includes ambulance personnel, family members, witnesses
and police personal.
5.
Interview first officer and other police personal at the scene to determine sequence
of events.
6.
Arrange transport for witnesses to be sent to headquarters and takes written
statements. It will be his job to follow-up on the investigation and write follow
up reports, as well as make any subsequent arrests.
7.
Record location, and complete description of the body, including a detailed account
of their clothing. Note condition of body.
8.
If identity of victim is know, get a background check.
9.
Ascertain whether or not there are any suspects in custody.
A few details the detective looks for: foot/finger/palm prints; clothing fibers; hair strands; blood; paint chips if a vehicle is involved; tire tracks. All "trace evidence" is
collected by the use of tweezers or other appropriate instruments. The name
of the officer who found the evidence and the name of
officer who receives the evidence at the evidence locker is noted.
Remember- all personal must wear gloves.
Photographs
of the area are shot from the four corners of the scene, long distance, close
up, etc., as well as photos of the body. This is done before the ME examines
the body.
Now
portions of the body which were not visual prior to photos can be photographed.
This is done by the identification officer of the crime scene division, or the
detective. Some departments hire civilian employees to be a technical and they
will take the pictures.
Physical
evidence is taken and transported to the laboratory for further assessment. An
initial crime-scene sketch at location and another sketch at headquarters is
performed. Fingerprints are taken which will be compared to the prints of known
suspects.
The
ME (Medical Doctor), EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), or Coroner examines
the victim and pronounces dead at the scene. He determines cause and time of
death. Time of death is usually determined by taking the internal temperature
of the body. The victim's location/position of body is marked. Body is then wrapped
in a clean white sheet and placed in a body bag. Hands of the victim are covered
with paper bags to preserve any trace evidence under fingernails.
It
is critical that all evidence is collected, i.e., photos, initial examination,
etc., before the body is released.
Remember: the truth is present at every crime scene. And if it's your character's
job to find it, make sure he's doing his job correctly.
Copyright 2003 by Marianne Petit The Web Mystery Magazine is an on-line quarterly journal dedicated to investigating the mysterious genre in print, in film, and in real-life. The Web welcomes well-researched, well-written
articles and reviews. Writers are invited to send letters and inquiries to editor@lifeloom.com. "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
Sir Walter Scott