Define

• Criminal Investigation
• Crime Scene Investigation
• Crime Scene Investigation – is a
component of criminal
investigation and refers to the
complete process of obtaining
evidence and relevant
information in an area where a
violation of law is supposedly
committed
 Overview of Crime Scene
Investigation

1. Securing and initial management

of the Crime Scene
2. Documentation
3. Walk Through and Crime Scene
Search
4. Obtaining and Processing
Evidence
• Locard’s principle of exchange –
objects that come in contact with
each other always transfer
material to each other
• in attempting to identify an
individual, crime scene
investigators work with the
notion that in nature no two
individuals are identical and as
individuals we are all unique.
 Overview of Crime Scene
Investigation
• Questions that must be kept in mind by the
investigator

Has a crime been committed?

• Consider what crime, and what evidence would be
relevant
• Try to obtain information related to what, when and
how a crime was committed
 
Who may have committed the crime?
• Crime Scene investigators should watch out for
evidence that may point to the identity of the
perpetrator of the crime
 Overview of Crime Scene
Investigation
 
Who is the victim?
• Evidence that may provide information about the
victim, his or her identity, lifestyle, and personal
circumstance are relevant
 
Why was the crime committed?
• The investigator should consider as relevant evidence
that might point to intent or motive in the commission
of the crime
 
Securing and initial
management of the
Crime Scene

What needs to be done?

 Securing and initial
management of the
Crime Scene
• Emergency Management – when
a crime scene has been reported,
the initial responders must
prioritize emergency situations
• A violent suspect may still be in
the crime scene posing a risk to
the police officers, crime scene
investigators, or other people in
the area
• Victims of the crime may still be
alive requiring immediate medical
assistance
 • Crime Scene Investigation begins
with securing the crime scene for
purposes of:
1. safety
2. medical assistance
3. preservation of crime scene
• Cordon crime scene with whatever
material available
• People must not go in and out of a
crime scene
• On-site assistance should disturb as
little as possible in a crime scene but
the victims should receive immediate
attention and transferred to
appropriate treatment facility
• Media must be controlled
• Failure to control a crime scene could
be fatal to the prosecution’s case
because it could lead to a claim of
“contaminated evidence”
*Evacuate injured persons to
nearest hospital
*Witnesses and Possible Suspects
should be taken in custody, kept
calm and isolated
• Supposed witnesses may be suspects
• Supposed victims may be perpetrators
of the crime
• Initial impressions and reports of
witnesses are important
• Dying declaration
• A dying person may provide important
information or confession (dying declaration)
• Requisites of a “Dying Declaration” are:
• 1. That death is imminent and the declarant is
conscious of that fact;
• 2. That the declaration refers to the cause and
surrounding circumstances of such death;
• 3. That the declaration relates to facts which the
victim is competent to testify to; and
• 4. That the declaration is offered in a case where in
the declarant’s death is the subject of the inquiry.
• If it is a complex case, a
command center may be needed
to keep track of the different
teams of investigator, to serve as
communication center, and to aid
in processing of collected
evidence.
 Overview of Crime Scene
Investigation

1. Securing and initial management

of the Crime Scene
2. Documentation
3. Walk Through and Crime Scene
Search
4. Obtaining and Processing
Evidence
DOCUMENTATION
 DOCUMENTATION
• Part of crime scene investigation
from beginning to end
• If resources allow, a separate
team is usually in charge of
documentation
• The first responders and officers
who arrive at the scene should be
interviewed for their initial
impressions
 DOCUMENTATION
• Documentation involves
(1)making notes, (2) Photography/
Videography, (3) Sketching
• Items that may be relevant are
marked or numbered,
photographed and sketched
before they are moved
 Notes
• Note Taking during the investigation
aids in making a reliable and valid
report, especially information that
may no longer be recalled as the
investigation proceeds
• Notes should include date and time,
description of the physical scene, a
report on the first responders, and any
other information that appears relevant
Notes
 Photography/Video
• Purpose - to reproduce the
undisturbed crime scene
• General area of commission of the
crime should be photographed taking
into consideration the critical areas,
entry and exit points
• Initial pictures should be overlapping,
include general view and focused view
• If a body is photographed, the injury in
relation to body and surroundings are
taken first before a detailed and closer
picture
 Photography/Video
• *Laboratory Photography –
microphotography, macrophotography
laser-beam photography, Ultraviolet-
light photography (fluorescent or blue
light)
 Sketches
• “Rough sketch” – initial sketch which
provides a general lay-out of the crime
scene, the location of the body or
significant objects; it is not drawn to
scale but sketch should be labeled
including distances and notes.
Sketch should be reassessed.
• Finished Scale Drawing – this may be
completed later; sketch is more
refined drawn to scale
Sketches
 Overview of Crime Scene
Investigation

1. Securing and initial management

of the Crime Scene
2. Documentation
3. Walk Through and Crime Scene
Search
4. Obtaining and Processing
Evidence
WALK-THROUGH AND
CRIME SCENE SEARCH
 CRIME SCENE SEARCH
• Walk-through – preliminary to actual
search to aid in planning; general
assessment of the crime scene
1. assess crime scene and document
important factors
2. Note relevant evidence, and establish
evidence that will most likely be
encountered
3. Extent of search area, manpower and
equipment needs identified
4. Develop theory of crime
 CRIME SCENE SEARCH
• Primary Crime Scene – where the
crime was committed
• Secondary Crime Scene – related to
the crime, but not site of its actual
commission; evidence found at a
secondary crime scene may be
relevant in determining the primary
crime scene
 Search Patterns
• Strip Search Method – outdoors
*Lane Method
 Search Patterns
• Spiral Search Method – limited
manpower
 Search Patterns
• Grid Search Method
 Search Patterns
• Zone Search Method – large areas

manpower and equipment needs

identified,
 Overview of Crime Scene
Investigation

1. Securing and initial management

of the Crime Scene
2. Documentation
3. Walk Through and Crime Scene
Search
4. Obtaining and Processing
Evidence
OBTAINING AND
PROCESSING EVIDENCE
 OBTAINING AND
PROCESSING EVIDENCE
 OBTAINING AND
PROCESSING EVIDENCE
 Discover and Recognize
Evidence
• Consider the who, what, where, how
and why of a crime
• Evidence must be photographed and
sketched before they are moved
• Some evidence may not be visible with
ordinary lighting (E.g. semen and
fibers may be more visible using
ultraviolet light, blood cleaned may
still be detected through chemicals)
 Collecting Evidence
• The investigator must be impartial and
detached and must collect all relevant
evidence whether they support the
initial impression or not
• Relevant evidence include soil
samples, hairs, fibers, chemicals,
drugs, blood, semen, glass fractures,
paints, finger prints, documents,
firearms, bullet, tool marks
 Collecting Evidence
• Evidence collected must be labeled,
bagged or packaged and stored
appropriately
• Avoid cross-contamination of evidence
• Remember Locard’s principle
Collecting Evidence
Collecting Evidence
 Protect and store
evidence
• Storage – free from pets, insect,
excessive heat or moisture, controlled
temperature
• Item is bagged, labeled, logged
• Specialized facilities for sensitive
evidence (explosives)
• Chain of Custody – documentation of
what happened to evidence from time
discovered to time when it is
presented in court
People vs. Velarde, 384 SCRA
646, July 18, 2002
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• Object Evidence – admissible in court
if relevant to case, provided that chain
of custody can be established
Examples:
• Trace evidence – extremely small
- hair or fibers – microscopy
- Soil samples – may be compared
with soil samples in tires, shoes
TRACE EVIDENCE
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• FINGERPRINTS
1. Latent prints – nonporous surface,
solid – door knobs, light switches
– Dusting – use powder that contrasts with
surface; fingerprint dusting powder
– Lifting prints – commercially prepared
lifter, lift tape
– Use gloves
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• FINGERPRINTS
2. Visible fingerprints – dirty, stained,
bloody – glossy, light-colored surfaces

3. Plastic prints – putty, grease, tar,

butter, soft soap

• Probative value of print – claims that

suspect was not at scene, or no
access to object where fingerprint
found
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD
• Reagents – luminol, tetramethyl
benzedrine and phenolphthalein – to
identify blood at a crime scene
• Luminol – water based, sprayed where
blood traces are suspected – blood
fluoresce to pale blue color, does not
harm DNA in blood; reacts with bleach
• Precipitin test – to determine whether
blood is of human origin; presence of
other substance like soap and oil may
yield false results
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• Packaging:

Liquid blood – dropper, test tube

Blood flakes – pillbox or envelope
Bloodstain on clothing other – mark
with a string
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
General Rules:
1. The more bleeding, the bigger the stain/drop
(bigger wound, bigger stain)
2. The farther the source to surface, the bigger
the stain/drop (max stain at 7 feet)
3. The blood that travels at low velocity creates
a bigger stain/drop (Medium – 4-6mm stain;
High velocity like from a gunshot wound-
mist, spray-type)
*The greater the force, the smaller the drops
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
General Rules:
1. Drops at smooth surface – evenly spreads
2. Steeper impact, more elongated blood drop
3. If source of blood moving, or if it hits the
surface at an angle, you may see tails. The
tail of stain determines direction of blood; if
many stains, convergence may pinpoint
source. (blood flows away from origin)
4. Blood pools but it may be disturbed
(smudges)
5. If blood hits a vertical surface – there is
dripping (due to gravity)
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD SPATTER
1. Free-fall
2. Cast-off – tangentially to arc of
upswing or backswing (left-handed,
more horizontal)
3. Dripping
4. Splashing – central blood drop then
small drops around
5. Spurting – smaller, elongated
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD SPATTER
EVIDENCE OBTAINED
EVIDENCE OBTAINED
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BLOOD SPATTER

Gunshot Wound
Entry point – back spatter
- More spread out
- May be in clothing, hands of shooter
Exit point – forward spatter
- More spread-out, misting
EVIDENCE OBTAINED
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• SHOE AND TIRE PRINTS
- Shoe – how many people, unique wear
patterns, whether running or walking,
carrying something heavy
- Tire tracks – no used tires are alike
- Photograph, cast when possible (mix
plaster kits)
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• SHOE AND TIRE PRINTS
EVIDENCE OBTAINED
EVIDENCE OBTAINED
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• SHOE AND TIRE PRINTS
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• BITE MARKS
– on body, food
- Photograph and swab bite area for
saliva, blood residue, DNA,
microorganisms
- Cast if possible, if not lift by tape
• Forensic Odontology for analysis
of bitemarks
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• TOOL and TOOL MARKS
• Hammers, screwdrivers, broken tool
pieces
• Impression left by tool on surface -
• A tool should NEVER be fitted into an
impression to see if it could have
made the mark. This could render
laboratory analysis useless.
• Photograph location of tool and tool
mark, general crime scene, then close-
up, cast tool marks if possible
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• DNA EVIDENCE
- From blood, saliva and other body
fluids, tissues, hairs and bones
- DNA means deoxyribonucleic acid,
which is the chain of molecules found
in every nucleated cell of the body.
- People vs. Yatar, 428 SCRA 504, May
19, 2004
 EVIDENCE OBTAINED
• DNA testing- verified and credible scientific
methods which include the extraction of DNA
from biological samples, the generation of
DNA profiles and the comparison of the
information obtained from the DNA testing of
biological samples for the purpose of
determining, with reasonable certainty,
whether or not the DNA obtained from two or
more distinct biological samples originates
from the same person (direct identification)
or if the biological samples originate from
related persons (kinship analysis)
THANK YOU