What is homicide investigation?

A homicide investigation refers to an official inquiry made by the police on the

facts and circumstances concerning the death of a person. Investigation of this kind
involves integrating information from at least three sources: the medical examiner's
report; the work done on physical evidence by the forensic section and other research
units; and the investigation done by the homicide detective. Most homicide detectives
agree that the critical period in an investigation is the initial response to the scene and
the hours immediately afterward. An essential part of the crucial first hours is the
uniformed officer who is first to arrive at the scene. The officer's most important
responsibility is to preserve the scene intact - securing the room or area in which the
crime took place, not touching potential sources of fingerprints, not moving the corpse,
keeping people away from the scene, keeping track of witnesses, beginning the search
for evidence outside the actual crime scene, and taking note of perishable evidence
(e.g., ice cubes melting in a drink, a warm radio or automobile).
This section intends to answer the following questions.

 What is the usual expectation of homicide investigators at the incipient phase of their
inquiry?
 What are the classification of death cases handled by homicide investigators?
 What are the legal and non-legal descriptions of death related crimes? 

The investigation of the Dacera case is a recent good example of a homicide

investigation. Take note that the investigation the victim's death was prompted by the
complaint of the victim's mother. Based on the accusations of the victim's mother, the
death of her daughter should be regarded as a case of rape with murder. If you are
aware of the latest results of the investigation conducted by the NBI, it turns out that
what happened is not murder as alleged by the Dacera family. Watch the press
conference staged by the NBI on the investigation developments of this case.

What are the responsibilities of the homicide investigator?

Upon arrival at the crime scene the homicide investigator must conduct a general
assessment of the scene, takes a cautious walk-through, jots downs note to
extensively document/record important factors and establishes the evidence
most likely to be encountered. He then defines the extent of the search area, and
determines personnel, organization and equipment needed to make specific
assignments. From his assessment, he develops a general theory of the crime
scene to set his plan in motion.
Section 2.2.8 of the revised PNP Criminal Investigation Manual provides that SOCO
specialists of the Crime Lab should be requested in cases where the crime scene needs
special processing due to its significance or because of its sensational nature. Most
violent homicide, murder, and death related incidents are considered as ‘crimes of
violence’ that often require the services of SOCO specialists.
A ‘crime of violence’ is a significant or sensational case that requires the services of
the SOCO Team. In cases of violent homicide or murder, the homicide investigator
must, remain at all times responsible for and in-charge of the crime scene and shall
always be present during the whole SOCO operations. The homicide investigator must
conduct interviews and gather as much information as he can at the crime scene.
Information gathered from ‘persons of interest’ could be critical in guiding the SOCO
Team on which areas to focus in the collection of forensic evidence.
It is also imperative that whenever a violent homicide or murder occurs, an OSCP must
be established ASAP adjacent to the crime scene. Among others, the OSCP serves as
a safe and secured area where the evidence custodian may be located to receive
evidence and where other operational and administrative activities may be undertaken.
The homicide investigator must have a checklist to guide him in determining what
should he and what are the things that he has done yet. The checklist is meant as a
guide and not as a substitute for critical thinking by the homicide investigator.

General guidelines for the homicide investigator

The PNP Field Manual on the investigation of crime of violence provides the following
as general guidelines for the homicide investigator.

1. Find out as much as possible about the crime before going to the scene, and upon
arrival, get all available information from the first officer on the scene and other
police officers who are there.
2. Take an ‘overview’. Get your bearings at the crime scene to get a rough picture of
the area and what happened.
3. Start keeping an action log.
4. Cordon off the area or extend the existing cordon if necessary. The perpetrator’s
route to and from the scene may need to be cordoned off as well.
5. Make sure that the responsible police officer posts the necessary guards for the
cordoned off area.
6. Make sure that a list is made of the people who enter the crime scene.
7. If shots have been fired, find out whether gunpowder residue/primer particles have
been collected from the hands of persons involved. If not, request the Crime Lab to
do so at once.
8. Take a general photograph of the crime scene. Film the scene with a video camera.
9. Pause and take stock of the situation then start planning. This is where the crime
scene analysis starts.
10. Take down notes of your observations continuously. It is a good idea to use a voice
recorder.
11. Decide whether you need help from an expert such as a forensic pathologist,
biologist, etc.
12. Take photographs continuously. Photograph all the evidences before they are
collected. If possible, engage a photographer for specialized trace evidence
photography.
13. Search for and collect evidence, objects, reference samples, etc. that are relevant to
the crime under investigation. Examine victims and suspects too. Pay attention to
the risk of contamination.
14. Consider conducting a detailed and extended search outside of the crime scene.
15. Write a (continuous) seizure report.
16. Check the crime scene before the cordon is lifted. Make sure that you have not
forgotten anything important, such as interrogation reports. A suspect may enter the
crime scene area after the cordon has been lifted and this must not be allowed to
destroy the value of the evidence collected.

 
As provided by the PNP Criminal Investigation manaula, the following are guidelines in
generic homicide investigation.

1. Record the time the call was received as well as the time of arrival at the 
2. Preserve the crime 
3. Do not remove anything until its location and position have been noted and The
position of evidence should be measured and/or photographed in reference to
permanent fixtures in the crime scene.
4. Pay attention to the wound inflicted which may have caused the death of the victim
and how it was committed.
5. Designate one person to pick up all physical evidence. No one should touch or move
anything unless and until the fingerprint technician has finished his tasks.
6. A systematic, detailed search of the crime scene should be conducted.
7. Colored as well as black-and-white photographs should be taken.
8. Look for physical evidence that will tend to prove the elements of the crime under
investigation.
9. Take note of unusual odors, symbols, fetishes, rituals.
10. When the body is finally moved, attention should be given to the area beneath the
body.
11. While moving the body, use a rubber sheet to prevent contaminating the crime
scene with spilled blood.
12. Conduct a careful inspection of a dead person holding a gun.
The hand of a dead person usually has no gripping power. Therefore, if the gun was
placed in an unnatural position (Cadaveric Spasm), it may have been placed in the
hand after the death of the person.
13. Note the condition and types of food at the crime scene as the pathologist may be
able to use this information in determining whether the victim's last meal was eaten
at the crime scene.
14. The course and direction of each bullet should be determined. This applies to the
trajectory of the bullet through the body as well as the trajectory of the bullet through
a solid object at the crime scene.
15. If all slugs were not removed at the crime scene, have the body X-rayed. This is
excellent for determining the distance of fire from patterns and shows the trajectory
of the bullet through the body.
16. Take photographs of all bystanders. These may be helpful later to identify possible
witnesses or subject (who sometimes DOES return to the crime scene).
17. Try to:
o Determine if any of the victim's valuables are missing.
o Record the color of blood stains (bright red, reddish brown, brown, black or
almost black).
o Determine what portion of the stain is wet (just the center, completely wet,
completely dry, dry around the edges) for an estimate of time of death.
o If the blood is wet, see if a paper clip will separate the stain as it goes through or
if the blood will flow together again.
o Note the size, dimension and location of blood drops.
o Determine the direction and distance of blood drops.
o Enter in your notebook details of the test to determine whether the victim is still
alive. Record if the body is cool to touch, warm, etc.
o Record the weather, as well as weather changes (sunny to cloudy or vice-versa).
Talk to everyone with whom the suspect has spoken.
o Look for weapons which could have inflicted the wounds.
o Obtain soil samples (double handfuls) at ten-foot intervals in circles around the
body and the scene, when appropriate.
o Take samples of other items for exclusionary purposes.
o Obtain botanical samples when necessary.
o Take a temperature reading of the scene. If the body is submerged in a bathtub,
record the temperature of the water at the time of your arrival.
18. If it is necessary to cut the victim's clothing, avoid using bullet or knife holes. Where
possible, cut the clothing along seams so that the clothing can be restored to
approximately its original condition.
19. The spatter pattern of blood spots should be noted as it is:
o An aid in determining if the object or persons was in motion when the blood
spattered.
o Possible for an expert to tell you how the crime was committed as indicated by
the blood spots.
o Possible to trace every spot to its origin by observing its characteristics.
o Indicative of whether it was a result of a weapon striking a victim, or it was
thrown there from a weapon, or it was created by some other weapon. 
20. BE CAUTIOUS. Remember that fingerprints may be present on light switches, light
bulbs, telephone, doorknobs, etc.
21. When fingerprints are on an object which has a dark color, consider using
fluorescent powder as the standard fingerprint powders are not as effective in
developing latent prints on such objects. Aerial photographs of the crime scene and
escape route should be taken, when possible and practicable.

What are the -

  places of importance,
 persons of importance and
 things of importance

that should be verified by the homicide investigator?

Handling suspects in Homicide Investigation

The homicide must take into consideration the following when dealing with suspects of
homicide and other death related incidents:

1. Obtain the following evidence from the suspect:

o The suspect's clothing should be photographed, marked, and sent to the crime
laboratory for examination.
o Any scratches on the suspect should be photographed.
o Fingernail scrapings should be obtained.
o Take blood samples from the suspect in a medically approved manner and with
proper legal justification.
o Take hair samples.
o Have the fingerprint technician check the paper money which may have been
taken from the victim's house for the victim's fingerprints.
o Check the suspect's personal effects very closely for items of evidentiary value.
o Obtain teeth mark impressions when appropriate.
o Semen samples in rape or rape with homicide cases should be obtained
medically.
o Consider polygraph examinations.
2. Never take a suspect or a subject to the crime scene in the clothing he was wearing
at the time he was arrested. (This includes shoes.) The accused lawyer may later
claim that the clothing was contaminated at the scene of the crime.
3. Attempt to ascertain the following:
o The suspect's mode of living as compared to the amount of his income.
o The suspect's mode of living before the crime as compared to his mode of living
after the crime. (Compare his financial condition before the crime with his
financial condition after the crime).
o Compare his behavior before the crime with his behavior after the crime.
o Make a methodical and complete check of the suspect's alibi.

Guidelines in Handling the Victim's Cadaver 

1. Designate a member of the investigating team to secure the cadaver from the scene
up to the place where the autopsy will
be conducted.
2. An investigating officer should remain at the autopsy area to prevent the embalming
of the cadaver and to prevent anyone
from touching or removing any of the clothing from the said cadaver until the
medico-legal officer arrives.
3. Obtain a copy of the autopsy report.
4. Make a detailed report to the office/unit chief regarding the findings of the medico-
legal officer.

Estimating the time of death (TODE) is a critical part of homicide investigation.

Determining the range of time when the victim died can can eventually open a lot
investigative leads to pursue the investigation. Thus, there are 'times of importance' that
must be established during the initial stage of the investigation.
TIMES OF IMPORTANCE

 Time of death
 Time when the crime was reported
 Time of arrival of police at the scene
 Time victim was last known to be alive
 Time relative to victim's movement preceding death
 Time relating to suspect(s) movements.
 Time the crime scene was turned over by the first responder to the investigator.
 Time the investigator arrived at the crime scene.
 Time started/terminated processing of the crime scene by the investigator and the
SOCO.
 Time the recovered evidence was turned to evidence custodian.
 Time the duty investigator was dispatched.

TODE requires the application of medico-legal knowledge regarding the so-called 'signs
of death'.

The 'SIGNS OF DEATH'

In homicide investigation, the so-called signs of death are actually the post-mortem
changes that can be observed in a human body.

GENERAL PROCEDURE

1. Find out as much as possible about the crime before going to the scene and upon
arrival from the first officer on the scene and any other police officers who are there.
2. Overview. Take your bearings at the scene so that you get a rough picture of the
area and what has happened. Always bear in mind that a murder may have been
committed.
3. Take a general photograph of the scene. Film the scene with a video camera.
4. Note down your observations continuously. It is a good idea to use a tape recorder.
5. Decide whether you need help from an expert such as a forensic pathologist,
biologist etc.
6. Make a note of signs of death. If possible, measure the body temperature; write
down the relevant times.
7. In the case of hanging: cut down the rope so that the knot remains intact for further
examination.
8. Check the hair. Are injuries concealed by hair? Has hair been torn off? Do foreign
substances are sticking in the hair?
9. Check for bleeding in the ears.
10. Check for conjunctival
11. Examine the root of the nose and nostrils.
12. Check whether there are any foreign objects in the oral cavity.
13. Examine the neck for skin scrapings, red spots and strangulation marks.
14. Examine the arms for bruises caused by gripping and resistance.
15. Check for marks made by syringes, especially in the crook of the arm.
16. Examine wrists for old or new cuts.
17. Examine the hands and under the nails for injuries due to resistance and for
swellings, hairs and skin fragments. If shots have been fired, collect primer particles
from the hands.
18. Cover the hands with paper bags to facilitate the continued search for skin
fragments, hairs, fibers etc. during autopsy.
19. Examine the front and back of the body from top to bottom.
20. Examine legs and feet. Any blood on the soles of the feet? Any marks or injuries
indicating that the body was dragged?
21. Describe and photograph clothes in detail (to be completed in connection with the
autopsy). Pay attention to creases, damage, bullet-holes, blood spatter, dirt, position
on the body etc.
22. Examine the pockets. Make a list of the contents.
23. Describe the presence of blood and any other stains on the clothing.
24. The clothes should be taken in connection with the autopsy.

Photographic Documentation

 Photographic documentation is important part of the investigation, as in all crime-

scene investigations.
 Take as many photo shots as practicable.
 Combine still photography and video recording.