Crime Scene Analysis Introduction- There Research Paper

T.

Apparantely in good health, need to investigate insurance and other issues, get medical report.

Married, one-4-year-old son

Appears happily married with young child, no indication of turmoil in marriage; check.

Colleagues say victim was "very organized," and kept to himself, did not make friends nor enemies

Mr. T. appears to be inoffensive, not prone to situations that would engender violence.

Profession: Attorney; normal office hours 8am-5pm; known to work late on cases as necessary

Q: What type of attorney? What are recent cases? Are any controversial or involving something or someone who has a vested interest in keeping information private.

Mr. T. was wearing black pants, a shirt and tie and a wedding ring. The clothing was intact; wallet appeared to be in order, no missing money or credit cards.

Suggests this was not a crime of passion (victim killed not brutalized and left intact); no money or credit cards taken, likely no motive of theft.

Mr. T. was found in the middle of the floor of his office, between the desk and the door.

Suggests that Mr. A was not at his desk when murder occurred, likely he heard someone approach and was investigating or startled.

Mr. T. was found with what initially appear to be stab wounds, 13 to the chest. No other wounds were found, and not defensive wounds noted

Does not appear Mr. T. had the chance to fight back; Q: was he drugged with ether or chloroform before murder? Why did he not resist? Wounds definitely not self inflicted.

Table 2 - Initial crime scenario -- location & physical details

Issue

Analysis

Office is 3rd story, First National Bank Building, total 20 stories

3rd story approachable from street? Q -- What side of the building does window opent towards?

Office located adjacent to Medical Doctor's office

Check with MD personnel; usually their hours are longer than 8am-5pm, check to see if anyone heard or saw anything suspicious

Building cameras did not capture any unusual people leaving first floor of building

Despite this, best to review any person's activity coming onto the 3rd floor after 5pm; did anyone enter or leave the building between 5pm-7am?

The door to Mr. T.'s office was intact, no evidence of forcing or tampering.

Posit: Either perpetrator was known to Mr. T. And came in through the door, or did not use the door at all.

No murder weapon was found; e.g. no knife or other sharp object that could be linked to the scene.

Suggests intent to conceal weapon, leaving no fingerprints, etc.

Overall office is neat and tidy; there is a sofa and fish tank in the office (undamaged), modern art pieces on the walls; light is dim; unblemished photo of the Mr. T.'s wife and child on the desk.

With most of office left intact and neat and tidy, suggest that the perpetrator was focused on something in files or desk; not a safe or wall art. Again, points against motivation of theft.

Floor is carpeted (taupe color), bloodstains noticable; there is only one door leading out into the shared hallway.

Perpetrator would have had to leave the building one of two ways; door or window; camera check will narrow down door.

The file cabinet drawers are open; numerous office papers are strewn all over the floor.

Suggests that it was case information that was the target; Q: are there computer backups of data? Might Assistant recognize case files missing.Phone cord is cut, phone still intact. The computer is on the floor (CPU, monitor, keyboard, mouse); the clock stopped at 630; ostentibly the cord was pulled when the computer was thrown on the floor.

Suggests cutting cord in the event of potential alarm; or to stop any uploads or downloads of data. Computer thrown on the floor: Q: was hard drive intact or taken? Zip or jump drives? Manual or automatic backup?

The one window in the office suite is open, there is only one window

Suggests entrance or egress from window. Tapes and counts of people before 630pm should verify.

No strange aromas (perfume, coffee, food, etc.) with the exception of the corpse exposed to direct light (from open window) for 12 hours.

Lack of perfume suggest not a woman (on the surface), also suggests that Mr. T. was not intending to stay late (no coffee or food smells apparent).

Table 3 - Initial crime scenario -- witnesses and ancillary details

Issue

Analysis

Mr. T.'s assistant was out of town on vaction for 2-weeks.

Q: Find out and verify location of Assistant; also quiz Assistant as soon as possible regarding details of current cases.

Mr. T. had a late lunch with an old college friend; lunch began at 2pm.

Q: Verify colleague/friend, was Mr. T. working with this person on a case? Did Mr. T. have anything in files that was incriminating or controversial about this person. WHO WAS THIS PERSON?

Custodian left the building around 5pm; no one interviewed heard any signs of struggle or other sounds.

Suggests that any sign of struggle occurred after 5pm, and close to 630pm.

The Janitor, who arrives prior to 8am in the mornings, found the body.

Again, sets TOD prior to Janitor's arrival.

Table 4 - Initial crime scenario -- preliminary timeline

DAY TIME

Analysis

Tuesday, 8am-145pm

Mr. T. is working alone in his office, Assistant out of town. He breaks for lunch with an old friend.

Tuesday, 2pm-330pm

Estimated lunch with colleage; need to verify timing with restaurant and/or credit card receipts.

Tuesday, 330pm

Mr. T. returns to office; check cameras to see if he returned alone.

Tuesday, 330-5pm

Office is quiet, no one hears or notices anything out of the ordinary

Tuesday, 5pm

Janitor leaves the building

Tuesday, 630pm

Clock Stops

Wednesday, 730am

Janitor arrives, finds body, phones police

Wednesday, 830am

Police arrive and secure the scene

Wednesday, 1215pm

CSI arrives

REFERENCES

Helfgott, J. (2008). Criminal Behavior: Theories, Typologies, and Criminal Justice. Thosand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Houck and Siegel. (2010). Fundamentals of Forensic Science. Elsiver.

Koblinsky, L., et.al. (2004). DNA: Forensic and Legal Applications. Wiley-Interscience.

Myers, D. (2004). Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers.

Quinche and Margot. (2010). A Precursor in the history of Fingermark Detection and their Potential Uses. Journal of Forensic Identification, 60(2), 129-134.

Tuesday 8am-145pm

Tuesday 145pm-330pm

Tuesday 330pm-630pm

Tues. 630pm- Wed. 730am

Use phone and camera records to find out Mr. T.'s exact time of arrival at office

Where was the 2pm lunch? Get name of colleague.

Verify return to office, if alone, phone or appointment records..

630 PM Likely TOD

Office of Tort, PC

File Cabinet & Strewn Files

Medical Office

Assistant's Desk

Doors into Offices

Window to Outside

Mr. T.

Window to Outside

Mr. T.'s desk and computer station….....