From Crime Scene to Courtroom: Examining the Mysteries Behind Famous Cases

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The crime scene can present itself in a number of ways and may not be immediately obvious to the investigator or initial attending officer. There may also be multiple crime scenes which relate to the offence. The rights and needs (including religious rights and needs) of the victim and their family (notwithstanding the status of family members in the investigation). Such issues have lead to guidelines by the US Department of Justice, among other justice groups, for the language used in forensic testimony and reports. also be a limitation as it would mean that there are less available vacancies for the role of a policer collect hair, tissue and body fluids from a crime scene and then analyse all of the evidence in the

To reduce the risk of false “hits”, genetic profiles can be made more complex. Increasing the number of STRs in each profile reduces the risk of a spurious match because the probability of a match (at 20 markers, for example) is estimated by multiplying the probabilities of each STR marker.The status of the family member(s) in the context of the wider incident, for example whether a family member may also be a suspect. interest of providing accurate information that may help to acquit or to convict a person of a crime. Owing to the popularity of this, Zakon then developed a workshop for secondary school and college students which is BASED ON A REAL murder that some of the Zakon team had investigated and so it’s as real as it gets. There are a number of methods the investigator can use to secure and manage crime scenes. They include:

of budget cuts and digital evidence leading to the requirement of less workers and businesses being disturbance by material being moved from its original position (for example, during initial attendance of paramedics) The need to secure and preserve the crime scene and the material within it (consult with the crime scene manager).

their findings by giving oral evidence. An example of an advantage of the role of a forensic scientists The way in which a crime scene is managed affects the quality, quantity and integrity of the material gathered. It is, therefore, essential that investigators identify and prioritise crime scenes, as they may contain material vital to the successful outcome of the investigation. incident took place and this is because a plastic tray containing a sample of his DNA, taken for an The Criminology: Crime Scene to Courtroom workshop is based around the WJEC curriculum and covers law, criminology, science and so much more. It really validates classroom teaching showing how this can be applied in the workplace. Kate from Zakon said:

The purpose of securing a scene is to maintain the integrity and provenance of any material which may be recovered from it. This simple and important action reduces the opportunities for the material to become contaminated or inadvertently cross-contaminated.The law, judicial system and courtroom process is explored before the students run their own trial during which their own murder investigation is presented. The more records added to the database, the greater the odds of making an accidental match. This is because the number of potential matches increases. Investigators should not release a scene until they are satisfied that all expert advice has been considered and that a police search adviser (PolSA) team has conducted a full and final search, if appropriate. Despite running training for police, business, legal professionals and investigation agencies, Simon said:

that most autopsies require is quite costly also because the autopsy has to be repeated again. This The investigator should seek advice from CSIs or managers to determine the appropriate level and method of protection required. This may include covering or lighting the scene and identifying and protecting access routes to or from the scene.Such requests are likely to be relevant where the victim is known, by the third party, to still be at the scene. This would not include planned crime scene visits for family members supported by a family liaison officer. A priest, for example, who might make such a request, will be familiar with ministry to the dying. Australian law enforcement uses the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database ( NCIDD), which is managed by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. When gathering material, investigators should liaise with CSIs and managers to ensure that they use the most appropriate method for examining the scene. Identifying scenes