Forensic Science 8: Crime Scene Investigation

Forensic Science 8: Crime Scene Investigation builds on all of the previous classes in my Forensic Science series, and can be taken alone, as a course on handling a unique crime scene.  The class will begin with discussions of scene preservation and move into evidence collection and handling techniques.  The final piece to the crime scene puzzle will be determining areas in which an investigator might expand his or her search, given specific sets of circumstances.  

We will then move into a multi-faceted mock crime scene which will be handled differently than in most of my previous crime scene classes.  Students will receive a combination of video and photographic evidence as they have to determine the proper methods we should use in our case.  There will be a series of “A or B” choices that will determine the evidence that they collect or that they are unable to collect.  Students will also complete mini-profiles at multiple points in our case, which can then be used to select individuals from our lists of persons of interest for further investigation.  

While the mock scene will be massive in scope and can be seen as a stand-alone mock investigation, returning students will recognize the names of individuals who have made appearances in past mock crime investigations.  Some may ask what one small town might have done to attract Wendy Krieger, Louie LaFontaine, Paul Bitterman, Charles Goldman, Saul Cordero, Richard Boggs, Ellen Cunningham, Darren Hendricks, and how did they all develop such a strong taste for those Crimson King cookies?
The course will proceed as follows:

Week 1:  Scene preservation and evidence collection:  We will discuss the purpose of crime scene preservation and the circumstances which require a loosening of site restrictions.  We will also cover the negative impacts of failure to preserve a scene versus dealing with evidence that was exposed to outside influence when a scene is not immediately discovered.  We will then move into a discussion of evidence collection techniques.  Students will consider protection of evidence and the need to expedite the removal of evidence for testing.

Week 2:  Evidence collection and expansion of the investigation:  We will conclude our discussion of evidence collection techniques and then move into a look at “what the evidence is telling us.”  A large part of most investigations happens away from the original crime scene.  How do we use the evidence at the scene to determine our next steps?  Rather than list every possible bit of information and witness we might pursue, students will learn to prioritize their next steps to maximize the probative value of the information they discover.

Week 3:  The mock scene begins:  We evaluate an initial report from Belmont Gap (a fictional town that acts as our primary setting).  Students will discuss the potential crimes we will investigate and determine the initial locations to search.  This session will include reports on individuals who have some connection to the events of our case or to the town in general.  Between this session and the next, students will work out informal profiles to determine whom we should investigate first.

Week 4:  This session will include a deep dive into our initial persons of interest, some of whom may only be witnesses.  Again, locations will be discussed, and students will receive a file with photos of potential evidence.  Prior to week 5, students will have to consider how we might collect and package evidence that they prioritize.

Week 5:  This session will start with a discussion of our evidence collection, which will be followed by analytical test results being revealed. 

Weeks 6 through 9:  Continued expansion of the investigation, with “questioning sessions” of persons of interest in multiple weeks.  We will discuss methods to ethically and effectively question a witness in order to maximize useable information.   

Week 10:  The solution.  Students will complete their investigation and argue the solution based on the evidence that was collected and analyzed.  I will act as the District Attorney, asking them to support their conclusions with material evidence.  This will involve examining the factors that suggest that individual pieces of evidence point to a suspect’s guilt, rather than demonstrating an innocent presence at a specific scene.

This class will be taught with a Socratic discussion approach, as are all of my forensic science classes.  As noted earlier, students do not need to complete all of the classes in my Forensic Science series before taking this class.  It can act as a stand-alone class for anyone interested.