This course outline reflects the lecture and lab components combined versus separated.
I. Physical Evidence
A. Types of evidence
1. Direct evidence
2. Circumstantial evidence
3. Testimonial evidence
B. Value of Physical evidence
1. Determine whether a crime has occurred
2. Link an individual to the crime scene
3. Provides investigation leads
4. Provides facts for jury to determine guilt or innocence
5. Aid in reconstruction of crime scene
C. Categories of physical evidence
1. Fingerprints
2. Firearms
3. Biological
4. Trace
5. Document
6. Physical matching
7. Toxicology
8. Drug
9. Other types
D. Laboratory Analysis of Physical Evidence
1. Comparative analysis process
2. Results of comparison process
E. Ethical, Legal, and Scientific Requirements for evidence collection
1. Ethical
a. Objectivity
b. Determine facts
c. Gather all relevant evidence
2. Legal
a. Search and seizure laws
b. Documentation of scene
c. Identification of physical evidence
d. Chain of custody
3. Scientific
a. Preventing contamination of evidence
b. Preserving condition of evidence
c. Adequate comparison standards
II. Crime Scene Search Principles
A. First responder to scene
1. Safety
2. Emergency care
3. Approaching scene
B. Actions to be taken by first responder
1. Need for lifesaving procedures
2. Detain witnesses and suspects
3. Secure the scene
4. Scene data
5. Initial survey of scene
6. Preserve fragile evidence
C. Crime scene investigator (CSI)
1. Role of CSI
2. Choice of CSI
3. Record pertinent data immediately
a. Time called/arrived at scene
b. Actions taken
c. Person at scene
4. Establish a plan for processing scene
5. Data to compile before collection process
a. Unusual odors
b. Presence/condition of blood stains
c. Signs of struggle
d. Points of entry/exit
e. Temperature of room
f. Lighting
g. etc.
D. Crime scene search
1. Keep notes of actions
2. Photograph the scene
3. Sketch the scene
4. Systematic search methods
a. Strip Method
b. Grid Method
c. Zone Method
d. Spiral Method
III. Crime Scene Photography
A. Number of photographs at scene
B. Conditions at scene
C. Camera choice
D. Film type
E. Videotaping the scene
F. Log all photographs
G. Types of photographs of scene
IV. Crime Scene Sketches
A. Objectives of crime scene sketch
1. Present clear picture of scene
2. Complement CSI notes and photographs
3. Show accurate location and relationship of evidence items
4. Refresh CSI memory
5. Illustrates the testimony of witness
6. Factual data for scene reconstruction
B. Rules for sketches
1. Plan systematically for sketching the scene
2. Roughly show overall scene layout
3. Detailed sketches of pertinent area with measurements
4. Prepare blowup sketches when needed
5. Show compass point on sketch
6. Make accurate measurements foe evidence
7. Use fundamental methods for measuring
8. Have two people verify all measurements
C. Types of sketches
1. Rough
2. Locality
3. Layout
4. Detailed
5. Blowup
6. Exploded
7. Elevation
8. Finished
a. Not to scale
b. Drawn to scale
9. Courtroom display sketches
10. Critical accuracy sketch
11. Manually drawn
12. Professionally drawn
13. Computer drawn
14. Three-dimensional computer drawn
a. Strip Method
b. Grid Method
c. Zone Method
d. Spiral Method
C. Measurement techniques
1. Rectangular coordinates
2. Triangulation
3. Secondary reference point
4. Transecting baseline
5. Polar coordinates
V. Latent Fingerprint Evidence
A. Types of fingerprints and impressions
1. Inked fingerprint
2. Latent fingerprint
3. Patent prints
B. Development of latent prints
1. General considerations for latent prints
a. Safety of personnel present
2. Choice of development techniques
a. Non-destructive
b. Water-soluble components
c. Water-insoluble components
d. Systematic approach
3. Development with powder and brush
4. Development with Cyanoacrlate
5. Processing with small particle reagent
6. Processing with Ninhydrin
C. Approaches to latent detection and collection
1. Absorbent surfaces
2. Nonabsorbent surfaces
VI. Trace Evidence
A. Hair evidence
1. Significant features of hair
2. Microscopic features of human hair
a. Cuticle
b. Cortex
c. Medulla
3. Laboratory examinations of hair evidence
a. Unaided eye and stereoscopic (low power) microscopic
b. High-power microscopic
c. Comparison microscopic
d. DNA analysis
4. Collection of hair evidence
5. Standard/control specimens of hair
B. Fiber evidence
1. Natural fibers
2. Synthetic fibers
3. Collection of fiber evidence
4. Standards/controls needed for lab analysis
5. Laboratory examination of fiber evidence
C. Glass evidence
1. Collection of glass evidence
2. Lab examination of glass evidence
D. Paint evidence
1. Collection of paint evidence
2. Lab examination of paint evidence
E. Soil evidence
1. Collection of soil evidence
2. Lab examination of soil evidence
F. Arson accelerant evidence
1. Nature of volatile flammables
2. Precautions at arson scene
3. Collection of accelerant evidence
4. Lab examination of accelerant evidence
VII. Biological Fluid and Stain Evidence
A. Blood evidence
1. Genetic markers in bloodstains
a. Modern and historical genetic marker testing
b. Nature of genetic markers
c. ABO blood type
d. Enzyme and protein blood types
e. Nature of DNA
2. Crime scene documentation of bloodstains
a. Notes
b. Photographs
c. Searching for bloodstains
3. Collection of bloodstain evidence
a. Small items containing potential bloodstains
b. Large immobile objects with hard, smooth surfaces
c. Large liquid pools of blood
d. Large objects with soft, porous surface
e. Large objects with hard, porous surface
4. Lab examination of bloodstains evidence
B. Semen evidence
1. Collection of semen evidence
a. Clothing of the victim
b. Bedding
c. Blood and semen stains on nonabsorbent surfaces
2. Lab examinations for semen
a. Detection
b. Screening test
c. Identification
d. Genetic marker testing
e. Blood standards needed
VIII. Firearms Evidence
A. Firearms cartridges
1. Bulleted Cartridges
a. Rimfire
b. Centerline Handgun
c. Centerline Rifle
B. Laboratory analysis
1. Laboratory exam of firearms evidence
a. Identification of the firearm that fired
b. Muzzle-to-target distance determination
c. Gunshot residue identifications
d. Weapon functionality exam
e. Bullet trajectory and/or sequence of firing
2. Collection of firearms evidence
a. Unloading revolvers
b. Unloading auto-loading firearms
c. Trace evidence and fingerprints
d. Weapons found in water
3. Recovery of fired ammunition components
a. Bullets embedded in wood or plaster
b. Removal of bullets from deceased person
c. Cartridge cases
d. Shot wads
e. Shot pellets
f. Live shot shells or cartridges
4. Gunshot residue (GSR)
a. Collection of GSR
b. Target discharge residues
IX. Impression Evidence
A. Nature of impression evidence
1. Indented impression
2. Transfer prints
3. Residue prints
B. Collection of impression evidence
1. Footwear and tire tread impressions
a. Photograph footwear and tire tread impressions
b. Vehicle wheelbase and width measurement
2. Casting and lifting impressions
a. Lifting residue impressions
b. Casting of footwear and tire impressions
c. Casting materials for footwear and tire impressions
C. Tool-mark evidence collection
1. Special precautions for tool-mark evidence
a. Doors, windows, and other openings
b. Presence of trace evidence
c. Paint transfer to the tool from object source
2. Documentation of tool-mark evidence
a. Notes and sketches
b. Photography of tool-marks
c. Marking of items removed bearing tool-mark evidence
d. Preparing cats of tool-marks
e. Packaging of objects bearing tool-mark evidence
D. Fracture evidence
1. Tape cut piece
2. Wire cut piece
3. Rope cut piece
X. Drug and Alcohol Evidence
A. Controlled substances
1. Narcotics
2. Psychoactive
3. Sedatives
4. Tranquilizers
5. Central nervous system stimulants
B. DEA Schedule of controlled substances
1. Schedule I
a. High potential for abuse
b. Have no currently accepted medical use
c. Examples: heroin, LSD, Methaqualone
2. Schedule II
a. High potential for abuse
b. Have currently accepted medical use
c. Examples: morphine, PCP, cocaine
3. Schedule III
a. Potential for abuse
b. Currently accepted medical use
c. Examples: anabolic steroids, codeine, hydrocodone
4. Schedule IV
a. Lower potential for abuse
b. Have currently accepted medical use
c. Examples: Darvon, Valium, and Xanax
5. Schedule V
a. Low potential for abuse
b. Currently accepted medical use
c. Example: codeine in cough syrup
XI. Document Evidence
A. Functions of document examiner
1. Handwriting comparisons
2. Typewriting comparisons
3. Examinations of photocopies, Printers, and fax machines
4. Alterations, erasures, and obliterations
5. Indented writings
6. Ink examinations and comparisons
7. ID of document paper composition and manufacture
8. ID of the source of a torn paper
B. Collection of document evidence
1. Precautions for handling
2. Latent fingerprints
3. Charred documents
4. Exemplar writings
5. Packaging of questioned documents
XII. Vehicle Scene Investigations
A. General automobile search
B. Traffic Accident Investigations
1. Photographs at the scene
a. Overview of the scene
b. Point of impact
c. Position where each vehicle come to rest
d. Damage to vehicles
e. View drivers had while approaching scene
f. Point of view each witness had of scene
2. Accident sketches of scene
a. Accuracy of the measurements
b. Pre-designed scene sketch forms
c. Types of sketches for the accident scene
d. Finished sketches
C. Hit and run investigations
1. Vehicle versus pedestrian
2. Vehicle versus vehicle
3. Vehicle lights evidence
a. Scene investigation
b. Collection and packaging
c. Intact lights and bulbs
d. Broken lights and bulbs
e. Headlight filaments
f. Laboratory examinations
XIII. Sexual Assault Investigations
A. First responder responsibility at crime scene
1. Protection of victim
2. Secure the scene
3. Document the scene
4. Interview victim
5. Initiate crime broadcast
6. Arrange medical exam for victim
B. Crime scene investigator
1. Latent fingerprint impressions
. Footwear, tire track, and tool-marks impressions
3. Semen evidence
4. Saliva
5. Trace evidence
6. Police report to forensic lab
C. Evidence from victim
1. Sexual assault evidence collection kit
2. Clothing
3. Injuries
4. Blood
5. Trace evidence
6. Latent print impressions
7. Bindings from victim
D. Medical exam of victim
1. Standard identification
2. Chain of custody
3. Collection of clothing
4. Examination of body surfaces and orifices
5. Semen and blood stains
6. Collection of foreign materials
7. Bite-marks and bruises
8. Oral aspirates
9. Blood samples
10. Saliva standard
11. Fingernail scraping
E. Evidence from suspect
1. Medical history
2. Clothing
3. Physical exam
4. Physical evidence
5. Head and pubic hair standard
6. Blood
7. Saliva
8. Fingernail scrapings
9. STD culture specimen
IVX. Homicide Crime Scene Investigations
1. Criminalist
2. Pathologists
3. Prosecuting attorney
4. Fire department personnel
5. Forensic anthropologist
6. Forensic entomologist
B. At the scene
1. Position of body
2. Postmortem levity
3. Wounds and signs of struggle on body
4. Signs of struggle at scene
5. Presence/absence of notes
6. Nude bodies
7. Time of death considerations
8. Bloodstains and patterns
9. Protect body during removal
10. Check area under body
C. Postmortem Examination
1. Pre-autopsy conference
2. Postmortem photography
3. Trace evidence
4. Hair standard samples
5. Fingernail scrapings
6. Gunshot residue
7. Gunshot wounds
8. Condition of teeth/dentures
9. Sexual assault homicides
10. Vehicular homicides
11. Decomposed remains
12. Body fluids and toxicology
13. Wrap-up conference
VX. Crime Scene Reconstruction
1. Appropriate foundation for expertise
2. Education
3. Training classes
4. Mentored experience
5. Case and research experience
6. Experiential development of expertise
B. Process of crime scene reconstruction
1. Crime scene reconstruction components
2. Documentation component
3. Analysis component
4. Synthesis component
5. Recognition and documentation of physical evidence
6. Collection and examination of physical evidence
7. Laboratory examinations of physical evidence
8. Analysis of data from crime scene
9. Synthesis of analysis data
C. Types of reconstructions
1. Traffic accident
2. Homicide
3. Sexual assault
4. Reconstructions classified by evidence type
a. Bloodstain/pattern
b. Firearms
c. Other or more than one type