Criminal Investigation- Chain Of Custody- Materials Needed- Evidence Handling

A murder occurred in which the victim, a young female, was found in the living room floor of her single family home with stab wounds to her chest. The victim was fully clothed. The victim was not married but had a male friend who visited her often. The living room floor was carpeted and on the living room coffee table was a drinking glass, half filled with a brown fluid. The drinking glass appeared to have smudges on the exterior of the glass including along the rim. The victim had a dog, a rottweiler that was locked in the basement of the home. The back door to the residence was left open. In the backyard was found a knife that appeared to have a dark substance on the blade. A neighbor was heard saying, “I heard the dog was locked in the basement. That dog hates strangers and is vicious. How did someone lock him in the basement?” How would you go about the investigation of this crime scene? Be thorough in your narrative describing your procedures and the manner by which each piece of evidence should be handled. Are there any issues with safety and if so, what are they? If your answer speaks in generalities as opposed to specifics.

Chain of Custody

A. Name and the person collecting the sample (original answer)

B. Each person or entity having subsequent custody of the sample (original answer)

C. Date the sample was collected and transferred

D. The location of the collected sample (original answer)

E. A brief description of the sample

F. An identification number for the sample 

Things to do at an investigation

The 7 S’s of Crime Scene Investigation

• Secure the Scene.
• Separate the Witnesses.
• Scan the Scene.
• See the Scene.
• Sketch the Scene.
• Search for Evidence.
• Secure and Collect Evidence.