Crime Scene Investigation

CSI

By: Dr/ Marwa Magdy

Demonstrator of forensic medicine
& toxicology
Expectations
 Objectives

• Vocabulary
• principles of crime scene investigation
• Stages of CSI
 Securing
 Searching
 Documenting
 Collecting & preserving trace evidence
 Vocabulary
Crime scene: Any physical location in which a crime or accident has
occurred suspected of having occurred.

Physical evidence: any material items that would be present at the

crime scene, on the victim, or found in a suspect’s possession.

Trace evidence: physical evidence present at the crime scene in small

but measurable amounts.

Suspect: person thought to be capable of comitting a crime.

Source: http://www3.sc.maricopa.edu/ajs/crime_scene_technician.htm
 Principles of CSI
1) Time frame
2) Crime scene zone
3) Crime scene investigation team
4) Crime scene investigation equipment
5) Crime scene search patterns

Source: http://www3.sc.maricopa.edu/ajs/crime_scene_technician.htm
 Time frame
• Arrival of the CSI team should be as soon as
possible since the crime was reported.

• Late arrival at the crime scene may result in

loosing important evidence.
 Crime scene zone
• Boundaries of the crime scene → as far as
signs of committing a crime are visible.

 Boundaries are defined by the head of the

CSI team.

• Assailant’s path of entry andexit

e.g: windows,doors.
 CSI Team

• Head of the crime scene investiagtion team

“prosecutor” .‫وكيل النيابة‬
• Forensic pathologist ‫الطبيب الشرعى‬
• police officer (investigator)‫المحقق‬
• Photographer‫المصور الجنائى‬
• Latent prints expert‫خبير البصمات‬
• Explosives expert ‫خبير المفرقعات‬
• Members of CSI team‫أعضاء فريق البحث الجنائى‬
 CSI equipments
• equipment for securing and preserving the crime
scene
• equipment for collecting and packaging of evidence

• equipment for recording the crime scene and

evidence.
 Tools for evidence collection
• Rubber gloves.
• Strong flashlight.
• Syringes & needles.
• Forceps & scissors .
• Hand lens.
• Labels & containers.
• Plastic vials & jars.
• Paper bags.
Searching the crime scene
 Stages of CSI

1. Securing the crime scene

2. Searching the crime scene
3. Documenting & photographing
4. Collecting & preserving evidence
 Securing the scene
• Defining boundaries of the crime scene

• Entry is prohibited

• Every person who enters the crime scene

has the potential to destroy physical
evidence.
CSI video 2.flv
• Ensuring security for the crime scene
investigation team members
• CSI team should wear protective clothes.
Searching the scene
Crime scene search patterns
• Many distinctive methods of searching the
crime scene.

• For different types of crimes, different search

patterns are suggested.
Searching the crime scene
 Documenting the scene
• 3 methods of crime-scene recording:

• Photography
• Sketches
• Notes

• Ideally all 3 should be used.

 Photography
• At this stage touching or moving objects is
prohibitted

• Particularly cadavers SHOULD remain untouched

• Objects may be marked with numbers and

photographed
• what ?
Crime scene & adjacent areas
Entry & exit
Cadaver , weapon & injuries
Pictures can tell …
sketches
Collecting & preserving evidence
• Common types of trace
evidence
 Glass
Blood
 Impressions
Semen
 Paint
Saliva  Petroleum products
Fingerprints  Plastic bags
Hairs  Powder residue
Fibers  Soil and minerals
Explosives  Tool marks
Weapons  Wood
Why is trace evidence useful?
 Blood stain

Finding The Stains:

Reagents :“Luminol and

fluorescein” can reveal blood
that has been watered down to a
ratio of 12000:1.
 Seminal stain
• Seminal stains on dark material
often have a white glistening
appearance.

• Preliminary test (Ultraviolet light):

bluish white fluorescence.

• Confirmatory test (Microscopic

detection of spermatozoa)

• DNA of assailant
 Saliva stains
• Could be detected anywhere on
clothing,bites,enveloppe& cigarette bits.

• DNA of the assailant

 Hair
 Human or animal
 Race
 Origin
 Manner in which hair was
removed
 Drugs ingested
 DNA analysis
 Latent prints
• Types :
 Fingerprint
 Palm
 Sole
 Lip
 Ear
 Foot
 tyre
Latent prints