See description. Each part is a separate assignment. Please see attached files on examples

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Description

Each student will create a crime scene based on the types described in the text and discussed in class. The project consists of three deliverables (“parts”):

Each part is a separate assignment. Please see attached files on examples of what each part should look like.

Part 1: Case Information
To begin, you should identify the major parts of the investigation. Consider this the “5 Ws” of the investigation:

  1. Who: Victim(s) and subject(s)
  2. What: Type of crime it appears to be based on the initial review or discussion with first officer, as well as the investigation/collection of evidence performed at the scene
  3. Where: Location(s) of the crime
  4. When: Approximate time the scene was discovered, time you arrived, time officers arrived, time you completed investigation, time you completed your report
  5. Why: It is not often the duty of the crime scene technician/investigator to determine why the subject/perpetrator committed the crime; the CST/CSI collects and gathers the evidence so that the detectives can make the determination as to why it occurred.

For Part 1: Case Information, you will submit a brief police report detailing the elements of the crime. You have the option of filling out a report template, or reporting the information in APA-style paragraph format. Sample Case Information docs (report template and paragraph-style information sheet) are available in Doc Sharing.

Each part is a separate assignment. Please see attached files on examples of what each part should look like.

Part 2: Case References

You will be responsible for locating at least four (4) reliable and scholarly references to support the information found in your BYOCS scene. Examples include your textbook, the readings assigned for this course, and scholarly journal articles (such as those in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, Journal of Forensic Identification, and Criminology) available in the Saint Leo Library. If you are having trouble finding scholarly references, contact a librarian to assist you (see the Policies and Information link under Course Home for more information). In addition, you can access reliable websites, such as the FBI (FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin) and other governmental websites.

Finally, you will provide a one- to two-paragraph “summary” of each reference and explain how it relates to your case information. This is known in some academic circles as an “annotated” reference page. You will follow APA-style formatting for this part of the project. A sample Case References doc is available in Doc Sharing.

Each part is a separate assignment. Please see attached files on examples of what each part should look like.

Part 3: Case Report
Once you have determined the initial information in Parts 1 and 2, you will compile it into a report detailing the elements of the crime, to include victim(s), suspect(s), location(s), weapon(s), evidence collected, items to be processed, as well as any other information you believe would be important to the detectives investigating the case. This report should be a minimum of 2000 words.

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YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION SUPPLEMENTAL FIELD PROCESSING REPORT CRIME/INCIDENT CASE#: LOCATION #1 CONNECTING CASE# DATE & TIME ACTION TAKEN LOCATION #2 CONNECTING CASER# DATE / TIME REPORT COMPLETED REQUESTING PERSON/OFFICER #1 DIVISION/UNIT REQUESTING PERSON/OFFICER #2 DIVISION/UNIT TYPE NAME TYPE NAME/LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE DOB INK FINGERPRINTS TYPE NAME TYPE NAME/LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE DOB INK FINGERPRINTS TYPE NAME TYPE NAME/LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE DOB INK FINGERPRINTS TYPE NAME TYPE NAME/LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE DOB INK FINGERPRINTS TYPE NAME TYPE NAME/LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE DOB INK FINGERPRINTS TYPE: V-VICTIM S-SUSPECT I-INVEST. LEAD R-REPORTING PARTY O-REG. VEH. OWNER P-OTHER PERSON NAME TYPE: B-BUSINESS G-GOVERNMENT P-PERSON R-RELIGIOUS O-OTHER U-UNKNOWN VEH YEAR MAKE MODEL LICENSE # LIC STATE VIN/OTHER IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS COLOR VEH YEAR MAKE MODEL LICENSE # LIC STATE VIN/OTHER IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS COLOR VEH YEAR MAKE MODEL LICENSE # LIC STATE VIN/OTHER IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS COLOR VEH YEAR MAKE MODEL LICENSE # LIC STATE VIN/OTHER IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS COLOR VEH YEAR MAKE MODEL LICENSE # LIC STATE VIN/OTHER IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS COLOR VEH YEAR MAKE MODEL LICENSE # LIC STATE VIN/OTHER IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS COLOR TOTAL NUMBER OF LIFTS LATENT LOG ATTACHED FILM TOTAL NUMBER OF PHOTOGRAPHS DIGITAL POLAROID YES / NO ITEMS PLACED IN EVIDENCE DRUG TEST PERFORMED MARIJUANA REPORT ATTACHED MARIJUANA TESTS SODIUM NITROPRUSSIDE YES / NO YES / NO YES / NO POS / NEG POS / NEG TECHNICIAN REPORTING PHOTO LOG ATTACHED YES / NO COBALT THIOCYANATE POS / NEG ID SUPERVISOR PAGE ______ OF ______ CASE#: Narrative: FINGERPRINTS Latent Lifted (Y/N) Negative Result Observed Description of Area/Item Processed TECHNICIAN REPORTING PAGE ______ OF ______ Running head: ANNOTATED REFERENCES Annotated References Student Saint Leo University Introduction to Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Waugh January 30, 20XX 1 ANNOTATED REFERENCES 2 References DiMaio, V.J. (2000). Homicidal asphyxia. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 1, 1-4. This article contained information on 133 cases of strangulation victims. It gives the percentages of those who were manually strangled opposed to being strangled by a ligature and also lists injuries that are found on the victims. This article discussed that strangulation by ligature is the most common category of strangulation homicides. In cases of manual strangulation most victims exhibited petechiae. Some other injuries sustained in manual strangulation are fractures of the thyroid, hyoid, or cricoid cartilage. Also stated is that rape is a motive for almost half of the victims who were manually strangled. I found this article helpful because it gives me injuries that the victim in my case may have sustained. Dolinak, D., Matshes, E., & Lew, E. (2005). Forensic pathology: Principles and practice. Available from http://books.google.com/books?id=JdtgE0eHTL4C&pg=PT245&lpg=PT245&dq =%22strangulation+homicide%22&source=web&ots=Tcgbs1MSn7&sig=m7KpH gOWs6Krg8mG7fLJOQtYOU0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct= result#PPT45,M1 I utilized this textbook (electronic source) because it describes what symptoms would be visible when asphyxia occurs. It also gave me a term to “name” my strangulation case; it is mechanical asphyxia. The definition being that when there is enough pressure placed on the neck, it results in respiration being ANNOTATED REFERENCES 3 impossible or difficult which would apply to strangulation. It also discusses that petechia would be observed on the neck and face because the blood builds up in the capillaries. Within the text it is also stated that strangulation victims are usually women or an elderly person of a small build and that the suspect is usually larger than the victim and most times male. Also that a rape kit should be performed, and that suicidal strangulations do occur but are rare. Collection of evidence is also discussed. Some items that should be collected are fingernail clippings, trace evidence, and the ligature (if applicable). This book was very helpful as it gave detailed information of injuries sustained and evidence that needs to be collected. Fisher, B. A. J. (2004). Techniques of crime scene investigation (7th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. This textbook is a good source of information in finding out what should be noted when entering a crime scene. It also provides information on how to collect certain types of evidence such as glass, hairs, and fingerprints. It also gave insight on lifting fingerprints from skin by a technique called the Kromekote Lift Technique. It did say in the book that that lifting technique is unsuccessful most of the time but may be attempted. Also included in the text is a section on strangulation homicides. It provides what kind of marks would be found on the neck of the victim if manually strangled. I think this book is useful in learning the techniques of collecting evidence. ANNOTATED REFERENCES 4 McClane, G., & Strack, G. (1999). How to improve your investigation and prosecution of strangulation cases. Retrieved from http://www.ncdsv.org/images/strangulation_article.pdf I found this article very helpful as it provided important information on strangulation cases. It provided information on the signs and symptoms of strangulation victims. Some injuries that may occur in strangulation cases may not be apparent until several hours after the crime was committed. The article states that victims may involuntarily urinate and/or defecate, also that there will be visible injuries to the neck and that some may be from the victim trying to defend themselves. It also provided the difference between claw marks and scratch marks and the difference between hanging and manual strangulation. Photographs of the injuries should include both wide shots and close ups. It also stressed that a ruler should be used when photographing injuries and that UV photography should be used. Pex, J. (n.d.). Domestic violence photography. Retrieved from http://www.crime-sceneinvestigatior.net/dv-photo.html This article was helpful because it provided information on how to photograph injuries on a victim of domestic violence. I was specifically looking for a type of camera and/or film that would be used to enhance the appearance of bruises on a victim. This article provides that information. Special wavelength photography is used to enhance the visibility of the bruises. The Omnichrome 1000 or Omnichrome FLS 5000 have wavelengths that emit a blue light which is helpful. This article also lists types of film that aid in photographing bruises. ANNOTATED REFERENCES 5 Saferstein, R. (2004). Criminalistics: An introduction to forensic science (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. I utilized this textbook for information on which units in a forensic/crime laboratory will conduct analysis on certain types of evidence. Some of the units written about are toxicology, latent fingerprint, polygraph, biology and photography. I used this textbook to determine how and by whom the evidence collected would be examined. This book also discusses how DNA is analyzed and what CODIS is and why it is such a valuable system. The skin and blood samples taken from the victim’s fingernail scrapings will help to identify the suspect. The analysis of DNA is crucial to find the identity. The text book describes methods such as short tandem repeat and polymerase chain reaction as a part of the analysis. Turvey, B. (2002). Criminal profiling: An introduction to behavioral evidence analysis (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=1V2SRqrTnLgC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&d q=scholarly+journals+on+strangulation+homicides&source=web&ots=CA6tyMvj AC&sig=uMhehSgvhudHigTxCNGQ5AwxDnI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result& resnum=5&ct=result#PPP1,M1 I am utilizing this text book because it provides information about a strangulation homicide case. It describes that the victim died of asphyxia, the “lack of oxygen and blood sugar reaching the brain due to the blood vessels of the neck having been compressed”. It also states that the victim was manually strangled and provides details of her injuries. These descriptions will help in ANNOTATED REFERENCES 6 creating my crime scene. It will allow me to take information from a real case and apply it to mine. The injuries I create on my victim will be true injuries that would be appear on an actual victim of manual strangulation. Some of these injuries include fingernail marks and bruising on the victim’s neck. Well done! You took the advice I gave and provided great information regarding your resources. I look forward to reading your crime scene investigation report and discussing the case in class. Don’t forget: in addition to the case crime scene investigation report, you will be presenting your case with a PowerPoint visual to assist you. Running head: BYOCS: CRIME SCENE BYOCS: Crime Scene Investigation Final Case Report Student Saint Leo University Introduction to Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Waugh January 30, 20XX 1 BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 2 Crime Scene At 1000 hours, January 18, 20XX, I received a call from dispatch to process a death investigation at 1234 Pullman Loop in Anywhere, Florida. The only information given to me before I got to the scene was as follows. Upon arrival at the scene, the responding officer, Jackson Hughes with the Anywhere Police Department, provided me with some information. Officer Hughes provided me with the name of the victim, Joanne Collins, and notified me that her boyfriend, Rodney Martinek, could not be reached. He also informed me of who discovered the body, how the body was discovered, the paths that were walked by the person who found the body and the paths taken by himself and EMS. The victim’s daughter, Tiffany Van, arrived at the house around 0930 and found her mother dead in the kitchen. He also let me know that neither he nor EMS moved anything, and that Mrs. Van claimed to have only touched the door on the way in and out, and took the phone on the way out to call 911. Also relayed to me was the whereabouts of the body and obvious evidence within the house. As I pulled up, I noticed that the residence seemed to be a villa, so I asked Officer Hughes if there was anybody residing next door. According to Officer Hughes, the attached villa was rented by a middle-aged couple who traveled frequently and they were not home. When I first entered the house, I conducted a survey and decided to use the quadrant search method. Also, as entering the house I noted conditions such as the temperature, odors in the air, whether the lights where on or off, and whether windows and doors were open or closed (Fisher, 2004). The temperature was 75°F and there no particular aroma. A table lamp was on in the living room as well as the ceiling fan and BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 3 lights in the area beside the kitchen. I was told that the front door had been locked when Mrs. Van entered the house earlier that morning. The sliding door leading to the patio was closed but unlocked. The sliding doors were also covered by a maroon colored bed sheet. The screen door leading from the patio to the driveway was closed but unlocked. All the doors leading to bedrooms and bathrooms in the house were open. All windows in the house were closed. As I walked though the crime scene wearing personal protection equipment (PPE), I sketched and took notes on where evidence was located. I sketched the scene employing an overview sketch as it seemed to be the most appropriate method to use. After surveying the crime scene I decided to start processing the scene in the patio, as this seemed to be where the altercation might have begun. Upon entering the patio from the inside of the house I noted that there was a small glass table along the East wall, just west of the entryway. Also along that wall was a rack for drying clothes. On the floor near the north wall of the patio there were two magazines that seem to have been thrown on the ground along with a broken drinking glass. In the southwest corner of the room was a chair, just beside the screen door along the south wall. In the center of the room was a table with only two chairs, one sat along the west wall and the other along the east. On the table there were magazines, utility bills, Pringles, a glass containing an orange colored beverage, and a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka. Before collecting any evidence from the room, I photographed each piece of evidence with a digital camera and took pictures so I would have a complete 360° view of the room once the film was developed. I collected a sample of the beverage and lifted two fingerprints off the glass. I was also able to lift five fingerprints off the table top and BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 4 lifted two off of the vodka bottle. All of the fingerprints were lifted by dusting the print with fingerprint powder and them placing a piece of transparent cellophane tape over it (Fisher, 2004). I then collected the broken glass and lifted a fingerprint found on one of the larger pieces. I also fingerprinted the handle on the screen door. I also searched for footprints and shoeprints on the patio floor but found none. There were no shoe impressions found outdoors as the entire east side of the house was a cement driveway. After processing the patio I moved on to the kitchen. The kitchen consisted of a long counter along the west wall, a pantry along the northeast wall, and a stove and refrigerator along the east wall. The victim’s body lay at the north end of the kitchen, the top half of her body leaning on the northeast corner wall and the bottom half of her body lay extended toward the south end of the kitchen. The victim is a Caucasian female with blonde hair and appeared to be in her mid-fifties. She seemed to be approximately 5”1’ tall and about 125 pounds. The victim was wearing a light blue outfit that may be pajamas. The victim appeared to have been strangled. There was slight redness and minor bruising on the victim’s neck. There was also more pronounced red marks on the right side of the victim’s neck that may have been caused by the victim trying to pry whatever was strangling her (Baeza, et al., 2002). I first took overall pictures of the kitchen, a close up of a clump of hair found laying in front of the stove, and close ups of the victim’s body as well as close ups of her neck with and without scales. As permission to process the body for evidence was given by the medical examiner, I proceeded to examine the body for crucial evidence. I took fingernail scrapings (using a toothpick) from the victim and placed them into a pharmaceutical fold, as well as combing her hair for fibers and pieces of glass. I also found a partial print on the victim’s neck and tried to lift it using BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 5 the Kromekote Lift Technique (Fisher, 2004). I also collected fibers and hairs found on her shirt and a clump of hair found on the floor by her feet. I then fingerprinted the door knobs of the front door, back door, and bedroom. The living room, bathrooms, and bedrooms were not processed as they did not seem to pertain to the crime scene. Nothing in the rooms suggested that there had been an altercation or struggle there. Processing of the crime scene concluded at 1145 hours. Twenty-four hours after processing the crime scene, I met with the medical examiner, Dr. Oopa, to take additional photographs of the victim’s neck. In strangulation cases bruises may not appear for several hours (McClane, 1999, para. 26). The bruising was a bit more pronounced than during the initial investigation. The bruising directly under the victim’s chin and on the right side of the victim’s neck was more visible. I photographed the bruising with and without a scale utilizing the Omnichrome 1000 camera that emits a blue light, which helps enhance the appearance of bruising (Pex, n.d., para. 25). Dr. Oopa confirmed that the victim died as a result of mechanical asphyxia and that the manner of death was a homicide. The medical examiner also explained that petechia were observed in the victim’s eyes and the victim’s thyroid was fractured (Bell, et al., n.d.; DiMaio, 2000). A rape kit was also performed and revealed that there was no sexual activity or assault involved. The medical examiner also sent samples of blood and urine to the Anywhere Police Department Crime Lab to be examined by a toxicologist to determine if the victim had any alcohol or drugs in her system. Each step taken at the crime scene was extremely important. The photographs will provide information needed if the scene were to be reconstructed. They are helpful in jogging your memory and are beneficial for court. The sketch is extremely important as it BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 6 will depict the layout of the house, where the body as found, and will show where important evidence was found. When sketching distances of evidence and the body from walls, windows, and/ or doors should be marked down. This will help in placing evidence in the correct area in a reconstruction and will provide more information in the courtroom. The sketch will depict where evidence was found while the photographs will provide a detailed image of the evidence. Notes taken at the crime scene will help aid in reconstruction if necessary and if any of the investigators forget something the notes can be referred back to. Each piece of evidence collected was important in its own way. When collecting the evidence each piece was packaged separately in the appropriate containers and bags. On each evidence bag and container I wrote my name, the date and time, the name of my agency, the case number, the victim’s name, and a description of the object collected. I collected glass fragments from the patio to compare with the ones combed out of the victim’s hair. The liquid was collected to identify the contents of the glass. Hairs and fibers found on the body were collected to identify who came in contact with her. Scrapings from her fingernails will probably be the most informative, as they may contain DNA from the suspect if she was able to scratch him. Fingerprints lifted were of great importance in identifying who had been in the house and who had strangled her. Once all the evidence was collected, I submitted it to the Anywhere Police Department Crime Lab to be analyzed. To analyze the evidence for this case several different units will have to participate. The latent unit will process the fingerprints collected, toxicology will process bodily fluids to test for drugs and/or alcohol and test BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 7 the liquid collected from the living room. The biology section will process the hairs, fibers and blood swabs collected (Saferstein, 2004). After analysis of the evidence the clump of hair found on the kitchen floor belonged to the victim, and the hair found on the victim’s shirt belonged to herself, her husband, and of a feline. Known samples of hair were taken from the victim’s body and of the feline found at the crime scene. Samples of hair from the suspect were obtained by collecting a comb that belonged to him. The comb was known to be his as it was provided by his mother. The clump of hair found on the kitchen floor had follicular tissue attached to the root which suggested that the hair was forcibly removed, most likely by the suspect (Saferstein, 2004). The liquid from the glass was determined to be a mixture of vodka and orange juice. Toxicology reports show that there were no drugs or alcohol in the victim’s system. This information suggests that the victim was sober while the suspect was most likely consuming the alcoholic beverage. The broken glass in the living room matched the fragments found in the victim’s hair. From this information it may be concluded that the suspect threw the glass at the victim and missed as there were no injuries on the victim consistent with being hit with the glass. Fingerprints on the front door entry belonged to the victim, the suspect, and Tiffany Van. Prints lifted from the sliding door to the patio belonged to the victim and suspect. The glass containing the orange juice and vodka, had fingerprints that belonged only to the suspect. The one print lifted from the piece of broken glass and the two lifted from the Smirnoff bottle belonged to the suspect as well. The fingerprints lifted from the screen door in the patio leading to the drive way belonged to both the victim and the BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 8 suspect. The fingerprint that I attempted to lift from the victim’s neck did not yield any results as the ridge details were not pronounced enough. It was DNA found under the fingernails of the victim that led to the identity of the suspect. The victim must have injured the suspect because the laboratory technicians were able to extract a DNA profile. After running the profile through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the DNA matched that of the victim’s boyfriend, Rodney Martinek. It was learned that Mr. Martinek was previously convicted of battery on a law enforcement officer and his profile was already present in the database. The results of the analysis coincide with statements taken from the victim’s friends and family. Statements were taken saying that the couple argued regularly which drove the suspect to frequently visit his mother’s residence. It was gathered that the suspect often drank and has become violent with the victim many times before, but that the victim never contacted the police. Ms. Collins contacted Mrs. Van by telephone (at approximately 0715) that morning threatening to break up wither her boyfriend because of their continuous arguments about financial responsibility. A BOLO (be on the look out) was put out for a black 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix, as this car belonged to the victim but was not located. The description of the driver was as follows: a Caucasian male of about 45 years with dark hair, weighing approximately 180 pounds and standing approximately 5’8” tall. The mother of the suspect stated that Mr. Rodney Collins was born in Toms River, New Jersey and has many friends that reside in the state. Because of the statement of the suspect having ties in New Jersey, it is suspected that he may have taken the vehicle and fled the state. The Anywhere Police BYOCS: CRIME SCENE Department contacted the police department in Toms River with information pertaining to the case and with instructions to extradite if the suspect was apprehended. 9 BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 10 References DiMaio, V. J. (2000). Homicidal asphyxia. America Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 1, 1-4. Dolinak, D., Matshes, E., & Lew, E. (2005). Forensic pathology: Principles and practice. Available from http://books.google.com/books?id=JdtgE0eHTL4C&pg=PT245&lpg=PT245&dq =%22strangulation+homicide%22&source=web&ots=Tcgbs1MSn7&sig=m7KpH gOWs6Krg8mG7fLJOQtYOU0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct= result#PPT45,M1 Fisher, B. A. J. (2004). Techniques of crime scene investigation (7th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. McClane, G., & Strack, G. (1999). How to improve your investigation and prosecution of strangulation cases. Retrieved from http://www.ncdsv.org/images/strangulation_article.pdf Pex, J. (n.d.). Domestic violence photography. Retrieved from http://www.crime-sceneinvestigatior.net/dv-photo.html Saferstein, R. (2004). Criminalistics: An introduction to forensic science (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Turvey, B. (2002). Criminal profiling: An introduction to behavioral evidence analysis (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=1V2SRqrTnLgC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&d q=scholarly+journals+on+strangulation+homicides&source=web&ots=CA6tyMvj BYOCS: CRIME SCENE 11 AC&sig=uMhehSgvhudHigTxCNGQ5AwxDnI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result& resnum=5&ct=result#PPP1,M1
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Attached.

Running Head: CASE REPORT

1

Case Report
Name
Instructor
Institutional Affiliation
Date

CASE REPORT

2

At 1100 hours, May 20, 2017, I got a call from dispatch to process a death investigation
at 228 Park Avenue, New York. The following is the information I was provided by the
responding officer when I arrived at the crime scene. Officer James Harry was the responding
officer who arrived first at the crime scene. Officer Harry gave me the name of the victim, Bob
Francis, and informed me that his wife, Jane Mary, could not be contacted. The officer also
informed me the person who first identified the body. The victim’s son, Wayne Cain, was the
one who identified the body and immediately notified the officers by calling 911 services.
According to the officer, Wayne Cain arrived at the home where he lives with his parents at
around 1000 and found his father dead in the garage located around the house. The officer also
informed me that neither he nor the medical staff moved the body. The victim’s son, Wayne
Cain, touched the body in an attempt to resuscitate the victim before taking his father’s (victim)
phone to contact 911.
When I entered the garage, I performed a survey and chose to utilize the linear search
method. This approach entails looking for a specific item in a list that comprises of checking
every component in the crime scene until the evidence is found. Furthermore, as entering the
garage, I noticed usual items found in any garage. These items were old paint cans, a ladder,
tools in a toolbox, garbage cans, empty flower vessels, and a collection of screws and nails. The
overall temperature in the garage was 56o F, and I could not detect any unusual smell. According
to information obtained from the victim’s son Wayne Cain, all the items in the garage were
exactly the way it was the previous days. Therefore, nothing was moved, and everything was
normally arranged. As I walked through the crime scene, I collected notes and relevant evidence.
I used the blood collection kit to collect blood from the victim.

CASE REPORT

3

After thoroughly investigating and surveying the crime scene, I decided to begin
processing the scene on the upper side of the garage where the toolbox was situated. This region
appeared to be where the argument and struggle occurred. Upon searching the toolbox, I noticed
that that the claw hammer was missing and there were traces of blood in the toolbox. Some
traces of blood were also splattered in the newspaper section where a number of old newspapers
were stacked. Furthermore, the work gloves used for gardening activities also had blood stains.
Before gathering any evidence from the crime scene, I took photographs of each item of
evidence with a digital camera. I collected samples from the work gloves and some items in the
toolbox. I was able to gather two fingerprints from the body, work gloves, and tools in the
toolbox. To collect the latent prints, I dusted the items with fingerprint powder, particularly black
granular. When the prints appeared, I photographed them and then lifted from the items using a
clear adhesive tape. The tape was later put on a latent lift card to preserve them. To avoid
contaminating the evidence, I first examined the items with an alternative light source (ALS)
before applying the powder.
After collecting the evidence, I went ahead to examine the victim. The victim is an
African-American male with a bald head and seemed to be in his early forties. The victim
appeared to be approximately 6’’2’ tall and about 140 pounds. The victim was wearing a black
short and a red t-shirt. From the investigation, it seemed that the victim was hit with a blunt
object in the forehead and there were signs of a struggle in the crime scene. I collected evidence
from the victim’s fingernails.
Two days after processing the crime scene, I met with the department’s medical
examiner, Dr. Judy, to take an in-depth look at the victim’s forehead. I also took photos from the

CASE REPORT

4

victim’s forehead to assist in the investigation and determining the cause of death. Dr. Judy
confirmed that the victim died from blunt force trauma. It seemed that the victim was hit by a
firm and blunt object. Although blunt force trauma is often entailed in cases regarded as suicide
and accidents, it is also involved in homicide cases. The doctor also asserted that due to the force
of the blunt object, some of the victim’s bones were broken. The bones that were broken from
the trauma were the skull, lacrimal bone, palatine bone, facial skeleton, parietal bone, and the
vomer.
Blunt force trauma refers to an injury that happens when an object hits a part of the body.
This form of trauma is different from penetrating trauma that entails an object entering a body.
Typically, in blunt force trauma, the object only hits the victim and does not penetrate into the
body. Some of the common signs of blunt force trauma are redness, swelling, abrasion,
tenderness, and bruising. Essentially, signs of blunt force trauma will differ significantly based
on how hard the item hits the victim and which part of the body was hit. Blunt force trauma on a
person’s head can result in mild symptoms such as dizziness to serious symptoms like
concussions and death. A key duty of forensic medicine is to evaluate injuries in order to
determine their origin. When and how they or...


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