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Essay Instructions: Please include topics including, Control of the crime scene, safety, approaching the crime scene, broadcasting alarms, media relations, Crime scene investigation, such as search procedures, collecting & marking evidence, packaging of evidence, chain of custody transporting and handling infected evidence. Recording the crime scene, field notes, preliminary investigative reports, photographing the crime scene, canvass, locating witnesses, Taking field notes

Essay Instructions: Research crime scene preservation and complete an analysis of its issues. Your analysis should cover the basic techniques and practices applicable to all crime scenes. Also include a discussion of the unique challenges and procedures associated with the various types of crime scenes, including homicides, rapes, arson, accidents, and nighttime crime scenes. Cite your sources in APA format.

Useful web sites include:
Crime Scene Investigator. http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/csi-articles.html. This site includes dozens of articles on crime scene investigation.

Crime and Clues. http://www.crimeandclues.com/crimescene.htm. This site includes articles related to crime scene investigation and protecting the crime scene.

U.S. Dept of Justice, Crime Scene Investigation: A guide for law enforcement. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/178280.htm. This site is the federal government's official site with a useful article on crime scene investigation.

Essay Instructions: In order to ensure a better understanding of criminological theories, the instructor of this course requires the successful completion of a crime scene project. Each student will be asked to study his/her choice of one of three descriptions of crime scenes. Each of the crime scene descriptions will present information relevant to the victim and offender(s). Upon reviewing the crime scene information provided, students are expected to write a 12-page research paper where they will address the following questions:

Who was the offender (i.e., criminal career)? This should be answered in the first two pages of the manuscript. Students should identify the possible suspect/offender while relying on circumstantial evidence provided in the selected crime scene. Further, they should mention the particular criminal career that was most likely followed by the suspect/offender.

Why did the offender commit this particular crime? This is perhaps one of the most important questions to be addressed in this exercise. Students will answer it while relying on the criminological theories. Answering "why" someone engaged in a particular act almost requires the use/implementation of some of the numerous theoretical explanations. While implementing these theories, students are to suggest the weaknesses and strengths each of them offers in the overall explanation of a particular crime. This component should represent the core of this exercise: therefore it should be covered in at least eight pages.

Which theories of crime do not explain this criminal act? After outlining the theories that help explain the crime scene of choice, it is imperative that students outline and discuss (in approximately two pages) the "major" theories of crime that are not appropriate/relevant to the explanation provided earlier. While providing this information, students are asked to explain why these particular theories are not important in the overall discussion of the crime scene of their choice.

In this particular exercise students are encouraged to seek outside sources that provide further insights relevant to the criminal careers/theories of crime discussed. Further the completed double-spaced manuscript will be written in 12 point font while following the APA citation style.

As you examine the following crime scene keep these three questions in mind:
1. Who could have committed this crime? Identify the criminal career associated with the particular criminal incident.
2. Why did the person commit this crime?
3. What theories of crime could help us explain this particular incident?

It is almost noon. You just got out of a meeting and are getting ready to leave for lunch when your office assistant tells you that you have a call holding. It is the homicide department. As it turns out they need you to help them at the scene of a crime that took place in an office building downtown. You agree to head downtown right away. After all you can go to the drive through and grab some lunch on the way.

As soon as you arrive at the crime scene one of the homicide detectives briefs you and this is what you learn.

About the victim:
The victim is a male in his mid 30's, about 34 years old, caucasian
He was known to be very organized
He was married and had one 4 year old son
The victims office is located on the third floor of the 20 story First National Bank Building
The victims office is located next to a medical doctor's office
He kept to himself
He did not make any friends or enemies
The victim was an attorney, a defense attorney, and his usual office hours were 8 am - 5 pm but he was known to work late on big cases
The last known person to have seen the victim was an old college friend who met the victim for a late lunch at a local restaurant at around 2 pm yesterday
No one heard anything
The custodian left the building at around 5 pm yesterday
The building video camera did not capture any unusual people leaving the first floor of the building
As you talk to the detective you note that there are no particular aromas just the smell of the corpse after having been exposed to direct light for approximately 12 hours
The door to the officer does not appear to have been broken or forced
The janitor who is usually there in the mornings before anyone arrives at the office found the body
The victims assistant was out of town on vacation for two weeks when the crime was committed
The body was on the floor with what appeared to be stab wounds, 13 stab wound to the chest to be exact
The murder weapon was not found
The victim was wearing black pants, a shirt and tie and a wedding ring. The victims clothing was intact; furthermore his wallet appeared to be in order, that is not missing any money or credit cards
There is not a blood trail. The blood was primarily on the victim
The body was found in the middle of the floor of the victims office between the desk and the door

Now it is time to look around more closely
The overall office is orderly and tidy
The file cabinet drawers are open
A sofa and a fish tank are in the office
Modern art pieces are on the walls
Many officer papers are strewn all over on the floor
The window is open, there is only one window
The light is dim
Phone cord is cut but the phone is still on the desk
The computer is on the floor, the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, and the CPU. Everything is on the floor
The clock stopped at 6:30 pm
A photo of the victims wife and 4 year old boy is on the desk
There is only one door
The floor is carpeted. The carpet is taupe so the bloodstains are very noticeable

Essay Instructions: Final Essay Exam
As a Crime Scene Investigator, you respond to a homicide scene at a convenience store/gas station at 3am. Upon arrival, the first officer at the scene informs you that there was an additional employee present during the incident as well as a mother and her 15-year old son who witnessed the crime. You also find a deceased victim with an apparent gunshot wound in the chest.

You are solely responsible for the latent print work and related tasks. For example, you are not to interview anyone. You are not the case detective.

Note the following:

1.The scene has already been secured prior to your arrival.
2.All crime scene integrity precautions and procedures are already in place.
3.Your crime scene photographer has taken all necessary on-scene photographs for you.
4.All sketches and measurements have already been taken.
Other visible items:

1.Paper "Quick Pick" Lottery Ticket on counter with a blood-like impression on it
2.A blue steel .38 caliber revolver with reddish-brown spots and two hair-like fibers on it on the floor by the ice cream cooler
3.A ripped open cardboard carton on the floor in front of the counter
4.A crude map and directions to the store drawn/written in pencil on a piece of notebook paper on the floor
5.A typical cardboard six pack container of cold beer (bottles) on the floor near the beer cooler
6.One spent bullet embedded in the wall behind the counter
7.Spilled cigar box of $20 bills on the floor next to the deceased
8.Fresh-looking cigarette butt only half smoked outside the store in a parking space near the entry to the store
Your Tasks

1) Address the following for each of the eight listed items:

?Explain what fixed, non-moveable items you would process for latent impressions. What process(es) will you use at the scene?
?Which of the eight item(s), if any, would not be processed for latent impressions? Why?
?Where are these items going to be processed?
?Explain the processing protocols that you would for each item.
2) What steps would you take to determine if any of the people present at the scene may have been involved in the homicide or are merely witnesses?

3) How would you package the evidence that pertains to the fingerprint analysis?