Watch the Watchers! Sometimes You cannot shake this feeling that another shoe is going to drop ...

The crime scene investigation is based on observation, we closely perceive every details, the type of work necessitates the observation with almost photographic exactitude. The police officer has to see through things to notice the essence of missing fragments, he or she puts together later on. We do not imagine things, yet, we base our assumption on evidence.

After it had been estimated that death was caused by the intent or agency of some other person, or by the suicide or accident – the detailed investigation begins.

The significance of the investigation depends on its case. In suicide or accidental death the detailed examination can be limited to the exact pieces of information related to events. On the other hand, the death caused by the intent or another person involves a thorough investigation, though, everything is investigated.

At the onset of the investigation the criminal provides the contradictory and false statements about personal actions to create extenuating circumstances.

The police officers who are investigation the crime scene have an opportunity of producing an accurate reconstruction of the actual course of events that such an attempt  by the criminal cannot succeed.

When the examination of body has been concluded, the body can generally be removed for the autopsy. Photographing the scene of the crime should have been completed before this.

As a rule, the investigation is continued with attention to such details or places where anything might be expected. Then follows a methodically planned examination of the scene of the crime as a whole, which will be the basis for the report of the investigation. It starts at a suitable point, as follows, everything is inspected in such a way and in such an order that nothing is forgotten. First comes the entrance, doors, and lock arrangements. Then a description of the room as a whole without going into detail. The length, width, height to ceiling windows, doors, floor covering, paint on walls and ceiling, color of wallpaper, lighting conditions, and other features should be described. Next, the room is described in detail and investigated in a certain order beginning from the entrance or from the place of death.

‘Everything must be examined and described as a coherent whole.’

For example, if a writing desk is examined, a description focuses on the nearby parts of the floor and walls and also of the surface of the floor under the piece of furniture. It is best for the ceiling to be described and examined last and as a whole.

  

The notes made at the scene of a crime must not under any circumstances be thrown away but should be placed in the file and kept with the records. Experience shows that such rough notes may be of great importance at some future date if the investigator is required to prove that the examination of certain details was not omitted. It is convenient to develop and preserve finger- and palm prints at the same time.

A final important step prior to sketching the scene of the crime is measurement. It is important to do this earlier, but this may not have been possible because of a risk that those who did the measuring might have destroyed evidence not yet discovered or produced fresh and misleading clues. One method that can be used is to have a preliminary sketch made as early as possible. Gradually, as the investigation proceeds and before each object is moved, measurements are made and recorded on the sketch. This method is inconvenient because the measuring cannot be done as systematically as is desirable. Under such conditions, even experienced sketchers can easily forget important measurements.

In the case of a shooting at the scene of the crime, it is necessary to look for weapons, cartridges, cartridge cases, and bullets. If a weapon is found, it is photographed at that spot, and a chalk line is drawn around it before it is moved. Fingerprints are recorded before the weapon is examined. In cases of presumed suicide, it is necessary to check whether the weapon lies in a place to which it might have dropped or slid. The base on which the weapon lies should always be examined. A dropped or thrown weapon generally leaves a mark, e.g., a scratch or dent in the furniture or floor, and the absence of such marks should be considered suspicious. When cartridge cases are found, their position should be noted in the report, on the sketch, and on the envelope into which they are then placed. Bullets and bullet holes are examined. The place from which the shot was fired can be determined quite accurately from the direction of the bullet penetration — a string is stretched along the calculated path of the bullet. The reconstruction is  photographed. A bullet that has buried itself in a wall is cut out, but great care must be used so that the tool used does not touch the bullet. In cases of suicide, the shooter may fire one or more trial shots before firing the actual suicide shot.

The following is a list of certain details that should be examined where appropriate. It consists partly of items of a changeable nature, they should be done immediately or as soon as possible, especially those easily forgotten or passed over even by an experienced investigator:

Stairs, passages, and entries to the scene, together with streets, passages, and yards in the immediate vicinity. Are there bloodstains or fingerprints on railings? Are objects present that the criminal has dropped or thrown away? Is there illumination? Do trash cans contain evidence? If there is an elevator, the elevator shaft should be examined. Outer doors. Are they bolted and/or locked? Are there marks of breaking in? Does the doorbell work? Windows. Are they bolted? What is the position of the window catch? Are there marks of breaking in or a possibility of seeing in? What is the position of curtains and blinds? Are there indications of marks outside the windows? Mailbox. What is the date on mail or papers; are they in the right order of time? Other papers and mail, daily milk supplies, etc. at the scene of the crime. Are there date marks? Have letters been opened or do papers give the impression of having been read? What is the number of milk bottles? Inside doors. Are they bolted and/or locked; on which side is the key? Hall, entrance. Are clothing and objects present that do not belong to the place and residents there, especially outer garments, headgear, scarves, gloves, galoshes, umbrellas? Lighting. Which lamps were on when the crime was discovered? What are the electric meter readings? Television, stereos. Have they been left on or off? Heating conditions. Is there any fire or embers in fireplaces or any remaining heat? Do not forget to examine ash and burned residues and the setting on the thermostat. Cooking conditions. Is the oven or stove on or is there any remaining heat? Was food or drink preparation in progress? In what condition is the food in the refrigerator? Odors. Gas; gunpowder; strong tobacco fumes; alcohol; perfume? Clocks and watches. Are they running and showing the right time? When did they stop? Is there a time set on the alarm clock? Signs of a party. How many bottles are present; are there labels on them and what are their contents (not always same as label)? Are seals or corks on or in the bottles? How many glasses or cups of different kinds are present; what is their contents and is there a residue or odor in them? Has liquor been spilled or objects overturned? Have cigarette butts and match sticks been thrown on the table or floor? How many persons was the table set for and what dishes? Are there any fingerprints? Contents of ashtrays. Are there remains of smoked tobacco or brand marks on cigarette butts? How were they extinguished? Are there marks of lipstick, burned matches? Remember that DNA and fingerprints may be present on cigarette butts. Drawers and compartments in writing desks, cabinets, or other furniture. Are they shut and locked? In which drawer is the key? Have drawers been pulled out or taken away or have objects been taken out of them? Are there signs of disorder such as might result from a hurried search? Are cash, bank books, and objects of value exposed in a conspicuous or easily detected place? Wastepaper baskets, trash cans. Has any object been thrown there by the criminal? Are there torn letters? Kitchen, bathroom, toilet. Are towels, rags, and like objects damp or do they show bloodstains? Are there bloodstains on counter, bath, sink, toilet, or buckets? Are there objects or suspicious liquids in the water-trap or toilet? Are there fingerprints on any used paper? Damage to ceiling, walls, and furniture. Investigate how it could have occurred in connection with the crime; marks of plaster or paint soon disappear from the floor due to trampling. Garments taken off. At what places and in what order, beginning from top, were they taken off? Are they turned right side out or inside out? Are they properly hung up or in disorder? General disorder. Is this typical of violent happenings or a struggle; can it result from lack of cleaning up over a long period, or incidentally, for example, in carrying out ordinary household operations, etc. Shooting. The investigating officer should be able to account for the actual number of bullets fired together with a corresponding number of cartridge cases, or give a good explanation of why they are not found or cannot be found in the correct number (consider the possibility of a cartridge case getting caught up in the clothes of the dead person and not being found before the autopsy). Hanging and strangling. Quickly confirm whether the cord used was taken from the scene or locality. Suicide note. Is it in the handwriting of the victim? Has the writing instrument been found? Has indented writing come through onto the paper underneath? Is there more than one note? Are there fingerprints of persons other than the deceased? 

Some of the places most often forgotten by the investigating police officer are locations above appliances and high furniture or between these and the wall, behind books in a bookcase, among bedclothes in a bed, behind heating elements, and on high shelves in wardrobe, pantry, and kitchen cupboards. Compost heaps, manure heaps are very convenient for concealing objects without distinct signs of digging.

In cases of serious crime when the investigation has been concluded, the scene of the crime must be kept intact until the final report has been written and read through by the superior officer and the prosecutor, recovered evidence has been examined, and the postmortem examination has been completed. The material recovered for examination has got value as evidence and should be preserved even after the criminal has been tried. There may be a review of the case, perhaps several years later, and the evidence may then need to be produced.

Acknowledgements:

The Police Department; 

https://www.politie.nl/mijnbuurt/politiebureaus/05/burgwallen.html and a Chief Inspector – Mr. Erik Akerboom                                 ©

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