Forensics quiz

Pathologist/medical examiner

Determines cause and manner of death

Anthropologist

Studies bones

Toxicologist

Studies the effects and safety of drugs, chemicals, and other substances

Serologist

Studies blood and other bodily fluids to diagnose diseases and analyze crime scenes

Document examiner

Analyzes and compares suspicious documents for investigation

First responder

First to arrive on scene to protect life, property, and the environment

Steps of processing a crime scene

1. Scan scene for safety

2. Assist any victims

3. Secure scene; call for backup

4. Sketch scene

5. Collect evidence

6. Release crime scene

Accomplice

Assists the principle offender in carrying out a crime

Alibi

A claim or proof by another person that a person was in a different place when a crime happened so therefore couldn’t have committed the crime

Class vs. individual evidence

Class= narrows a pool of suspects to a group

Individual= Links evidence to a single specific source

Trace evidence

Evidence found in small amounts

Pattern evidence

Produced by direct contact between a person and an object or two objects

Transient evidence

Usually observed by first officer at scene, can easily disappear or be changed

Physical evidence

Any object or material relevant in a crime; also known as indirect or circumstantial evidence

Edmund Locard’s Exchange Principle

When two or more objects come in contact with each other there is always an exchange of genetic material that occurs

Rough crime scene sketch

1. Drawn at scene by investigator

2. Doesn’t have to be drawn to scale

3. Has location of evidence

4. Each piece of evidence triangulated (dashed lines) from 2 fixed points

5. Key/legend

6. All documentation

7. North

Smooth crime scene sketch

Drawn to scale, neat, key for evidence

Used mainly for court

Chain of custody