CRIME SCENE

AN OVERVIEW
 IMPORTANCE OF CRIME SCENE
• “Oh, how simple it would all have been had I been here before they
came like a herd of buffalo and wallowed all over it.”
• —A. Conan Doyle, The Boscombe Valley Mystery, 1892
 WHAT IS A CRIME SCENE?
• A crime scene is any location that may be associated with a
committed crime.
• Crime scenes contain physical evidence that is pertinent to a
criminal investigation.
• This evidence is collected by crime scene investigators (CSIs)
and law enforcement.
• The location of a crime scene can be the place where the crime took
place or can be any area that contains evidence from the crime itself.
• Scenes are not only limited to a location, but can be any person,
place, or object associated with the criminal behaviours that
occurred.
• A Crime scene helps to connect:

VICTIM AND THE PERPETRATOR

PERPETRATOR AND THE CRIME SCENE
VICTIM AND THE PERPETRATOR
 TYPES OF CRIME SCENES
Based on geographical location of the Based on evidence found on the crime scene:
crime scene:
 PRIMARY CRIME SCENE
• The crime scene where the actual crime occurred
• It is the place where more usable pieces of evidence were found
is known as the primary crime scene.

• For example, A murder scene, theft, assault, etc.

 SECONDARY CRIME SCENE
• The crime scene which is some or another way related to the
crime but is not a place where the actual crime is committed is
known as a secondary crime scene. It is very important
because it may provide a strong link between the suspect and
the victim.
• For example, In a murder case where murder is done at one
place and the body is dumped in a different place. In this case,
the secondary crime scene (where the body is dumped) can
provide more information in terms of evidence like cloth, fiber,
hair, weapon, etc. of the suspect. This will help to trace the
primary crime scene.
 Outdoor crime scene

• A crime that is committed in an open and wide area like a field,

park, road, playground, etc. is known as an outdoor crime
scene. An outdoor crime scene is more vulnerable to loss or
contamination of evidence by sunlight, air, or extreme weather.

• Thus, outdoor crime demands professional handling of

evidence and documentation by the first responding office or a
forensic expert.
• Characteristics of outdoor crime scene
• 1. Evidence found at an outdoor crime scene is more susceptible.
• 2. It requires larger investigating teams depending upon the size of
the crime scene.
• 3. It is more prone to a damage of evidence by climatic conditions.
• 4. More eye witnesses can be found in outdoor crime scenes which
can help to solve the case more quickly.
• 5. Grid or strip search method provides a better result to find
evidence at an outdoor crime scene.
 Indoor Crime Scene

• A crime that is committed in an enclosed and small area like a

room, hall, corridor, kitchen, etc. is known as an indoor crime
scene. An indoor crime scene is less vulnerable to loss or
contamination of evidence by whether condition as it occurred
in an enclosed area.
• Thus, timely cordoning of the entry/exit gates of the place like
doors and windows help to collect evidence easily and fast
resolution of the case can be done.
• Characteristics of Indoor Crime Scene
• 1. Evidence found in an indoor crime scene is less susceptible.
• 2. It requires a small team of IOs/ Forensic experts as the area
of an indoor crime scene is generally small.
• 3. It is less prone to damages of evidence through climatic
conditions.
• 4. Less or no eye witness can be found in an indoor crime scene
as their areas are generally closed and protected.
• 5. Spiral, circular, and zone search methods provide better
results to find evidence at an indoor crime scene.
 Mobile/ Conveyance Crime Scene
Conveyance is a means of transportation. Types of crimes
committed in conveyances include the following: Vehicle,
Train/Bus, Lift, Flight. Physical evidence recovered from these
scenes may extend well beyond the conveyance.
• Suspects leaving in a hurry may carelessly leave additional
evidence. A conveyance, such as a vehicle, may be transported
to the laboratory after proper documentation has been
completed.
 LOCARDS PRINCIPLE OF EXCHANGE
• “WHEREVER HE STEPS,WHATEVER HE TOUCHES,WHATEVER HE
LEAVES WILL SERVE AS A SILENT WITNESS AGAINST HIM”
• EDMOND LOCARD
• DR EDMOND LOCARD was a pioneer in forensic science who became
known as the Sherlock Holmes of France.
• He formulated the basic principle of forensic science: "Every contact
Leaves a Trace". This is known as Locards Exchange Principle.
 The 7 S's of Crime Scene
Investigation
• Every single crime scene is different. Some crime scenes are outside,
while others are inside. Some crimes occur in homes, while others
occur in public places, and some even occur virtually. While special
consideration must be taken for the specifics of the scene, there are
some basic steps that law enforcement and crime scene investigators
follow each time. These are known as the 7 S's of crime scene
investigation.
1.Secure the Scene
2.Separate the Witnesses
3.Scan the Scene
4.See the Scene
5.Sketch the Scene
6.Search for Evidence
7.Secure and Collect Evidence
 CRIME SCENE SEARCH
PURPOSE OF SEARCH:

• LOCATE THE EVIDENCE

• IDENTIFY THE EVIDENCE AND
• COLLECT THE EVIDENCE
• Irrespective of the type of crime scene, the investigator has to decide
the appropriate method immediately, without delay, so as to collect
the evidences in the intact form as far as possible. Following are the
basic search methods, usually commissioned on the crime scene:
 Zonal Method
• The zone method breaks the crime scene area into squares. For
example, a living room can be divided into four equal sections
and examined by an individual investigator. In many cases, those
squares are further divided into additional, smaller squares to
facilitate evidence location.
 STRIP METHOD
• The strip method requires that crime scene personnel walk a
path from one end of the crime scene, over to the other side of
the room or area, and then return in the direction from which he
or she first started. Every lap brings the investigator closer to
the center of the room or space being searched. The appearance
is similar to someone swimming laps in a pool.
 GRID METHOD
• The grid method is best used in large crime scenes
such as fields or woods. Several searchers, or a line of
them, move alongside each other from one end of the
area to be searched to the other. Imagine a string of a
dozen officers walking at arm's length down a football
field. At the opposite end, they turn and perform the
same search, though moving in the opposite direction
in consecutive laps. Then, they search again, moving
across the field at a 45-degree angle to where they first
started, until the entire area has been covered.
SPIRAL METHOD
• The spiral method has the investigator(s) examining the
area for evidence in an ever-widening circle, from the
position of the core crime scene or on the perimeter and
then moves in an outward direction.
 WHEEL METHOD
• The wheel method employs the use of several crime
scene personnel or searchers. Starting in the middle of
an imaginary circle, each investigator moves in a
direction straight out from the center, or "hub" of the
wheel, much like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.
However, it is possible to destroy unseen evidence in
the "hub" area if extreme care is not taken to watch
where investigators are stepping as they gather in the
center of the search area.
• RARELY USED.
 CASE STUDY
• Inside The Still-Unsolved Murder Of 13-Year-Old Aarushi Talwar

• The 2008 Noida double murder case refers to the unsolved murders of
13-year-old girl Aarushi Talwar and 45-year-old man Hemraj Banjade, a
live-in domestic worker employed by her family. The two were killed on the
night of 15–16 May 2008 at Aarushi's home in Noida, India. The case
aroused public interest as a whodunit story, and received heavy media
coverage. The sensational media coverage, which included salacious
allegations against Aarushi and the suspects, was criticised by many as
a trial by media.
•
• In 2009, the CBI handed over the investigation to a new team, which
recommended closing the case. Based on circumstantial evidence, it
named Rajesh Talwar as the sole suspect, but refused to charge him
because of critical gaps in evidence. The parents opposed the
closure report, calling CBI's suspicion of Rajesh Talwar as baseless.
Subsequently, a special CBI court rejected the CBI's claim that there
was not enough evidence, and ordered proceedings against the
Talwars. In November 2013, the parents were convicted and
sentenced to life imprisonment, amid criticism that the judgment was
based on weak evidence. The Talwars successfully challenged the
decision in the Allahabad High Court, which acquitted them in 2017.
The case remains unsolved.
• Former CBI Director AP Singh, particularly, felt his bureau had
been dealing with a highly manipulated environment and
scarce opportunities for evidence.
• “Only weakness we found [with our investigation] was that
scene of [the] crime had been badly tampered [with] on the
first day itself,” said Singh. “As a result, after that, we got
nothing of value from the scene of the crime. That was the
major lacuna in the entire investigation.”
• GENERAL COMMENT:
• The crime scene was too tampered with for prosecutors to
put forth a complete case — even though plenty of evidence
seemed to point at Aarushi Talwar's parents.
THE END