Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction by Robert R. Ogle

From the Publisher

This comprehensive text achieves the ultimate goal of crime scene investigation in answering – What happened? – Who was responsible for each action? – What was the sequence of each action? Readers see the importance of each step through authentic photos, real life cases and full coverage of crime scene reconstruction. It also includes the most recent technological advances in the forensic sciences (i.e. database technologies, digital cameras, DNA analyses, and computer-aided crime scene reconstructions). Systematically organized to follow the same sequence in which crime scenes are processed, this is one of the most informative texts of its kind available. Introduces crucial concepts regarding collecting, examining and interpreting physical evidence. Comprehensive coverage of procedural methods for crime scene searches, photography, sketching, and collecting of all major physical evidence categories. Extensive coverage of sexual assault investigations including how to collect physical evidence from the crime scene, from the victim and from the suspect. Key information regarding homicide scene investigations, including the procedures essential to the forensic autopsy. Examines the various types of physical evidence used in reconstructions. Serves as comprehensive reference for those working in law enforcement.

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Forewords & Introductions

Table of Contents

Forewords & Introductions

Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction is the successor to the first and second editions of Crime Scene Investigation and Physical Evidence Manual by this author. As stated in Crime Scene Investigation and Physical Evidence Manual, the ultimate goal of crime scene investigation is to reconstruct the events of the crime in order to answer the questions What happened? Who was responsible for each action?, and What was the sequence of actions? The answers to these questions and others related to the crime may assist in establishing whether or not a crime occurred and who was (were) the perpetrators) of the crime. Because of the importance of reconstruction to crime scene investigation, the title of this text has been changed to reflect the importance of this topic, and the text has been expanded to include a chapter on crime scene reconstruction to illustrate the effectiveness of reconstruction in helping both to protect the innocent and to aid in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators of crime.

In the years intervening since the publication of the second edition of Crime Scene Investigation and Physical Evidence Manual, there have been a number of innovations introduced in the forensic sciences that will prove to be of immense aid to the investigator. A number of databases have been developed to assist in the apprehension of the perpetrators of crime. The introduction of digital cameras and digital imaging will have an impact on the traditional methods of crime scene photography and courtroom presentations. The development of the ability to analyze for mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) in addition to nuclear DNA(n-DNA) allows for DNA typing of biological materials that cannot be typed for nuclear DNA because of the lack of a cellular nucleus in materials such as hair and fingernails. In addition, the development of short tandem repeat (STR) DNA profiling has added considerably to the information available from bloodstain evidence. The evolution of computer programs for sketching crime scenes has improved the ability to depict the crime scene both in a three-dimensional aspect and in animated sequences, features that are of considerable value to those individuals involved in crime scene reconstructions. The chapters dealing with these topics have been updated to include information that has been developed since the publication of the first and second editions of the author's Crime Scene Investigation and Physical Evidence Manual.

Chapters on drug evidence, document evidence, sexual assault investigation, and crime scene reconstruction have been added to the text as new chapters or through reconfiguration of previous chapters in the second edition of Crime Scene Investigation and Physical Evidence Manual. These new chapters were added in order to make the textbook more comprehensive and comprehensible. The separation of sexual assault investigation from the chapter on semen evidence categorizes the sexual assault evidence by the source of the evidence (crime scene, victim, and suspect). The segregation of crime scene reconstruction from the chapters on blood and firearms evidence should reinforce the importance of reconstruction in crime scene investigation and should provide a better understanding of how crime scene reconstruction aids in criminal investigation. In addition to the new chapters, appendices on computer evidence and entomological evidence have been added to the text.

A number of photographs have been added to the text to illustrate various aspects of the collection and laboratory examination of physical evidence. Many features of crime scene reconstruction are illustrated with new photographs in order to provide the investigator with an appreciation of the advantage of having a reconstruction of the crime effected by the reconstruction expert or team.

References for further reading have been added to many chapters. In addition, review questions regarding the chapter material have been added in order to aid the reader in reviewing the chapter. It is hoped that this evolution of the second edition of Crime Scene Investigation and Physical Evidence Manual into Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction will assist both the student and the instructor in crime scene training and will provide a reference work for crime scene investigators, crime scene reconstruction experts, detectives, and students of criminal investigation.