Identify the error in each of the following scenarios.

Case 1: A dead body and a gun were found in a small room. The room was empty except for a small desk and a chair. The room had two windows, a closet, and a door leading into a hallway. The crime-scene sketch artist measured the perimeter of the room and drew the walls to scale. He sketched the approximate position of the dead body and the gun. He sketched the approximate location of the chair and the desk. What did he forget to do?

Case 2: At the scene of the crime, the evidence collector found a damp, bloody shirt. The evidence collector quickly wrapped the shirt in a paper bindle. He inserted the paper bindle with the shirt into an evidence bag. The bag was sealed with tape, and the collector wrote his name across the tape. The evidence collection log was completed and taped to the evidence bag. What did he do incorrectly?

Case 3: A single hair was found on the back of a couch. The evidence collector placed it in a paper bindle. He then inserted the paper bindle into a plastic evidence bag. Using tape, the evidence collector sealed the bag. After completing the evidence log and the chain-of-custody form, he brought the evidence bag to the crime lab. What did he do incorrectly?

Case 4: Often, several different labs need to share a very small amount of evidence. It is important that the chain of custody be maintained. If the chain of custody is broken, then the evidence may not be allowed in a court proceeding. Identify the error in the following case. After obtaining the evidence, the first lab technician removed the tape that contained the signature of the crime scene evidence collector. On completion of her examination of the evidence, the lab technician put the evidence back into a paper bindle, and inserted the bindle into an evidence bag. The technician resealed the bag in the same place as the original crime-scene investigator. After carefully sealing the bag, the lab technician signed her name across the tape. She completed the chain-of-custody form on the outside of the evidence bag and brought the evidence to the next lab technician at the crime lab.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Case1 The sketch artist did not measure the body and the gun from immovable landmarks such as the wi... View the full answer