Page 5 - Forensic News Journal Oct Nov 2017

Forensic News Journal
Physical Evidence, pg 5-8
©2014-2017 SYT Global, Inc.
Physical Evidence

By Michelle Doscher

Photo Courtesy of google.com
Simply stated, evidence scene? Before collecting suspect-victim or suspect-
is the result of an event. and interpreting evidence, crime scene linkages. A

Evidence does not lie, but document these relation- crime scene with well-
it can be misinterpreted. ships in notes and in pho- placed evidence should be
When evaluating concrete tography. Then, step back a red flag. Randomness is

evidence as the potential and reflect. Remember, to be expected, since only
corpus deSimply stated, Locard’s exchange princi- the perpetrator’s reasoning

evidence is the result of an ple is always relevant; no and possibly the reactions
event. Evidence does not crime scene is sterile. The of a victim were consid-
lie, but it can be misinter- perpetrator, along with ered during the commis-

preted. When evaluating everyone encountering the sion of the crime. Hence,
concrete evidence as the crime scene, may intro- the key to a successful

potential corpus delicti duce or remove evidence investigation is to develop
(body of the crime), con- through transfers. a plausible crime theory
sider spatial and temporal to present to triers of fact,

relationships to the overall Physical evidence is real, based on observations,
crime scene. Have ob- tangible, and demonstra- analyses and elimination

jects moved? Was there tive; therefore, the circum- of extraneous information.
movement of persons or stances surrounding the
evidence, resulting in the discovery and collection Some evidence is pre-

current state of the crime of evidence affect future dictable in nature, such

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