- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- Introduction
- Objectives
- AFTE Knowledge and Ability Factors
- Types of Evidence
- Associative Evidence
- The Crime Scene
- Evidence Submission
- Laboratory Evidence Handling
- Case Tracking Within the Laboratory
- Firearm and Toolmark Examination Considerations
- Selected Bibliography
- 07: Equipment and Instrumentation
- 08: Examination of Firearms
- 09: Cartridge and Shotshell Examination
- 10: Characterization and Evaluation of Fired Projectiles
- 11: Bullet Comparison and Identification
- 12: Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
- 13: Toolmark Identification
- 14: Communicating Results
- Resources
Location of Evidence
Home > Evidence Handling Procedures > The Crime Scene > Location of Evidence
Some scenes require more protection than others. An indoor scene will usually have good lighting and be protected from environmental degradation. In contrast, an outdoor scene may require supplemental lighting and/or the construction of shelters over key areas.
The crime scene must be examined in a planned and systematic fashion.
Common approaches include these:
- Spiral – examination originating and working outward from a central point
- Parallel – examination of a corridor from one boundary to the next, then turning and examining the adjacent lane
- Grid – examination of the scene using the parallel method, then performing a second parallel search at 90° to the first.
- Zones – examination of the scene in quadrants or large areas
Click here to display the different types of crime scene search patterns
Items of evidential value may be identified by the following:
- Naked eye – tire tracks or discarded weapons
- Search equipment – alternate light source (ALS) or screening tests for body fluids
- Laboratory testing – trace evidence
