At first, a scene might look like one type of crime, and then only after further investigation are the true circumstances revealed. As such, criminal investigators must be open to new evidence, consider the context surrounding the evidence, and follow various paths before drawing their conclusions. Now that you have learned about processing a crime scene, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and presenting the evidence, you can revisit Crime Scene 2 from the Week 1 Learning Resources with a more informed perspective.
write an account of the crime scene that describes the evidence, your actions, and conclusions. You also consider new case information that may affect your initial assumptions about the case and what further steps should be taken.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
Access the link for Crime Scene 2 from the Learning Resources.
Work through the scene to make your choices regarding the evidence.
Save or print the evidence log to use as a guide for this Assignment.
Read the “Crime Scene 2: New Information” paragraph below.
Crime Scene 2: New Information
Since your initial visit to the crime scene, new details have emerged. The victim’s shoes, which you confiscated as evidence, have matched one full and one partial bloody footprint in the living room. These prints were originally assumed to be from an intruder. You have spoken to the victim’s mother, who reported the victim’s history of bipolar disorder and a previous suicide attempt. The victim’s girlfriend reported that as she exited the house, she heard the victim say, “If you go through that door, you’ll never see me again.” Additionally, the lab has analyzed the laptop computer you handled and found a suicide note on the desktop.
In 750 or more words, write a conclusion narrative that provides an account of the following:
Your evidence
The location of the evidence
The actions you took with the evidence, including how to ensure the evidence remains viable for court or another avenue
The role surveillance and interview/interrogation would or could play in your evidence
Conclusions the evidence led you to initially and after receiving the new information
The next steps to take in the case
Support your choices with evidence/citations from the Learning Resources.