ABSTRACT
The recovery and collection of evidence in sex-related homicide and death investigations is of paramount importance to the overall investigation. Although the general principles of collection, chain of custody, and preservation remain the same, there are unique aspects to the types of evidence encountered in sex-related events. Sex-related homicides frequently result in various kinds of personal evidence including body fluids, such as semen, sperm, blood, and saliva, as well as hairs and fibers and other microscopic evidence, which may be lost or contaminated due to any number of variables ranging from the dynamics of the event and the environment of the scene to the actions of police personnel at the scene. This chapter will focus on the practical application of the collection, chain of custody, and preservation of evidence in sex-related homicide and death investigations.*
Physical evidence Testimonial evidence Documentary evidence Behavioral evidence
In Practical Homicide Investigation (Geberth, 2006), each of these general types of evidence become crucial in the identification, apprehension, and subsequent prosecution of offenders. However, the investigator should appreciate the nature of physical evidence
Physical Evidence
Physical evidence is any tangible article, small or large, that tends to prove or disprove a point in question. It may be used to:
Reconstruct the crime Identify the participants Confirm or discredit an alibi
The proper collection and disposition of physical or trace evidence from the crime scene and the body of the deceased is of the utmost importance to the investigation and eventual court presentation. The evidence must have been obtained legally in order for it to be admissible. Therefore, it is imperative that both the legal authority to collect the evidence and the proper collection techniques be considered prior to the actual collection of the evidence.
