ABSTRACT
Chapter 17 continues with the investigative process by concentrating on events after the preliminary investigation known as the latent phases. Even when the offender has been identified, there are relatively few cases in which the prosecutor is ready to proceed with an indictment just after the preliminary investigation. There are many critical steps to be taken during this phase, including accounting for all evidence and sending items forward to the crime lab; collection of all documentation from everyone involved in the preliminary investigation; and the initiation of an investigative plan, which is essentially a road map of investigative leads that need to be accomplished. Efforts are to establish as much corroboration of the victim statement as possible as well as checking suspect alibies, interviewing key witnesses, and if they are identified, then conducting a complete background check on the suspect. Efforts to find other potential victims eliminate the “he said, she said” type of situation from developing. For unknown offenders, efforts are focused on their identification through witness interviews, lineups, or forensic means.
