ABSTRACT
The victims of crime, specifically their bodies, are a significant source of physical evidence. A body alive or dead is effectively a crime scene within a crime scene and requires very specific and directed effort on the part of the crime scene investigator. This chapter describes basic approaches to both corpses located in the scene and at the morgue, as well as live victims that present themselves after a crime. Once transported, the body is still an active crime scene and requires additional processing. This final effort is conducted under controlled conditions at the morgue. After initial assessment of the body, other overall crime scene activities will take precedence. This includes basic observations and scene documentation with the body in situ. Interestingly, there is a distinct status/gender bias associated with examining and documenting evidence on a live individual.
