ABSTRACT

With the arrival of crime scene technicians, responsibility for the scene transitions from the first responders, who attempt to control and protect the scene, to the investigators who have responsibility for "processing" the scene. The purpose of processing the crime scene is to collect as much information and evidence as is possible, in as pristine a condition as possible. At any crime scene, the technician will apply the following basic actions to any evidence found there: Assessing, Observing, Documenting, Searching, Collecting, and Processing/analyzing. These steps in this general order are the standard approach to crime scene methodology. There is no single, foolproof methodology the authors can offer to ensure success. Using the assessment, observation, documentation, searching, collection, and analyzing sequence will suffice for most typical crime scenes. The U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Command model is not presented as "the" model, but rather a time-proven process for complex major scenes.