ABSTRACT
The central concept in the utilization of the findings of forensic science is the crime scene. While a crime scene can be the basement of a counterfeiter or the broken door lock of a supermarket, the term often refers to the scene of a violent crime such as a sexual assault or a homicide. The use of crime scene evidence is a familiar focus for the training of forensic scientists and also the central source and reference point for analysis of many legal issues involved directly or indirectly in the field of forensic evidence. What types of materials are typically found at a crime scene that may, through close examination, yield valuable information leading to arrest and successful prosecution of the perpetrator? What findings stemming from forensic analyses of crime scene data can result in the equally important elimination or exclusion of a putative suspect?
