Discussion 4
Introduction
The scene of the crime is the best location to look for evidence and clues which can lead to the arrest of the perpetrator. However, processing a scene of criminal activity is not easy. The task is exhaustive. The common problems while processing a crime scene is contamination. Whenever a 911 call alerts the police of a crime, it is immediately conceivable that contamination is in progress. The person who finds the crime scene initially is the first contributor to the contamination. Next, the police officer who arrives first on the scene. Although it is the duty of the officer to cordon off the area and preserve the evidence, he/she will inevitably approach the scene of the crime. In the process, will contribute to the contamination. This problem is by far the most damaging especially when the scene has biological, fiber, trace, and body fluid evidence (Lyman, 2013).
The second contributing factor is the possibility of damaging evidence on the scene or removing it from the scene unintentionally. It is a given that whenever a person enters a crime scene, the chances are high for trace evidence to latch on to the individual. For example, stepping over fiber evidence which latches on to the shoes. Hence, anyone entering the vicinity of a crime without adequate protective clothing will destroy evidence. The curious onlookers pose the most significant threat with unnecessary intrusion on property surrounding the crime scene.
The evidence in any criminal trial is a combination of direct and circumstantial sources. The direct sources are DNA evidence, blood spatter, fingerprints, writing samples, footprints, and tire threads. This type of evidence can hold its own during a trial with very few opportunities for rebuttal. However, the trace evidence, eyewitness testimonies, and financial records are circumstantial. This type of evidence requires corroboration and the only place to obtain it is from the crime scene. There is an exhaustive process involving the identification, collection, storage, handling, chain of custody, and examination. If there is a problem with any of these aspects while processing the evidence, it will become a liability to the prosecution’s case (Lyman, 2013).
Poor crime scene processing and its consequences for the case
The OJ Simpson murder trial features on all courses relating to criminal law and forensic science. The reason for the popularity of this case rests with the level of incompetence exhibited by police, crime scene technicians, and prosecutors. The crime scene was a treasure trove. It had all the evidence to incriminate prime suspect OJ Simpson in the gruesome murder of his ex-wife and her friend. Yet, police officers contaminated the crime scene and lost valuable pieces of evidence. The evidence lost includes fibers, a partial bloodstained fingerprint, footprints, the perpetrator’s blood, and the gloves used during the commission of the crime (lost due to improper search on OJ Simpson’s property). So despite the testimonies of a witness which a white bronco near the location of the crime and a chauffeur who saw Simpson arrive at the property after the commissioning of the crime, the prosecution could not corroborate with physical evidence from the crime scene. A subsequent civil trial held OJ Simpson responsible for the killings (Toobin, 2016).
References
Lyman, M. D. (2013). Criminal Investigation. Pearsons. Upper Saddle River: NJ. Pp. 38-54.
Swanson, C. R., Chamelin, N. C., Territo, L., and Taylor, R. W. (2012). Criminal Investigation. McGraw-Hill. New York: NY. Pp. 37-78.
Toobin, J. (2016). The People V. O.J. Simpson. Random House. New York: NY. Pp. 3-346.
