Module: Forensic Investigation CSI
Min Word count 950 words
Weighting 50% (of overall diploma)
Deadline: See Course schedule
Key Points
Answer what you are asked. DO NOT WRITE OFF-TOPIC. If you do, you will waste time, waste words and irritate the examiner. This goes for formal exams as well. Answer only what you are actually asked.
Do not plagiarise (pass other authors’ work off as your own). Plagiarism will carry penalties.
Any time you use a quotation or reference, use a proper citation (i.e. make it clear which book or author or article or newspaper etc. you are taking the quotation or reference from)
New topic = new paragraph
Marking Criteria
Relevant information appropriately presented (10)
Knowledge of Chosen subject demonstrated (10)
Forensic Investigation Principles appropriately applied (10)
Research and sources used (10)
Comprehensive evaluation of topic (10)
TOTAL 50 Marks
Submitting the final Assessment
The final Draft must be bound as one document, using 12 point font and 1.5 line of spacing. It must include a CMI cover sheet providing:
Full Course Title
Current Date and Due Date
PPSN Details
An index must be included as the second page, detailing sections and page numbers for each individual piece of the Collection. Section dividers may also be used within the Collection.
Some individual assignment/projects have specific length/word count requirements. These are indicated within the assignment/project details. It is expected that the word count serve as your guide for completing the assignment.
A word count that is significantly higher or lower than the guide count will have an impact on your mark for that assignment/project.
You must submit the bound, hard copy of your Collection of Work as specified by and given to the lecturer by or on the designated due date. If you don’t hand to lecturer, you will be required to post the hard copy directly to CMI to the following address.
On the 6th of June 20** at 03:30 Mr Philip Leyton (DOB 23.05.1965) left his home at number 33 Rowmans Way, Dublin 44 to go to work. He works as a lorry driver for an Antiques dealership making deliveries to all parts of the country. On this date he was to make a special delivery to Belfast and he was to be accompanied by a sales agent from the company.
Before leaving home he made a lunch pack as he didn’t want to lose any time stopping on the road for food – his team, Chelsea were playing tonight at 20:00 and he wanted to be back home from Belfast and with his friends to see the game.
He made a lunch of two ham sandwiches and an apple along with a bottle of Orange. He left home at 03:30 and arrived at his work place at 03:55.
Philip met sales agent Ms Alison Courtney at the premises and they loaded the 15 Paintings onto the lorry, a Luton bodied Iveco twin wheel model bearing the registration number 121 -D- 12435. The paintings were packaged in wooden crates that were nailed and screwed together.
They set off from the Antiques Dealership at 04:32 after Alison had confirmed via mobile phone with the party in Belfast that there would be someone there to receive the paintings at approximately 07:00 which was Philips E.T.A.
Leaving the city and heading north along the M1 they were delighted to see that there was no traffic. At 05:01 two vehicles passed them in quick succession at very high speed. One of these vehicles appeared to be an SUV or 4 x 4. The other vehicle had a faulty rear light.
At 05:11 after passing marker post 39.5 Philip noticed a car pulled over to the side of the road with its bonnet up. He recognised it as the car with the faulty rear light that had passed the lorry shortly before.
Conscious of their cargo Alison suggested they carry on however Philip decided to slow down and have a look, not intending to stop. Immediately as the lorry was passing the stopped car a 4x4 vehicle pulled in front of the lorry and braked severely. Philip braked hard but was unable to stop and consequently hit the back of the 4x4.
Immediately three masked men jumped from the 4x4 and came to the lorry cab where one of them smashed the driver side roll up window with a metal bar. They opened both doors and dragged Philip and Alison from the cab. During this action Alison slipped and fell against the forward edge of the cab door cutting her face badly. Philip was dragged forward and put into the back of the 4x4. One of the raiders bound his hands behind his back with cable ties and put a pillow case over his head.
Two raiders then got into the 4x4, one in the front and one in the back beside Philip and the car moved off. When Philip asked where Alison was the front seat passenger told him to shut up and hit him in the face with a weapon of some sort, Philip described it as a steel pipe with some form of valve on the end, drawing blood. He also took Philips mobile phone from him and threw it out the window of the 4x4.
Meanwhile Alison put up a struggle and was wrestled to the ground by one masked raider who put what she thought to be a tee shirt over her head and bound her hands with cable ties.
She was bundled into the back of the car that had been stopped on the road side. There was one raider in the driver’s seat and another in the back of the car with her. The car moved off and Alison was aware of one of the raiders speaking to the other asking “what’s taking him so long to start the f**king lorry”. The car paused on the road side for about twenty seconds. The raider in the back stepped out onto the verge and Alison could hear the lorry being revved. The raider who stepped out said to the driver “he’s got it going . Go on, go ,go”. The car moved off and after about five minutes they turned off the M1. After several more turns they stopped inside the gate of an agricultural field. The 4 x 4 was already there and Philip heard Alison shouting at the raiders.
While this was going on Philip heard items being taken from the boot of the car which he remembered had a metallic sound.
Philip heard the roller shutter tailgate of the lorry being raised and the tail lift being lowered.
However the raiders appeared to be annoyed to find that the packaging crates were so large as they would not fit into the rear of either the car or the 4x4, so they began to open the crates.
Philip and Alison were taken from the vehicles and walked a short distance to what they believed was a derelict building where they were put in a room and the door closed. They could hear noises outside through a window. While wandering around the room Philip fell over something on the floor and hit his head on a mantel piece. At one stage Philip noted the smell of cigarette smoke.
After about 6 or 7 minutes four of the raiders got into the 4x4 and left the scene. The second car left the scene shortly after, however both Philip and Alison distinctly heard one raider shouting at others to push the car and both heard the car’s engine revving very high.
Assessing the raiders had left the scene Alison took off the tee shirt from her head and removed Philips too. Philip had a small pocket knife that Alison used to remove the cable ties from their hands.
Alison immediately went to the cab of the lorry to find her mobile phone. It was not there. Philip went to the cab of the lorry to start it but the keys were gone.
While sitting in the driver’s seat Philip noted that his lunch box had spilled on the floor of the cab. His bottle of Orange was nowhere to be found. He thought he smelled cigarette smoke in the cab but at this time he didn’t pay any attention to the fact.
They walked along a narrow country lane towards where they could occasionally hear traffic. After 10 minutes walking they came to a slip roar which became an on ramp for the M1. A passing car stopped to assist them and the Gardaí were called.
Questions
There are three general crime scenes in this case. What are they?
The first general crime occurs when Phillip decides to slow down the lorry so as to observe why a car had been pulled out of the road with its bonnet up. When the lorry was trying to pass, the 4x4 vehicle blocked it, and three masked men came out of the car and attacked the lorry. One of the masked men shattered the driver using a metal bar through the side roll up the window. The armed men succeeded to stop the lorry and drag Phillip and Alison from it. Unfortunately, Alison glided and fell against the cab’s door causing injuries to him face, as he bled profusely. The robbers then went ahead to use cable ties and bound his hands together.
The second general crime scene happens when Alison tries to enquire about Phillip’s whereabouts. One of the raiders uses a steel pipe which had a valve on the end and hit him in the face. The crude weapon damaged his face to a point where a pool of blood was noticed. In the similar scene, the criminal acquired his mobile phone and flung it out of the car’s window.
The third general crime scene transpires when the robbers open the boot of the car and start ransacking what was packed inside boxes. After realizing that the packaging crates were enormous and could not fit in the rear of the car of the 4x4 vehicle, they opted to open the crates. They later took Phillip and Alison and locked them up in a dilapidated building.
The first crime scene involves a number of opportunities for the detection of Trace Evidence. List these.
Trace evidence comprises of tiny fragments of physical evidence transmitted when two objects come into contact during a movement or action. In the first scene, the number of opportunities of trace evidence includes:
Paint
During the collision between the two cars, paint can be conveyed from one point or car to another because of the impact.
Marks
The speed of the vehicles during the collision may leave marks that will be helpful in analysing the braking and impact forces.
Metal bar and cable ties
The robbers used the metal bar to hit the driver, and the cable ties to hold his hands together to prevent him from responding back
During the unloading of the lorry the potential for transfer of trace evidence is high. List at least three situations where this could have happened in this case.
Discuss a further three areas where any type of evidence might be recovered from the field scene.
According to Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division (2013), the transfer of trace evidence is evident when the Raiders ran away from the crime scenes (p.11). Another transfer of trace evidence is apparent is applicable when the vehicles used in the offences are driven away. The fingerprints may be contaminated because other third-party persons may use the cars as well. Moreover, other evidence inside the vehicle may be thrown away, and this may interrupt the proper forensic investigation research (Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division, 2013, P.11). The third situation occurs when the mobile phone is thrown away. The cell phone can be used as a physical evidence to track the conversations between the Raiders and other persons. This information is necessary to address to track the geographical location of the suspects (ibid).
Discuss a further three areas where any evidence might be recovered from the field
The three physical pieces of evidence are the tee shirt, cigarettes, and weapons used in the crime scenes. The fingerprints captured during the crime scene investigation will be crucial to offer credible evidence to apprehend the offenders. The weapons used in this crime scene case study is a steel pipe with a particular valve on the end. The pieces of cigarettes that the suspects leave behind will be crucial for forensic investigation.
The tee shirt that Alison removes from his head and that of his colleague, Philip can be used as physical evidence. The tee shirt will be applicable for investigations because of the fiber transfer between the Raiders and the victims such as Philip and Alison during the commissioning of a crime. This tee shirt can be classified as a secondary transfer because the already transferred fibers on the clothing of a suspect convey to the clothing of Alison and Philip. The mechanics of secondary transfer is essential when reconstructing the situations of a crime. Additionally, the construction and fiber elements of the fabrics and the conditions of the garments about the damage will be the key determinants in the forensic investigations. Another significant concern is the duration of time between the actual physical contact and the collection of clothing items from the crime scenes. The possibility of tracing the transferred fibers on the clothing on the suspect after the claimed contact may be remote relying on the handling of the clothing.
The examination of the cigarettes, tee shirt, and the blunt steel pipe is performed by making impressions on the plasters and tracing the fingerprints encountered. These investigators must preserve and handle the physical evidence for effective forensic science investigation
Three suspects travelling in a car were arrested later the same day. The SIO requests you to advise him on the preservation of trace evidence relating to these persons and car. What do you tell him?
There are several precautions that the SIO needs to implement to be able to preserve the trace evidence. The SIO should store the adhesive materials in a move that will not contaminate them. Nevertheless, the SIO should avoid using tools such as forceps at any circumstances because they tend to destroy the trace evidence. The SIO forensic specialists should avoid using the serrated equipment because they take the time to be cleaned again. The trace evidence should be placed in paper envelopes with a label of their origin to avoid confusion.
Bruni et al. (2014, p.29) assert that there are several steps that one would undertake to process the crime scene from the start to end. The crime scene case I am going to address is when the raiders hit Philip with a blunt steel pipe. First, I will launch the scenes dimensions and trace the potential safety and health perils. I will relocate the focal point of the scene as the critical area of disturbance. It would be easier and effective to measure the size of the place than to discover that sensitive exhibit outside the crime scene has been damaged (ibid).
The second step would be to boost security at the crime scene. According to Locard’s exchange principle, every individual should enter or leaves the crime scene subject to increasing or reducing material from the crime scene. I would fence the offense area with yellow tapes. Nonetheless, the personnel who habitually entered and left the crime scenes are documented in the period that the boundaries have been laid down.
The third procedure will be the plan, communicate and organize with the relevant persons. I will develop a theory that addresses in the form of offense that has happened. A sound understanding of the crime would be crucial to expect the evidence that is available. I would draft an evidence-collection tactic that considers the weather situations, time of the day and other aspects.
The preceding procedure will be to perform a survey on the scene to provide Providence on the evidence collection. I will spot the valuable evidence, take notes and capture snapshots of the site and the evidence. The crime scene will be documented to record the conditions present in the scene.
Another step will be to record and process the scene. Through a strategic plan, I will conduct a detailed coordinated forensic investigation collecting all the available evidence. I will draw the sketches, illustrations and diagrams if appropriate. Furthermore, I will adhere to the guidelines of packaging, packing and preserving the evidence. If I feel that the evidence is minimal, I will conduct a secondary survey for more confidence.
The final step will encompass recording and preserve the evidence of the crime scene. On the termination of the forensic investigation process, I will strive to link the descriptions recorded in the inventory log with a photo of evidence outlined in the crime scene.
Please expand on your answers do not just list the available evidence describe the various processes involved with regard to analysis.
Project/Assignment Cover Sheet/Authorship Statement*
*This Cover sheet must be attached to the completed project/assignment otherwise the project/assignment cannot be accepted
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of copying, including or directly quoting from, the work of another without adequate acknowledgement. The submission of plagiarized materials for assessment purposes, plagiarism in publication or in public presentation, is fraudulent and all suspected cases will be investigated and dealt with appropriately by CMI, Communications & Management Institute. CMI will follow the procedures outlined in the Learner Manual.
All work submitted by students for assessment purposes, for publication or in public presentation, is accepted on the understanding that it is their own work and written in their own words except where explicitly referenced using the Harvard Style or similar style.
Whilst some cases of plagiarism can arise through poor academic practice with no deliberate intent to cheat, this still constitutes a breach of acceptable practice and requires to be appropriately investigated and acted upon.
Procedures regarding plagiarism are included in the Learner Manual. Plagiarism can arise through ignorance and therefore it is important to ensure that students understand what is meant by the term and the seriousness of the offence.
An Authenticity Statement is required to be signed by each individual students declaring that work submitted by them for assessment purposes, for publication or in public presentation, is their own and that such a statement may be attached to a submitted piece of coursework, essay, project or dissertation. The purpose of this statement is to reinforce the principle of statement (2) above and to remind students of the requirements for the submission of a formally marked assessment.
Cases in which students knowingly permit others to copy their work shall also be subject to the disciplinary procedures outlined in the Learner Manual.
Harvard Style of Referencing
It is important that you reference any authors you use. To do this, cite the name of the author in-text, and then include the reference in a Bibliography at the end of the document. It is suggested you use the Harvard System of Referencing following the style guide in this document. Your lecturer will give you instructions on how to implement this system if required.
It is suggested you use the Harvard System of Referencing or similar. The following instructions will show you how to implement this system if required.
In-Text Citation
Direct Quotation:
This is where you take the words directly from a source, without changing anything, and where you must use quotation marks. When quoting directly from another author you must give the author, year and page and ensure that the full reference is given in the reference list. Normally quotations should be enclosed in single inverted commas in the text. For example:
Kotler argues that 'reflective marketing is the essential key to lasting success' (1994, p.67).
Use double inverted commas only for quotes within a quote. Quotations over about forty words in length or four lines of text should not be enclosed in inverted commas but should be block indented from the left and typed in single line spacing, for example:
Kotler (1994, pp.290-1) notes:
Sellers can take three approaches to a market. Mass marketing is the decision to mass produce and mass distribute one product and attempt to attract all kinds of buyers. Product variety marketing aims to offer a variety of products to broaden the customer base.
Omissions from the material being quoted should be indicated as follows:
Kotler (1994, pp.290-1) notes that 'Product variety marketing aims . . . to broaden the customer base.'
Paraphrasing involves restating the author’s idea in your own words. The ideas are not enclosed in quotation marks but must still be acknowledged. It is not essential to give page numbers when you paraphrase. However, where a paraphrase contains controversial viewpoints or a starting point for a detailed analysis, a page reference may be included following the author and date. For example:
Mass marketing is an approach which aims to attract a wide spectrum of buyers through the mass production and distribution of one product (Kotler 1994, p.290).ORKotler (1994) argues that mass marketing is an approach which aims to attract a wide spectrum of buyers through the mass production and distribution of one product.
In-Text Citation: Work Written by More Than One Author
If there are two or three authors, all are included in the citation. For example:
Ferguson and Clark (1990)
If there are four or more authors, the usual practice is to use et al. (the Latin abbreviation for “and others”), for example:
Murphy et al. (2000)
In-Text Citation: Reference to Several Works
Sometimes a similar argument is made by several authors, so your reference will have to include each of those authors. For example:
Many experts agree that . (Murphy 2000; Jones 2001)
In-Text Citation: Multiple Works by Same Author in Same Year
If you’re citing several different works by the same author, all published in the same year, the different works are distinguished by the letters a, b, c after the date. For example:
(Jones 2001a) argues Several authors believe (Jones 2001b)
Bibliography & Referencing
In-Text Citation: Corporate Author
If the author of a work is an organisation rather than an individual, use the organisation’s name in the citation: For example:
Bord Gais (2006) indicated
In-Text Citation: No Author Given
If no details of the author are provided in the work, use the title of the book or report instead. For example:
Politics in Fiji (1992) is a
If the work is a newspaper article, the name of the newspaper replaces the author:
It was reported (Irish Times 8th June 2003, p.14)
Compiling a Reference List or Bibliography
Referencing a Book:
Kotler, P (1994) Marketing Planning Management: Analysis Planning and Control, 8th ed, Prentice Hall, New York.
