Criminal Investigations 2015-2016

Welcome to Criminal Investigation

Investigators attempt to identify, charge, and prosecute the criminal population by operating within an ethical framework in diverse, sometimes uncertain, but always challenging circumstances.

This course is an introduction to the practices and procedures involved in conducting criminal investigations and will provide you with a working knowledge of the relevant principles, techniques, laws and procedures involved, along with an integration of modern tools . You will learn basic theoretical concepts and apply them to the basic elements necessary for criminal case resolution. Topics include learning major goals of investigations, primary functions and responsibilities of investigating officers/agents, specialized investigations and the investigator's relationship with other individuals and agencies involved in an investigation.

As a prerequisite to this class you should have engaged in the prior study of such classic material as South Park, The X-Files or the new BattleStar Galatica (not the old one, ugh). Any of the three will promote a better understanding of the contents of this site.

Dr. Michael Thompson

Post the topic of your research, one image added to illustrate your topic. 2 URL sources.
The difference between true and false confessions

Lynzee Zeigler
3/3/16
confessions.png?w=630

Things that count as false confessions are: Coerce compliant confessions- which is where the suspect confesses to achieve a instrumental gain such as going home, avoiding physical injury, etc. Voluntary false confessions- which is where a criminal confesses to their guilt, which is rare, even if the guilt is unknown. Coerced Internalized confessions- where a suspect confesses after the investigator convinces the suspect they committed a crime they don't remember committing. The Nonexistant Confession- statement made by suspect that doesn't take responsibility of the offense.

These things can be pushed onto the suspect, hence the reason they're false. True confessions come out by not pushing so hard and using tactics that help to not cause false confessions. True confessions come by relating to the criminal and looking at the facts of the case and using that information into the interview or interrogation.

http://www.aele.org/confessions-chapter15.html

Kyle D. Braun
Linda Davis-Stephens
Criminal Investigation
2 March 2016
http://www.csoonline.com/article/2118074/investigations-forensics/inside-the-interview-room--investigative-techniques.html
http://policelink.monster.com/training/articles/1873-creating-a-temporary-interviewing-room-

In many different places in life, it will be a necessity to get important information from people, whether it be from a job applicant, or an inquest into an incident that occurred, but there are not many companies that have a designated interview room. Most offices or cubicles have too many distractions around to be an effective, and sometimes you may have to conduct an environment in an unfamiliar city and you have to set up your own room to conduct these meetings.
If you are trying to find out which employee embezzled money or committed some similar wrongdoing, the location of all of the interviews should definitely be somewhere other than the workplace. Having to face disapproving peers will be a definite factor in how much people will say. The optimum size of an interview room is about ten foot by ten foot. If the room is too much smaller than this, the person being interviewed is more likely to feel nervous and may even feel slightly claustrophobic. A room that is too large will not seem like a confidential conversation, nor will a large room be free from distractions. If the room is slightly too large (like a conference room), arrange the furniture to make a clear space about the size that you want, and conduct the interview in there. If you are conducting a voluntary interview, make sure that it is obvious that the person that you are interviewing is free to leave, the door should not have any locks on it, or it should be obviously unlocked. If there is a window, you should try to be sure that it is behind the suspect so whatever is outside does not become a distraction while the interviewee is answering your questions.
The interview room should be very Spartan in décor, and preferably painted a slightly bland color. Too garish and it will be difficult for both of you to concentrate; this also works if the color is just plain ugly. However, a room that is too dark will seem smaller than it actually is and can unintentionally intimidate people and interfere with your questioning. Along the same lines, avoid having any posters that speak of the consequences of wrongdoing. Many think that posters denouncing crime will deter crime, but around your interrogation room will deter confessions and inhibit people’s willingness to talk.
Ideally, there should only be two people for an interview, but special cases do exist. The two main people for the interview should always be spaced a comfortable four and a half feet apart in roughly the middle of the room. If a union representative is required to be present for the interview, he should be off to the side, and a short distance behind the employee being questioned. If you absolutely have to have a union representative with you, make sure that he will not speak unless he is telling you that you cannot ask a particular question. Anything else and he ruins the effectiveness of an interview. If you require a translator to converse, he should be the same distance behind you as the representative should be behind the employee.
While there could be many more things said about how to conduct the interview itself, knowing the basics will prepare you to start asking the right questions. Always remember that the interview room must be private, and free from distractions in order to aid in information retrieval.

Stephen Cherigat

Five Steps to Solving a Murder
All of the Unusual Suspects cases have one thing in common – experienced investigators. No matter how complicated or seemingly obvious a case may be, good detectives will always approach the investigation in the same methodical way. And as the show proves, this tried and tested method is the best way to catch a murderer…
1. Document Everything in the Murder Book
As detectives investigating the murder of 11-year-old Alan Brown (Little Boy Lost, ep11) discovered, keeping a detailed record of a homicide investigation is more than just a memory aid. Known as the Murder Book, it is the place where detectives record every step of an investigation, including witness statements, forensic reports and crime scene photos, and in Alan Brown’s case, it was crucial to solving the crime. Contained within the book, buried among routine interviews, was the name of a witness – tracking down that witness led detectives straight to Alan’s killers. Where murder is concerned, there’s no such thing as too much information.

2. Nail Down the Timeline
The Timeline is an essential part of every homicide investigation – get it right and it can open as well close avenues of investigation and prove or break a suspect’s alibi. Learning everything there is to know about a victim’s final days and weeks allows investigators to get to know the victim, their habits, friends and hobbies and can be the difference between a solved case and a cold one.

3. Follow every lead
Keeping an open mind about the causes and possible perpetrators of a crime is essential to an investigator’s success. If Unusual Suspects has taught us anything, it’s that homicides are rarely straightforward, and following every lead – no matter how contrived they seem – is crucial. Whether it’s witness statements, or tips called in by the public, detectives never know where a lead is going to take them. For the investigators looking into Sky Alland’s (Driven to Murder, ep4) execution-style death, following leads that took them cross-country and sorting the red herrings from the real clues was exactly what it took to bring the 34-year-old businessman’s killer – an ex-employee – to justice.

4. Treat Everything as Evidence
Everything at a crime scene from the victim’s body to the position of the furniture can be considered evidence. Systematically processing the scene can dramatically increase the chances of solving the crime – not just the collection of forensic evidence and fingerprints, but determining what does or doesn’t belong at a scene can be just as useful as DNA or a murder weapon.

5. Persevere
Time can be a major factor in solving murders – we all know the rule about the first 48 hours being the most important - but it’s not the only time period that can impact an investigation. Lapses in time – from months to decades – can mean that cold cases suddenly become solved ones. Technology catches up with evidence collected at a time when, for instance DNA perhaps didn’t exist, and years later can include or exclude a suspect from an investigation. Perhaps even more importantly, over the course of time, friendships and relationships end, loyalties change and consciences grow. As cold case detectives know all too well, talking to witnesses 5, 10, even 20 years after a crime was committed can yield surprising results. When 17-year-old Missy Avila (Deadly Forest, ep1) was murdered, it was three years before detectives had any idea what had happened to her. Then, out of nowhere, an eyewitness came forward, naming Missy’s killers – her two best friends. Without the witness – and her conscience – investigators may never have solved the case.

Joe Lubick
3-1-16

Criminal investigations has a lot to do with the past and the present. There is also a lot of team work that goes into solving a case. You definitely cant solve a case on your own for various reasons. There is a lot of variables that come to play during an investigation. You have to play the cards right to make a successful investigation that ends with a case being closed. In my opinion, criminal investigators do not get enough credit for the amount of work they do. All that the media sees now a days is just the criminal and how he got caught. They don't mention the amount of time or work that was spent trying to catch an evading criminal, and to me I feel like that is a big slap in the face. Criminal investigators in the Army, is a special command force agency that provides investigative work for all levels of the Army. Not only do these investigation groups look into crimes that were committed physically, these investigators also take action against crimes that are committed over the internet. The CID (military criminal investigators) dig into felony crimes committed within the US Army, or something that violates military law. Not only does criminal investigations require a lot of hands on training, but the investigators have to learn about studying facts, locate, and prove that the criminal in that case being investigated is guilty. A complete investigation process entails searching, interviews, interrogations, evidence collection and various methods of preservation. In todays day and age, many investigations call for the need to use forensic science. A very early form of criminal investigating dates back to 1700 BCE, and that was tied with the code of Hammurabi. In a more modern but still very early stage of criminal investigations is the English constable. That was around 1250 CE. The constable was recorded that it was (record, matters of fact, not matters of judgment and law). The criminal investigators doesn't just stop there, there's criminal investigators that are number crunchers. The IRS is another form of criminal investigating because they make sure people aren't laundering money in small businesses, or creating fake pool stock sharers, and returning the profit to the business in ten fold. They also work with scams as well. In my opinion, criminal investigations is one of the most important forms of policing there is, because it ultimately keeps people safe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_investigation
www.pinow.com/investigations/criminal-investigations

Jeremy Gwinn
Law enforcement officers get called to respond to tons of cases that are tragic, but there are little to no cases that are more gut wrenching and heart breaking that one of a serial murder. For years investigators and many others have studied serial murders to try and find a connection between each other and how the serial murderers act. They have noticed that not all serial killers are the same.
First we need to define what a serial killer is. A serial killer is defined a person who has murdered three or more people. A serial killer usually has some sort of psychological abnormality, and the murders taking place over a month with a break known as a “cooling period”.
When it comes to serial killers much of the world thinks of them as dysfunctional loners, psychotic, they are motivated to kill by sex but these are mostly myths. Most serial killer are not reclusive social loners who live all alone, they do not monsters when you see them in public but act just like you and I. The scary thing is that they blend in and hide in plain site in the communities we live in. Robert Yates killed seventeen prostitutes in the Spokane, Washington area, during the 1990s. He was married with five children, lived in a middle class neighborhood, and was a decorated U.S. Army National Guard helicopter pilot. There are many more serial killers that are just like Mr. Yates who act normal but have a monster inside that they hide very well from everyone making it hard to be able to catch them.
Another myth about serial killers is that they can’t stop killing. But this is not true, in some instances they have stopped all killing by increased participation in family activities, sexual substitution, and other diversions. Jeffrey Gordan first killed in 1986 and didn’t kill his next victim until 1991.
In order to catch a serial killer law enforcement must work together to find hidden clues. Law enforcement has a thing called profiling which is where the profilers take all the evidence and try and make a profile about how this person acts, what race they are, if they are well organized (which you can usual tell by their kills), etc.
In the end, no matter who we are, we are all scared in the thought of a serial killer. Because you don’t know who it could be and they could show up at anytime.

https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder/serial-murder-1
http://people.howstuffworks.com/serial-killer6.htm

Lexy Meyer

Techniques for interviewing and interrogations are used interchangeably in the field by some. Common interviewing techniques can include the Baseline method and the Visual method. The Baseline method focuses on visual and speech cues. This can include watching for eye contact and body language, as these are non-verbal responses. Also look for verbal responses like delayed speech answers. Some professionals believe that speech-related cues are a more useful interview tools than visual cues. Other professionals believe the Baseline method may be unreliable do to the variety of interviewee behaviors. In the Visual cue method, you are looking for nonverbal responses from a photo or sketch that you show them. It also means you’re looking at their body posture and eye contact. This method relies on experience and skill of the interviewer. There does not seem to be a consensus as to the value of this method. Other interview methods can include the Reverse Recall method and Cognitive Interview method. The Reverse Recall method involves having the interviewee recount their story in reverse order. While the Cognitive Interview method is designed to help witnesses recollect as much detail as possible. Both of these latest types mentioned are thought to be effective interview methods.
During interrogation, your methods can include the Reid method or the PEACE method. In the Reid method, you are analyzing the suspects behavior. There are three steps to this method: Factual Analysis, Interviewing, and Interrogating. Factual Analysis is an approach where each suspect is evaluated with respect to specific crime observations. This step relies on both crime scene analysis and each suspect’s information. The Interview step is a non-accusatory question and answer session. The Interrogation step involves nine aspects of the Reid method. The nine aspects are as following: positive confrontation, theme development, handling denials, overcoming objections, procurement and retention of the suspect’s attention, handling the suspect’s passive mood, presenting an alternative question, having the suspect orally relate various details, and converting an oral confession to a written confession. With the Reid method, investigators have to be trained extremely well to discern truth from lying. While the PEACE method has five steps: preparation and planning, engage and explain, account of events, closure, and evaluate. Preparation and planning involves a written interview plan. Engage and explain aspect engages the suspect and establishes a rapport with the individual. The account aspect obtains the interviewee’s account of events. Closure avoids an abrupt end to the interview. Evaluate will asses how the subject’s account fits with the investigation as a whole and will determine if more action is needed. The PEACE method is used in England. It is also less confrontational than the Reid method and it allows the suspect to tell their story without any distractions or interruptions.
As I said earlier, some interchange these methods between interviewing and interrogating a suspect, depending on the situation and local expertise. These methods are some common techniques used by law enforcement.
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2014/rpt/2014-R-0071.htm
http://work.chron.com/police-interview-techniques-11580.html

Katelin Jensen

Forensic science plays a big role when it comes to solving a criminal case. With the application of various sciences, such as biology, computer science, chemistry, physics and engineering, forensic scientists are able to collect, preserve, and analyze evidence that can be extremely pertinent to the case. Each crime scene is unique and every case has a different challenge, which is why the use of forensic science is so important. At the scene, the forensic scientist and criminal investigator work to together to: secure areas that contain evidence, document and examine the area, collect the physical evidence, and finally submit the packaged evidence to laboratory for analysis. Once everything is submitted the investigator can attempt to make sense of the crime committed. There are also many subdivisions in forensic science; the most common being: Forensic Investigation, Forensic DNA Analysis, Criminalistics, and Blood Splatter Analysis. There are several different roles that a forensic scientist plays, for example, some will personally travel to the crime scenes to collect the evidence, others are strictly in the laboratory. In addition, forensic scientists are also able to testify as expert witnesses in the court of law. I believe forensic science is extremely important when it comes to solving a case. The scientific evidence has a huge impact on who is innocent or guilty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_science#Subdivisions
http://www.nij.gov/topics/forensics/pages/welcome.aspx

Steps of a Crime Scene Investigation

Tahnee Saxton x
2/17/2015

Crime is all around us, and there are responders and officials who respond to it daily. The steps and precautions they take are very important to every search. Suppose you are responsible for the coordination of a crime scene investigation. What are the steps you will take to ensure the safety, security, and success of the investigation? I will explain the steps in order and why they are important for a successful search.

The first step of an investigation requires the initial response of an officer. They are responsible for cautiously documenting certain actions such as people, vehicles, potential evidence, and environmental conditions as they arrive on scene. The most important thing for a first responder to do is to ensure the safety of all who are on scene. After controlling any dangerous situations on site, the first responder’s next duty is to contact medical attention and backup if needed. After this is taken care of the officers responding must separate and control the people on scene, such as the witnesses, victims, and even suspects. Officers need to limit their movement and activity in hopes to prevent contamination of any evidence. The first responder must identify the boundaries of the crime scene starting at the focal point, and extending outward to include and the exit/entry points by victim and suspect, or places where evidence or traces of evidence may be found. After the scene is marked and secured, the responder must give the control of the scene, through the right jurisdiction, to the right investigators. The last responsibility of the first responder is to document actions and observations that they took and witnessed.

Once the investigative team of right jurisdiction takes control of the scene, there are certain steps they must take. After the scene is marked and secured, evidence is protected against the environment, and it is safe to enter the scene, the team must photograph and sketch the scene and the surroundings of the scene. This is important because the pictures and sketch may be used in court to describe or recreate the scene. After cautiously photographing and sketching the scene, the evidence will be collected. Specialists dealing with fingerprints, blood splatters, ballistics, explosives, DNA, body fluids, impressions, paint, glass, hairs and fibers, and wounds cautiously investigate the scene and preserve and collect their findings. The evidence will be sent to the analysts at the lab. After all of the evidence is collected and analyzed, the process will be done again to assure the accuracy of the findings. If they are sure what they found is accurate then the team will remove the equipment from the scene.

The precautions are so necessary when investigating a crime scene. The smallest event of inaccuracy can cause scene contamination which can set the investigative process back in time and effectiveness. Procedure is everything when investigating crimes. The ultimate goal is to bring justice to those who deserve it. The worst thing that can happen is a false accusation. In order to prevent this investigators must be careful and take these steps seriously.

http://www.forensicsciencesimplified.org/csi/how.html
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/possiblehomicide.html

Justin Underwood x
5/6/2015

Criminal Investigations

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Hopefully the first responders haven't caused too much disruption to any potential physical evidence. Before even stepping inside the structure, ingress and egress to it must be controlled. Sentries at all possible entrances should be put in place. The CSI, after learning the basic facts-in this case it appears that a white male appears to have a single bullet wound the head and rigor has set in— this from the first responders, so the CSI will establish the boundaries of the crime scene. Then out comes the crime scene tape. Again… before entering the structure an exterior survey is needed. This may be nothing more that walking around the exterior of the structure to see if any obvious evidence is apparent. This would include open windows, damaged doors, ladders and the like. The question the CSI is asking is… how was entry made to the structure? Once indoors, the CSI will make a visual survey of the actual room in which the incident reported took place. This is a good time to also take overall photos of the scene. He will then survey adjoining rooms to determine if these spaces may have information relative to the incident. Most law enforcement agencies conduct such investigations of an unattended death (no physician present) as a possible homicide-until it is determined otherwise. Unlike some TV dramas, the CSI is on site for the purpose of finding, evaluating and collecting physical evidence. In most agencies, statements from witnesses and survivors are handled by the investigators/detectives.Of course, during this entire survey period, the CSI is taking notes and/or recordings of his sensory observations. The CSI's notes can serve as a very critical part of the overall physical evidence available from the scene. The investigator must keep in mind that months or even years later this case may go to trial. Your notes must present the full story of what you saw and any impressions the evidence gave you. Avoid speculation as to what occurred unless you have physical evidence to back it up. Many CSIs will prepare the rough sketch at the scene and will complete a detailed sketch back at headquarters. The rough sketch should contain no more or no less than the final, detailed sketch. It is always recommended that an assistant help out when taking measurements, and it's a good idea is to have this individual verify each measurement to avoid questions later.

Go over every square inch of the scene in an attempt to locate even the smallest particle of evidence. (This brings to mind a recent case wherein a woman was brutally beaten to death in her bedroom. Several days after the crime scene was released to the family, the victim's sister found a tooth from the victim on the bedroom carpet). Many crime scenes warrant the use of an evidence vacuum in the scene to collect any potential microparticle evidence such as hair and fibers. This step should be performed prior to any close in inspection of the victim. As potential evidence is located it should be recorded on the crime scene sketch as well as in photographs. If your agency offers the luxury of having a videographer on hand, video often tells a compelling story to a jury. Crime scene evidence is useless unless it is properly marked and packaged and a Chain of Evidence is begun from the time it is picked up. Use the proper type of containers for all evidence collected. Never package objects wet with blood or other physiological fluids in plastic bags, as this will accelerate decomposition. Label and identify all evidence collected, including the notes taken by the investigator. Of course, the digital age we live in takes note of electronic devices like computers and cellphones. This type of evidence requires special handling and only experts trained in working with digital items should be permitted to handle and collect these items. Be certain that every package containing physical evidence is collected—leave nothing behind. Make a final walk-through to be certain that all potential evidence is bagged and tagged.

Sources
http://www.ehow.com/way_5314015_steps-crime-scene-investigation.html
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/possiblehomicide.html

Innocent Until Proven Guilty: The interview and interrogation process

Jessica Moss x

Determining a suspect's innocence or guilt can be a lengthy, complicated process. Some suspects will be easier to interrogate than others, and some will be very hard to interrogate, and will have seemingly valid excuses and cover ups for their answers. The goal of a successful, organized interrogation is to obtain first an admission of guilt, and eventually a confession when it is all said and done. However, false confessions are another factor to be wary about as it is no use to the law if an innocent person becomes incarcerated over something that they did not even do, or have anything to do with, and the real suspect is still out there waiting for the right time to commit another crime.

As forensic science has gained a well known profile world wide, DNA is an extremely helpful component to determining if a suspect has committed the crime, or was involved in it. Sampling of DNA has been relied upon for very serious crimes, as well as minor ones. While it is very helpful, there are also flaws in the concern of processing it as contamination could occur. Gloves, masks, and gowns must all be worn by staff, and the DNA must be processed in a completely clean area in order for the right environmental effects to take place in it. It is common that samples will show evidence from two or more parties, even with precautions taken. If DNA evidence is collected and processed correctly and successfully, it will be a very useful and surefire way of prosecuting a suspect.
Another factor to gain determination is witnesses. Witnesses can often be helpful to interview, especially if there is more than one that was at the scene at the time, and if they all provide a very similar story to the detective. Witnesses are not as reliable as DNA evidence however, and may sometimes lie or try to give out as little information as possible out of fear of getting involved or in trouble. Sometimes witnesses may only provide an additional eye to video footage caught on camera, or a confession/admission that has taken place.

To it keep it short, lastly it will depend on the suspect himself to reveal what his intentions were, and what entirely happened either directly or indirectly. A psychological approach may be used to read the thoughts and emotions of the suspect by how they talk, act, and express. This is especially useful when the detective plays on the suspect's emotions by discussing the moral factor of the crime, by bringing up the topic of religion if the suspect is religious, their family, friends, and other important matters to them. This will likely incite an emotional response from the suspect, and younger ones in particular may be more likely to give an admission or confession since they have not yet developed a criminal pattern of thinking like more experienced criminals have. Techniques should be planned and used carefully, as being direct and blunt with accusing questions may anger the suspect and make them become defensive, rather than asking more general questions which may get a lot more information out of them.

There are many techniques and factors used in determining a suspect's innocence or guilt in an interview and interrogation process. Different techniques will work more effectively on different people, and it is advised that the detective takes precautions in all areas such as religon, race, gender, values, and other factors.

For more information:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1456910/

http://www.tpub.com/maa/171.htm

Codi Guillory

Sexual Assault

Investigating a sexual assault crime is a very sensitive process that cannot be tampered with in risk of ruining evidence and not getting a good sample. It starts with the police dispatcher receiving the call to dispatching the police to a certain area. A police dispatcher has to tell a person who has been sexually assulted to do many things.
• Ask the victim whether she has sustained serious physical injury and needs immediate medical assistance. If so, dispatch an ambulance;
• Ask the victim if she can identify or describe the suspect. Follow protocol relative to providing this information to patrol units;
• Immediately dispatch a patrol unit to the scene;
• Tell the victim to wait for the police to arrive if she is in a safe location;
• Instruct the victim not to alter her physical appearance or touch anything on scene; and
• Advise the victim not to was or douche before she undergoes a medical examination
The first ones there must make sure the victim receives medical attention. Paramedics must bring the person to a hospital for medical care and a physical examination to establish the crime of rape or sexual assault. Investigators will take the victim’s clothes as evidence, so officers should bring a second pair of clothes for the victim to the hospital whenever possible. Many victims will have a friend with them to call on their behalf. Keeping the chain of evidence is crucial, and a police officer, preferably a female officer, should accompany the victim in the ambulance.
Searching the crime scene is important to find evidence. To find leads on a suspect, investigators have to do many things a certain way:
1. Reconstruct what happened and establish that a crime occurred
2. Identify, document and collect evidence of what occurred
3. Link the victim and the suspect to the scene of the crime
4. Identify and locate any witnesses
5. Identify and apprehend the person who committed the crime
The evidence collected at the scene and during the medical exam of the victim is very important to obtaining DNA evidence that may identify the suspect. In cases where the suspect is not known to the victim, investigators can submit DNA typing of material recovered from the scene to the FBI’s database of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scenes and missing persons. All states mandate the collection of DNA samples of convicted rapists, a tool that allows crime laboratories to electronically compare DNA profiles from those developed in the investigation to a national database.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/sexual-assault.html
https://rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/sexual-assault

Stephen cherigat

Homicide
This is the deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another; murder. To begin with, not all homicides are crimes. Homicides include all killings of humans. Many homicides, such as murder and manslaughter, violate criminal laws. Others, such as a killing committed in justified self-defense, are not criminal. Illegal killings range from manslaughter to murder, with multiple degrees of each representing the gravity of the crime.
Murder: First degree murder is the most serious criminal homicide. Typically, first degree murder is both intentional and premeditated. Premeditated can mean anything from a long time plan to kill the victim, to a shorter term plan. The intent of the accused murderer does not need to be focused on the actual victim. If someone planned on killing one victim, but by accident kills someone else, the murder is still intentional and premeditated meaning a first degree murder charge.
Manslaughter: Manslaughter generally means an illegal killing that falls short of murder. The lowest form of manslaughter is involuntary manslaughter. This means that the perpetrator did not intend to kill anyone, but still killed the victim through behavior that was either criminally negligent or reckless. One common example is a DUI accident which kills someone. Someone driving drunk is behaving in a criminally reckless manner, even if they had no intent to kill anyone.
Voluntary manslaughter usually means that the offender did not have a prior intent to kill such as when the homicide occurs "in the heat of passion" and without forethought. Depending on the state, this crime may fall under a variant of murder charges, instead of manslaughter.
Legal Homicides: Some homicides are not illegal. Criminal laws carve out exceptions for some killings which would otherwise fall under criminal laws against manslaughter or murder. These are referred to as "justified homicide". One primary example is a killing in justified self-defense or defense of someone else. Such a homicide is deemed justified if the situation called for self-defense and state law allows lethal force in that type of situation. Most state laws allow justified homicide to defend oneself or another from credible threat of serious crimes such as rape, armed robbery and murder.

The three basic principles involved in the initiation of an effective homicide investigation are as follows.

1. Rapid response to the homicide crime scene by patrol officers. This is imperative in order to protect evidentiary materials before they are destroyed, altered, or lost.

2. Anything and everything should be considered as evidence. Whether this evidence is physical or testimonial, it must be preserved, noted, and brought to the attention of the investigators. The only evidence collected at this point of the investigation is eyewitness accounts or spontaneous statements of a suspect at the scene. After the scene is secured, immediate and appropriate notification must be made to the homicide investigators.

http://www.practicalhomicide.com/articles/HomCrimeSc.htm
http://www.legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/homicide

Homicide Investigation

Alix Johnson x
2/18/15

As sad as it is to say, homicides are a fairly regular occurrence in society today. The good news is that homicides have a very high clearance rate with typically 65% or more being solved on a yearly basis. Homicides happen for a huge variety of reasons. Animosity over an unpaid debt. In the heat of an argument someone snaps and takes it too far. Daddy’s little girl brought home the tattoo-covered 27 year old that rides a motorcycle. Someone holds a grudge against whoever ate the last of the cereal and then put the empty box back. Or even worse, the person who put the milk back with only a cap full left. The possibilities are endless, and mental instability is a very common factor. The varieties of homicide vary from second degree (hot-blooded murder) and first degree (cold-blooded murder) to involuntary and voluntary manslaughter. The processes for solving these different homicides are all pretty similar.

The first step is arriving at the scene. It’s important to take note of how the police became aware of the homicide. It is best to use the ADAPT method: Assess scene, Detain witnesses, Arrest perpetrator, Protect scene, and Take notes. As a first responder, you should confirm that the victim is dead after you have secured the scene. If the death was recent, an attempt at resuscitation should be carried out. The legal signs of death are obvious like no respiration, no pulse, and pupils won’t dilate in response to light.

The next step is to identify the victim and estimate time of death. It’s important to always remember to double check sources of identification. Just because there is an ID in someone’s wallet doesn’t mean that someone else didn’t plant it there. There will be two estimated times of death, one from the police department and one from the medical examiner. The times should roughly coincide, and legally they should be within four hours of each other. Rigor mortis is a key factor in estimating time of death.
Next is to establish a cause of death and piece together the victim’s regular routines. Inventory the wounds and look for signs of self-defense. Look for welts as a sign of strangulation or mouth discoloration as a sign of poisoning. Next figure out the victim’s routine, especially for the past 24 hours. It can be helpful to work with witnesses and bystanders to build on what you already know.

The final step is to establish a motive for the murder. You should be able to come up with at least two or three theories for what happened. Take into account that anger, jealousy, and revenge are very common motives. Playing around with possible motives allows for connections to be made with similar crimes that have occurred in the same area or crimes that were committed in a different area in a very similar manner. The homicide could be a random occurrence or it could be linked to other killings. this can alter the motives of the case.

http://justicewomen.com/cj_investigate_guide.html
http://www.practicalhomicide.com/articles/HomCrimeSc.htm

Stafan Bradley x
Feb 18,2015

Insurance Fraud

Insurance fraud occur every day in life many people don’t get protected because they don’t think it would happen to them so they don’t get it or they cannot afford it but I advise everyone should get insurance.
There are many type of insurance frauds such as, Health insurance fraud investigation.
This investigation tries to determine whether someone is getting paid for health care that they are not receiving or is filing health care claims and requests that are not valid or needed.

Insurance claims investigators will search billing records and make sure that doctors and patients are not colluding to commit fraud.
Car insurance fraud investigation. Some criminals stage accidents, in which they purposely collide with another car and then try to accuse the other driver of an accident in order to file claims. Some criminals attempt vehicle theft fraud, trying to get money for a car which was not, in fact, stolen. Insurance fraud investigators uncover these schemes.
Home insurance fraud investigation. In this type of insurance investigation, investigators discover disaster fraud, which includes false claims of damage.

Investigators will often try to find out if the claimant has upgraded their coverage before the claim was filed. They also investigate property fraud to find evidence against those who make false claims about property damage.
Life insurance fraud investigation. Investigators work to uncover cases of people who claim life insurance while still alive or those who claim too much in life insurance. Investigators also verify the existence of an individual who has life insurance being collected on them .Workers compensation fraud investigation.

Insurance investigators work to find evidence of workers who claim compensation when not as injured as they claim. Investigators will verify the severity of the injury and whether the injury occurred while the person was working.

Insurance company investigation. Investigators also work to uncover evidence of bad business practices at insurance companies. If an insurance company takes your money but does not compensate you as promised, a professional investigator can help you make your case in court.

The U.S. insurance industry consists of thousands of companies that collect more than $1.1 trillion in premiums each year, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and the estimated cost of fraud is approximately $30 billion a year. Most of this expense is passed on to consumers in the form of higher insurance premiums, to the tune of about $200 to $300 a year per family, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Not to mention the number of insurance companies that go under because of excessive claims and/or the looting of company assets.

There are many capable private and government investigative and regulatory entities at the national and state level that look into insurance fraud, so the FBI directs its resources toward identifying the most prevalent schemes and the top-echelon criminals and criminal organizations who commit the fraud. But even when conducting our own investigations, we often work closely with private fraud associations, state fraud bureaus, state insurance regulators, and other federal agencies.

http://www.pinow.com/investigations/insurance-fraud
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/january/insurance_013112

Justin Underwood x
Feb 18, 2015

Suicide

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There may be very many miscommunications parts of a suicide investigation. The miscommunications skills between responsibilities uniform officers, detectives, medical examiners to forensic experts makes a big part of what could be a suicide. There are many mistakes in a process of a suicide. The mistakes come from the detectives or maybe an officer or someone mishandles the evidence in the wrong way which may include the result to be messed up or wrong. I’m going to tell you the most mistakes that an officer or a detectives make in the process of a suicide.

Assuming the case is a suicide based on the initial report. If a case is a suicide based on the initial report than the officer that is showing up at the crime scene will think it is a suicide based on the report. It is a critical error in thinking to handle the call based on the initial report. The immediate problem is that psychologically one is assuming the death to be a suicide case, when in fact this is a basic death investigation, which could very well turn out to be a homicide. Another mistake is assuming a suicide position at the crime scene. It has been experience that when police officers or detectives hear the word “Suicide” they go into what I describe as the ‘Suicide Position.’ Without a doubt investigators take “short-cuts” when they hear the word suicide. Many investigators, who have “bought-into” the initial call and treated the case like a routine suicide or a natural death, have been greatly embarrassed when the medical examiner’s finding showed the death to be a homicide. Another mistake is failure to conduct victimology. One of the most significant factors to consider in any death investigation is victimology. Victimology as it pertains to both suicide and homicide investigations is significant in ascertaining motives, suspects and risk factors. Victimology is the collection and assessment of all significant information as it relates to the victim and his or her lifestyle. Some of the things include employment, education, friends, habits, hobbies, marital status, relationships, dating history, sexuality, reputation, criminal record, history of alcohol or drugs, physical condition and neighborhood of residence are all pieces of the mosaic that comprise victimology. Another thing you look for is if the person has any injuries or wounds. Injuries and wounds in suicides may be very similar to those observed in homicides. However, certain observations that the wounds found on the body are consistent with homicide or suicide should be made. Likewise, in suicide cases, there appear to be preferences and avoidances for certain parts of the body, like did they hang themselves or did someone else do and make it look like they did it themselves. Collecting evidence is a big part of finding out what really happen in a suicide crime scene. If you collect the evidence wrong or mishandle any of it, it will make the result not right or bring a different result.

These are just the main problems that any police officer or a crime scene investigator has during a crime scene. The crime scene tells you a lot of what happen to the person but it also doesn’t show you what the main part are. In a suicide crime scene everything you do is important and every move that you make is also important. As I explained in my essay anything that you do, you have to make sure you do it right or there will be a different result.

http://www.practicalhomicide.com/Research/7mistakes.htm
http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/investigations/crime-scene/guides/death-investigation/pages/welcome.aspx

**Jessica Moss x

The DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)**

The DEA, or Drug Enforcement Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that deals specifically with drugs and controlled substances. The DEA was first established in early July of 1973, and has now maintained 21 field divisions with 227 field offices and 86 foreign offices in 62 different countries.

The main responsibility of the DEA is to inhibit the trafficking of drugs within the USA. Thousands of DEA agents are working on the streets day and night, since combating drug smuggling is not an easy task. Specific tasks will vary between departments, but they all have the objective of keeping the USA free from illegal drugs. While the agency is mostly concerned with illegal drugs, they are also the government’s enforcer of hunting down medical marijuana clubs who are selling it to those who are ill. It is questionable as to how effective the agency has been in truly preventing the sale of illegal drugs throughout the country. Supports however have claimed that the DEA has been effective considering the fact that illegal drugs are now much less affordable than before with the amount of pressure that has been placed on traffickers, causing them to raise the prices to those who buy them. In 2005 it was reported that $1.4 billion dollars in assets related to drug trafficking and $477 million dollars had been seized. However, the total value of drugs being sold in the USA every year has been determined to be about $64 billion dollars.

The DEA has been criticized quite a bit because of the restrictions they have put on a few different types of drugs that have been referred to as medicinal by those in the field of pharmacology. This is argued due to the fact that under the laws of the Controlled Substances Act, it is the Department of Human Health Services that has legal responsibility to scientifically and medicinally determine which drugs should be legal and which should not be.

For those who wish to enter the DEA, it is known to be quite a competitive field with a number of requirements. The minimum education requirements are to have at least a bachelor’s degree unless already having close experience to a field in law enforcement, and it is recommended that those who apply have their degree in a field like criminal justice, political science, chemistry, finance, foreign language, sociology, etc. The demand of physical and psychological agility is very high, and aspiring agents need to possess very open minds and be ready for anything that could possibly happen in the field. Some of the dangers associated with a day in the field would be having to chase a fleeing fugitive, fire heavy weaponry, work in a highly stressful crisis situation, and possibly even carry an injured agent out of a high risk area. A series of written and oral tests will be taken after an application is accepted, as well as a drug test and medical background check.

Before being sent off to the training academy, a physical test and criminal background check will also be required in order to pass. A 2 mile run, as well as a shuttle run, sit ups, push ups, etc. will be done to test the strength of the applicant. If the applicant passes these tests, as well as a background check, and is considered to be one of the “most competitive,” he or she will be sent off to the 18 week training academy in Quantico, Virginia.

The DEA is a very rewarding field to be in with many benefits. But those who decide to apply for it must be completely determined to pass and make it in, and if not, a different job in law enforcement may be a better option.

For more information:
http://www.criminaljusticedegreehub.com/dea/
http://www.drugenforcementedu.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Enforcement_Administration

Tim Becket x

FBI

The FBI is short for the “Federal Bureau of Investigation”, the main focus of their job is to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats. Also to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners. The FBI investigates specific crimes assigned to it and provides other law enforcement agencies with cooperative services, such as fingerprint identification, laboratory examinations, and training.

The FBI is the main investigative team of the United States, they have authority to investigate nearly anything they please. They investigate all things from terrorist threats, to civil right crimes such as hate crimes, and even things such as vehicle thefts and pedophiles. They currently have jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal law within our national security and criminal priorities.

The FBI has been involved with nearly every major event in the United States history. During the Second World War there was no CIA yet and the country was in one of the most vulnerable positions it had ever been in. The country needed help so the president assigned intelligence assignments to nearly every agency they could get their hands on, the FBI was on the list and turned out to be a big contributor during the war. The Bureau assisted in all types of things during the war, they were responsible for cracking near hundreds of hidden codes and messages from the Nazis, which aided the U.S. tremendously in gaining the upper hand during the war. They were also very big factors when it came in infiltrating the enemy intelligence groups and were responsible for sending spies that infiltrated the Nazis and gained very valuable information during the war which also helped greatly when it came to winning the war. These reasons and many reasons more were how the FBI assisted in the U.S. being victorious during the Second World War.

The FBI was also involved with investigating famous criminals, terrorists and organizations such as John Dillinger, Al Capone, The KKK, The Unabomber, John Gotti, and Bonnie and Clyde. 9/11 was the busiest time and most famous time in FBI history when nearly half of the agents in the agency turned their attention to the incidents on that day working to identify exactly what happened, how it happened, who the hijackers were, and the reason the incident had taken place, they had code named the incident, “PENTTBOM”. The FBI was also a major factor during the Boston Bombings when they were the main ones who identified the ones who had placed the bombs. They had identified hundreds of thousands of photos and videos and even the material used in the bombs to quickly bring the terrorists to justice. The FBI is a major part of the United States security and if it was not for them and their near 40,000 employees the world and the country would be a much different place.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/a-centennial-history/
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-fbi-debuts-10-most-wanted

Stephen cherigat

Specialized Investigation - Narcotics

Kaice Allen x
2/18/15

There are many types of specialized investigations, but the most common and investigated one is narcotics. It takes up most of law enforcements time and money to investigate and infiltrate a complex and well known drug dealer and their supplier. Law enforcement uses many different tactics to try and catch any form of drug manufacture and distribution. In order for law enforcement to execute a successful drug bust they have to know what level it is. There are 3 levels of drug distribution that investigators have recognize, 1. street-level operations, 2. mid level operations, 3. major narcotics operations.

Street-level operations are easier to identify because they tend to have a lot of violence in the area. This violence is due to either protecting someones turf or expanding it, usually use drive-bys. It is important to get a map of the violence and the pattern in order to successfully find the source. Another factor that shows it is a high drug use area is the decay of the neighbourhood. This information can be used to help stop drug dealers because if the decay is successfully mapped out it can show where the drug dealer is most likely posted at. Another helpful factor in street-level operations are the use of informants. Many people are cooperative with investigators if they themselves are not using. This level of drug distribution is very popular, but easier to detect.

Mid-level operations are when the drug dealer has access to any drugs the buyer wants and has a distinctive packaging system and label. They may have many properties and can afford the best lawyers making them difficult to prosecute. Also at this level the distributor has a manufacturer or grower. Police must use surveillance and lower level informants to successfully gather information to perform a raid at this level. This raid tends to have a deception plan and a need for a lot of manpower. This manpower includes an assault team, a backup team, and a perimeter cover team. All teams work together to deceive, trap and capture all of the suspects.

Major narcotics operations is a much more intricate operation which can involve international distribution making it a much harder one to infiltrate. There are exclusive networks that exist for manufacture, smuggling and distribution. These networks are all part of this operation which is usually identified as a drug cartel, ring, gang or posse. None of these operations work the same making it difficult to identify and follow them. For investigators to stop this kind of operation they must be organized and well informed. However, at this level undercover operations and informants are in much more danger. Also since this could be international cooperation from law enforcement in other countries is vital, making it even more difficult to investigate.

All these levels have their own dangers and ways of investigation. What makes this specific crime so dangerous is the fact that it is everywhere and anyone can get their hands on the drugs, so one way investigators stop drug dealers is by finding and helping the users. This tactic is difficult, however because users tend to relapse and do not want to cooperate with law enforcement. The drug problem will probably never go away because it is easy to make and even easier to get addicted to, but if there was a way to make people at risk living conditions better that could possibly deviate them from using in the first place. Law enforcement should focus on preventing use rather than the manufacturing and distribution of the drugs.

Resources
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_trafficking_organizations
http://www.drtomoconnor.com/3220/3220lect07.htm

Principles of Investigation

Adrian Guevara x
2-18-15

The key principle of underlying an investigation is a concept that has become know as the Locards Exchange Principle. What this means is that, It states that whenever someone enters or exits an environment, something physical is added to and removed from the scene of the investigation. It basically means that everyone leaves a trace if someone is touching or even close to the investigation. Gauging the value of evidence it is unique example if an item is found that helps narrow down the possibilities of who might be considered a suspect, or the manner in which a crime was committed, this evidence would be of use. Such as maybe a foot print was left in the dirt or soil or beach who knows what type of environment they are in. Gauging the value of evidence is what is basically means.

There is also digital evidence now this is very helpful now a days because we live in a world of technology and crime investigators would use this as well. Digital devices can be use for fingerprints or DNA evidence, crosses jurisdictional borders quickly and easily, can be altered, damaged or destroyed with little effort, or can be time sensitive. There are many sources of digital evidence, everything can be found pretty much with internet based, stand alone computers or devices, including mobile devices. These areas tend to have different evidence-gathering processes, tools and concerns, and different types of crimes tend to lend themselves to one device or the other.

Criminals get caught a lot of times because of finger prints. We touch things everyday: a cup, a car door, and hey the computer keyboard. Each time we do touch something it is likely that we are living our fingerprints behind. No two people have the exactly the same fingerprints That even goes for twins that have the same DNA but not the same fingerprints. Fingerprints analysis has been going on for 100 years now and that how they get the criminals sometimes not all the times because sometimes the criminals are smart not to leave the finger prints. Fingerprints identification also helps investigators to track a criminals record, their previous arrests and convictions, to aid sentencing, probation, parole and pardoning decisions. Fingerprints are some of the best ways investigators know who they are working with. Eliminating people who could not be the perpetrator is also important. Control samples of fingerprints and DNA are often collected from any person who have access to the scene who are not considered suspects

Tracing the Evidence at the crime scene, there are often tiny fragments of physical evidence such as hairs, fibers from clothing or carpeting, or pieces of glass that can help tell the story of what happen. All this evidence can be used to reconstruct an event or indicate that a person or thing was present. The importance of trace evidence in the context of crime scene investigation is sometimes understated, taking a back seat to more individualized evidence such as DNA or fingerprints. Much can be learned about what happened at a scene through trace evidence, such as whether an item or body was moved or whether someone was assaulted from behind or the side. Trace evidence can include a wide variety of materials, but the most commonly tested are hair, fibers, paint and glass.

In the end the investigators always use everything they never run out of clues they use everything they have in sight to see where they criminal is. In my opinion you have to be extremely smart to do this kind of job.

Resources
http://www.forensicsciencesimplified.org/trace/index.htm
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/about/transparencydocs/OAI_Investigations_Guidelines.pdf

Jeremy Stidham x

Sexual Assault Investigations

Investigating a sexual assault crime is a very particular process that cannot be tampered with in risk of contaminating evidence and not getting a conviction in trial. It starts with the police dispatcher receiving the call to dispatching police to the location. A police dispatcher has to advise a victim to do many things.

• Ask the victim whether she has sustained serious physical injury and needs immediate medical assistance. If so, dispatch an ambulance;
• Ask the victim if she can identify or describe the suspect. Follow protocol relative to providing this information to patrol units;
• Immediately dispatch a patrol unit to the scene;
• Tell the victim to wait for the police to arrive if she is in a safe location;
• Instruct the victim not to alter her physical appearance or touch anything on scene; and
• Advise the victim not to was or douche before she undergoes a medical examination

The first responder must first make sure the victim receives medical attention. Paramedics must bring the victim to a hospital for medical care and a physical examination to establish the crime of rape or sexual assault. Investigators will take the victim’s garments as evidence, so officers should bring a change of clothes for the victim to the hospital whenever possible. Many victims will have an advocate or friend with them to call on their behalf. Maintaining the chain of evidence is crucial, and a police officer, preferably a female officer, should accompany the victim in the ambulance.

Searching the crime scene is crucial to find evidence among other things. To find leads on a suspect, investigators have to do many things a certain way.
1. Reconstruct what happened and establish that a crime occurred
2. Identify, document and collect evidence of what occurred
3. Link the victim and the suspect to the scene of the crime
4. Identify and locate any witnesses
5. Identify and apprehend the person who committed the crime

The evidence collected at the crime scene and during the medical examination of the victim is crucial to obtaining DNA evidence that may identify the perpetrator. In cases where the offender is not known to the victim, investigators can submit DNA typing of biological material recovered from the crime scene to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's database of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scenes and missing persons. All states mandate the collection of DNA samples of convicted rapists, a tool that allows crime laboratories to electronically compare DNA profiles from those developed in the investigation to a national database.

Resources:http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/category/projects/investigating-rape/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_investigation

Dante Foos x

Homeland Security

The United States Department of Homeland Security was formed following the attacks to 9/11 as many U.S. government agencies formed together and reorganized as one larger agency. The Department coined the phrase “the concerted national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive to the national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the U.S. to terrorism, and minimize the damage from attacks that do occur.” Homeland defense is the protection of U.S. territory, sovereignty, domestic population, and critical infrastructure against external threats and aggression. Currently there are 187 different departments and agencies that make up the department of homeland security. Some of these agencies are: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Transport Security Administration, U.S. Secret Service, Office of Health Affairs, and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.

http://www.homelandsecurity.org/
http://www.dhs.gov/department-components

page revision: 78, last edited: 10 May 2016 21:21

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