Science of Crime Scenes Chapter 8.1 Science of Crime Scenes

Disaster and Mass Fatalities Science of Crime Scenes

Disaster and Mass Fatalities A disaster involving mass fatalities creates a specific problem that only forensic science can solve: Who died? Hurricanes, floods, airplane crashes, bombings, spree killings, and other tragedies require the combined efforts and resources of multiple agencies to tackle the issues of scene management, disaster victim identification (DVI), possible criminal investigation Science of Crime Scenes

A mass fatality incident an event where the number of deceased individuals who must be located, identified, and released for final disposition exceeds the local or regional resources no standard threshold for what constitutes a “mass fatality.” No one agency can manage a mass fatality without assistance from other agencies. Science of Crime Scenes

Science of Crime Scenes Coordination events that cross jurisdictions, like pandemics or coordinated but unconnected attacks, may be managed as separate incidents or multiple individual incidents a centralized command may be created to coordinate responses once the incidents are connected The incident command will vary depending on the type of disaster: the region’s chief medical examiner, the Department of Public Health, the state police or equivalent, a federal agency (FEMA or CDC, for example) a federal law enforcement agency, such as the FBI. Science of Crime Scenes

Science of Crime Scenes Communication coordination of the following activities is required for effective disaster event response Information management with status updates and analysis Identification, allocation, and provision of required personnel and material resources Implementation of operational plans for victim management Provision of accurate information regarding the identification of previously missing victims to families and local authorities Electronic media, like text messaging or email, can be good for information but tend to lack the necessary context and emotion for communication Do not ignore the power of a face-to-face conversation Science of Crime Scenes

Science of Crime Scenes The Disaster Scene Perimeter security is even more important in large-scale events simply due to their size. A two-zone perimeter may be required. The inner perimeter would include all areas in which victims, evidence, or property would be contained An outer perimeter will be established by law enforcement at the maximum distance from the event that can be secured. If the incident involves hazardous materials, hot, warm, and cold zones (in increasing ranking of safety) will be established. A data management system must be established to log, track, and update evidence, remains, contacts, personal effects, and disposition Science of Crime Scenes

Science of Crime Scenes Transition to CSI The transition from search-and-rescue to CSI functions—searching for and recovering evidence and bodies—is a major shift in operations transitions are always difficult, particularly in intense situations where command may shift from one agency to another A completely or partially new team of professionals may be needed in the evidence search phases Establish staging areas, separate from those used for survivor recovery, to facilitate evidence processing Science of Crime Scenes

Mass fatality primary functions Body recovery, including bodies and body parts, marking and documenting the location of remains, and transporting them to the next stage of processing, either decontamination or the morgue Evidence recovery, as per normal CSI protocols Decontamination, removing chemical or biological contaminants, if necessary, to render remains or evidence safe for further handling and examination Examination Remains: triage for identification methods (fingerprints, odontology, anthropology, etc.) and autopsy in the morgue Evidence: documentation, collection, packaging, preservation Identification and death certification Processing for final disposition Science of Crime Scenes

Science of Crime Scenes Human remains Each unit of human remains is tagged, numbered, and removed from the site by authorized personnel Each human remain is placed into a separate body bag and given a separate number. All personal effects found on a body or in association with human remains are not removed and stay with the body when it is placed into the body bag. Science of Crime Scenes

Science of Crime Scenes An event morgue Facility to conduct autopsies specifically from the incident The site may be at the OCME or another location closer to the incident The operational areas may include areas for decontamination, admitting, forensic pathology, forensic photography, personal effects, fingerprinting, odontology, radiology, anthropology, DNA, release of remains Science of Crime Scenes

Science of Crime Scenes

Facility requirements Secure perimeter Hot and cold running water Electricity Drainage Biohazardous waste disposal capacity Parking Restrooms Communications Refrigerated space for storage of remains Science of Crime Scenes