1. 3.2 Notes Crime Scene Reconstruction, Forensic Databases

2.  Explain the purpose physical evidence plays in reconstructing the events surrounding the commission of a crime.  List the number and types of computerized databases relating to physical evidence that are currently in existence

3.  Inability of the examiner to assign exact or even approximate probability values to the comparison of most class physical evidence  Very few statistical data available to derive this information  Primary endeavor is to create and update statistical databases for evaluating significance of class physical evidence Current weakness of forensics

4.  Most physical evidence cannot be linked definitively to a single person or object  Chance of finding class evidence is higher than individual evidence  Value of class = ability to provide corroboration of events ▪ Thread that binds

5.  Supports a sequence of events by observation and evaluation of physical evidence  Involves statements of witnesses  Security and protection of the crime scene is of the utmost importance Crime-Scene Reconstruction

6.  Capture nature of scene as a whole  Complete a walk-through  Collect physical evidence  Position of victim often reveals pertinent information

7.  Position of the shooter  May use laser beams to approximate the bullet path  Blood splatter analysis  May use blood splatter to detect path of perpetrator  Impact of projectiles  Gun shot residue on victim(s) and suspect(s)

8.  Team effort  Putting together many different pieces of the puzzle Crime-Scene Reconstruction Medical Examiners Criminalists Law Enforcement Personnel

9.  Computer technology has dramatically altered the role of the crime lab in the investigation process  Computerized databases link all fifty states and tie together polices agencies around the world

10.  Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System  Maintained by the FBI  Launched in 1999  Contains fingerprints and corresponding criminal history information for nearly 50 million subjects  Subjects are submitted voluntarily by state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies

11.  A crime-scene or latent fingerprint is created as a digital image  Image is marked for points of comparison with a coder  Print is submitted to IAFIS which searches all images for comparison  List of potential candidates and their corresponding fingerprints are submitted for comparison and verification

13.  Combined DNA Index System  Became fully operational in 1998  Enables federal, state, and local agencies to electronically exchange and compare DNA profiles  Links crimes to each other and to convicted offenders

14.  Creates investigative leads from two sources  Forensic index – contains about 110,000 profiles from unsolved crime-scene evidence  Offender index – contains nearly 3 million convicted or arrest individuals

15.  3.2 Review Questions