Forensic Anthropology: Scene Investigation

Scene Investigation, Part I:
Photography, Mapping, and Evidence Collection

The objectives of this laboratory session are:

To teach the basics of scene mapping and documentation
To allow the participant to practice scene mapping and evidence collection
To produce a good quality map that accurately reflects the recovery scene, including distribution of human remains and related evidence
To produce accurate and complete lists of photographs taken and evidence collected

End products of this laboratory session include:

Instructions:

Working in groups of two, select a scene to investigate
Assign initial duties of each team member (photographer, recorder of evidence, removal and bagging of evidence recovered, mapper)
Mark each piece of evidence observed and assign an evidence number to it; record the number and description of evidence on the evidence log and indicate the evidence and assigned number on the map.
Complete a map of the scene, an evidence log and a photo log; each team member should gain experience at each activity
Photography: list what photos you would take; be specific (e.g., overview shots of environmental setting, surrounding areas, each piece of evidence with assigned number, close-ups, etc.)
Turn in complete map and logs with names of group members
Bag one piece of evidence, submit evidence bag with appropriate information on it, seal the bag in the appropriate way to prevent tampering

Information to include on forms, logs, evidence bags:

Name of team members
Date
State, County
Case Number
Number of items in bag
Brief description of item
Number assigned to piece of evidence “bagged”; this number should correspond to the map and evidence log
Recorder
Other information as requested

Information to include on map: