Practical Crime Scene Processing

and Investigation
Chapter 8 - Narrative Descriptions:
Crime Scene Notes and Reports
 Narrative The crime scene technician
has the purpose and
Descriptions mission of objectively
identifying the condition of
the entire scene, which will
lead to recognition of
events that occurred at a
scene.
Narrative Descriptions

• If the technician is to accurately document the condition of the

scene in as pristine a condition as possible, it is imperative that
narrative scene descriptions be:

• Detailed, with all pertinent facts and conditions documented

• Accurate, with few inferences or subjective evaluations

included

• Understandable, i.e. logical and organized.

 Investigative
Notes
Investigative notes are a
Should begin with
staple of any crime scene
notification of the crime
examination.

Provide a clear and

Identify specific actions detailed record of all
upon arrival observations and actions
taken while in the scene.

Descriptions of techniques
employed, areas where Particularly important
the techniques were when a method meets
employed, and the results with negative results.
of such techniques
 • Notes are the investigator’s best evidence

• Notes usually hold far more specific detail

than the formal crime scene report

Investigative • Contemporaneous record

• Notes tend to be more accurate as to the

Notes true conditions observed.

• NOTES CAN NOT BE DISPODED OF.

• Federal legal decisions demand that all notes

are retained and are discoverable.

• Notes should be an integral part of the case

file and maintained for as long as the formal
case file.
 • When an investigative technique is
employed with positive results, additional
effort in the way of photographs,
annotations to the crime scene sketch,
and specific mention in the crime scene
report are used to document the result.

Investigative • A negative result, however, caused the

Notes
technician to move on to additional areas
or attempts some other techniques.

• A simple statement in the notes that an

area was found “unremarkable” should be
sufficient to indicate that the area was not
simply ignored.

• In formal report, negative efforts may get

nothing more than a sentence or two.
Sample Notes
 Initial Notification
• Who notified you? What
time?
• Case Number
• Address
• Time of Dispatch; Time of
Arrival;
• Whom Did you meet with
upon arrival?
Initial Debriefing
• Who? What? Where? When? Why?
• Victims Name
• Victim Status
• Last Seen Alive?
• Found By?
• Time of 911 Call
• What did the call come out as?
• Conditions of the Scene – Deputy Arrival
• Alterations to the Scene/Victim
• Status of Eyewitnesses
• Areas of Interest
• Suspects (if any)
 Scene Description

SCENE TYPE: SCENE: WEATHER CONDITIONS

HOUSE; APARTMENT; CONDO; INDOORS / OUTDOORS; TEMPERATURES
TOWNHOUSE; MOBILE HOME;
VEHICLE LOCATION (SIDE OF THE STREET)
Scene Description Practice
Scene
Description
• Victim
Condition
• Victim Position
(use cardinal
directions)
• Items of
Evidence
 Attention to
Details!!!
• Make
• Model
• Caliber
• Serial Number
• Condition
(loaded/empty)
• Magazine?
• Rounds
(Chamber/Magazine)
Crime Scene Reports
 Crime Scene Reports
• Whatever the format used, the technician must ensure that
the crime scene report is not:
• Only a cursory discussion of the central-theme items
found in the scene (e.g. the body, the gun) and nothing
more
• A rambling discourse on why the subject had to/have
committed the crime
• A description of only the evidence that fits a particular
hypothesis.
Crime Scene Reports
• The difficulty of creating a crime scene report for any complex
scene is in maintaining some level of organization that allows
all pertinent aspects to be discussed and yet does not end up
rambling on and on.
• The technician must pull the significant facts from his or her
notes and observations, as not every single detail can be
included, while still attending to the important aspects that
will allow the reader to understand the scene.
 Crime Scene Reports (Textbook Method)
• The most effective way of writing an effective crime scene report is organizing the crime
scene report into sections that deal with specific issues. A suggested format for these
sections include:
• Introduction
• Characteristics of the scene
• Conditions of the scene
• Environmental conditions
• Factors pertinent to entry and exit
• Scene documentation
• Collection of physical evidence
• Search for latent prints
• Additional examinations.
 Crime Scene Reports – Introduction Section

• Identify who worked the scene examination

• Where the scene was
• The time and date of the examination
• Short explanation regarding the reason for the scene
examination.
Crime Scene Reports – Characteristics of the Scene

• Provide a general description of the static scene

conditions (e.g. building, room, or area)
• Associated features of the scene such as doors,
windows, openings, and geographical features of
exterior scenes and their relationship to the
surrounding area.
 Crime Scene Reports – Conditions of the Scene

• Identify the specific conditions that are pertinent to the

investigation
• Includes: identifying the cleanliness, level of disarray, descriptions
of items of evidence, and other pertinent aspects
• Rooms or areas undisturbed or lack specific items of evidence
should be commented on in some fashion.
• Conditions of scene can be extensive section.
• Do not include subjective factors or inferences formed from the
scene condition in this section.
• Report objectively and with out inference
 Crime Scene Reports – Environmental Conditions

• Reports on any weather or scene conditions noted at the time

of the investigation.
• The impact on any existing conditions on the scene should be
noted as well.
 Crime Scene Reports
Factors Pertinent to Entry and Exit

• Deal with both known and possible avenues of approach and

departure from the scene.
• Technician should identify the objective characteristics of the
entry/exit.
• Some level of inference is also necessary in evaluating the
likelihood that a given approach was or was not used.
 Crime Scene Reports – Scene Documentation

• Describe the basic efforts taken to photograph and sketch the

scene.
• Technician can describe the equipment used, the nature of
the documentation created, if considered necessary for
immediate reference, details about which photo placards
relate to which items of evidence.
 Crime Scene Reports
Collection of Physical Evidence
• Section used in variety of ways depending upon custom,
standard operating procedures (SOPs) and the nature of other
evidence-collection documents that the organization utilizes.

• Search for Latent Fingerprints or DNA:

• Identify the areas where fingerprinting was attempted, where is
succeeded, and the nature of the prints recovered.

• Similar section detailing DNA collection efforts is appropriate.

 Crime Scene Reports
Additional Examinations
• Describe any additional evaluations or examinations,
dependent upon the specifics of the crime and the efforts
directed at the scene.
• Sections or Descriptions might be included are:
• Evident fire patterns and fire-flow evaluations at fire scenes
• Trajectory analysis in shooting scenes
• Bloodstain pattern analysis in violent scenes
• Electrostatic lifter examination for footwear
• Specialized chemical enhancement and their results.
Crime Scene Reports - Considerations
• Reporting investigative conclusions is one of the more difficult
aspects of the crime scene report. Conclusions are for the most
part a function of a crime scene analysis.
• Crime Scene reports are a post-scene product, created as a result
of effort and observations made on scene and from the detail
found in contemporaneous notes, photographs and/or sketches.
• It is not possible for the technician to include every single act and
observation accomplished at the scene, nor is it necessary.
Crime Scene Reports - Considerations
• CSIs have a responsibility and duty to accurately report the
details found in the scene, that detail will often come back to
haunt him or her.
• Counsel on both sides will effectively try to misrepresent the
crime scene report using that detail.
• Trials are anything but pure searches for truth. Counsel will
actively seek to present the technician’s information out of
context if they feel it serves their purpose.
 Tips for Report Writing
Write in the First Use Chronological Correct Spelling
Use the Past Tense
Person (“I”) Order and Punctuation

Correct Subject Correct Pronoun Avoid Jargon and Objective vs.

Verb Agreement Usage Wordiness Subjective

Use Correct
Terminology of
objects, locations.
 The Basics of Report Writing

Missing Information: If its not on paper….

Signs of not being professional, not thorough, Prosecutors / Defense Attorneys will say “if it isn’t on
uncertain, and not truthful. paper, it never happened”. You want to build your
reputation with the quality report that you write.
Sample Report Layout

• Start with how you were contacted, who contacted you, times, dates, and general
information given.

“On Saturday, January 2, 2021 at approximately 1753 hours, I was contacted by Broward
Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit Supervisor Sergeant J. Smith #12345, who requested my
services in regards to a decomposed death investigation located at 123 Broward College Way,
Dania Beach, FL. An elderly woman was found deceased inside residence.

I responded and arrived at approximately 1802 hours and met with the following individuals:
Road Patrol Deputy J. Brown #190, Deputy J. Hernandez #172, Broward Sheriff’s Office
Homicide Unit Detective K. Caruso #118, and Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office
Investigator A. Jones.”
Sample Report Layout

• Paragraph on Given PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

“Deputy Brown informed me of the following preliminary information: The victim,

Sharon Barnes W/F 02/15/1930, had not be seen for at least 5 weeks by her
neighbor, Thomas Gatens W/M 07/06/1957. The neighbor noticed mail starting to
pile up in the mailbox and called 911 and requested a welfare check on the victim. At
approximately 1706 hours, BSO deputies and Dania Beach Fire Rescue responded to
the residence. The residence was locked and secured. Dania Beach Fire Rescue made
entry into the residence through the southeast window which was closed but
unlocked. The victim had a medical history of high blood pressure and had a previous
broken hip from a fall in the past.”
Sample Report Layout

• Describe the scene

“The scene is described as a white colored single story two bedroom / two
bathroom mobile home located on the north side of the roadway. The victim
was located in the north bedroom on the floor. There was an odor of
decomposition. The temperature inside the residence was 81°F and there was
a wall unit air conditioner that was on in the bedroom where the victim was
located set to 81°F.”
Sample Report Layout

• Describe initial observations

“I observed the victim laying on the right side with her head in westerly
direction. The victim’s right arm was bent at the elbow and the right hand
was resting on the floor beside her face. The left arm was extended south
away from body. The victim was bent at the waist, with both legs slightly bent
at the knees in a southerly direction. Both feet were resting upon the floor.
The victim was nude and in the advanced stages of decomposition. The
victim’s skin was black and mummified. Skin and hair slippage was present as
well as insect activity throughout the entire body.”
Sample Report Layout

• Describe what is then done in chronological order.

“Using a Nikon D610, a memory card, and an electronic flash, I photographically documented the victim and
the scene as it was observed.

At approximately 1914 hours, Removal and Transport Services of Broward (RTSB) responded. RTSB employees
J. Williams and S. O’Brien, moved the victim into a body bag where an external visual examination of the body
was conducted by Medical Examiner Investigator A. Jones. Using the aforementioned photography
equipment, I photographically documented the body as it was examined.

A further investigative search of the residence resulted in no suicide ideations, no weapons, no prescription or
illicit drugs.”
Sample Report Layout

• Describe any items of evidence collected / processing done later on, etc.

• End report with disposition of the case

• Where did evidence go?
• Additional tasks, etc.

“I cleared the scene at approximately 1948 hours and responded to the Crime Scene Unit office.
Upon arrival, I placed the memory card used to photographically document the scene and the
victim into a memory card reader and uploaded all images to [Link] for digital storage. “

NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN BY THIS INVESTIGATOR AT THIS TIME.