The Paper Trail: Case Files, Worksheets, Notes and Sketches

Forensic archiving is more than simply taking photograph Videography Photography Sketching and measuring Note taking (digital or handwritten)

“The Paper Trail…” - includes numerous technologies including

Paper documents 3D imaging Digital

Case file encompasses entire work product of crime scene

Introduction General Considerations

The Case File

The location, virtual or otherwise, where the archives of all investigative activity of a specific case are maintained.

AKA = Case jacket

Contains all paper work Worksheets Notes Photographs Sketches Etc.

The official record of the investigation

The Case File

The Case FilePages in the Case File

Each page should be numbered sequentially and indicate total number of pages For example, 1 of 52 or 1/52. New additions (pages) added sequentially.

A page added out of sequence: Placed in sequence Labeled with the same page number as the previous page plus a

suffix Page 135A, if it was the first addition or 135B if the second page added

Date and intials

Worksheets

Four basic categories:Anything the scene

investigator fills out or records Forms Audio Hand-written notes

including forms Sketches

Worksheets

Fill out completely Reagent worksheets

Contain all appropriate lot numbers and expiration dates

Case Files Original worksheets

generated at the scene Revised

worksheets/sketches Legally Discoverable

Can become court exhibit

Notes

Each page: Appropriate case number,

date, analysts initials. if sketches not drawn to scale

this needs to be indicated on the rough sketch.

Become part of case jacket or file

Draft notes Written on any type of

paper

Understandable to investigator & can be transcribed

Straight text format Shorthand

Notes Observations, thoughts, tentative hypotheses Corrections

Single line cross-out through the error, accompanied by the analysts initials

DO NOT obliterate Rough sketches/notes are transcribed

More comprehensive text after returning from scene Original becomes part of official case file

Measurements recorded in notes Take as many as necessary

Needed for recollection at a later date (court)

Forms Part of case file Ensures that important information is not forgotten nor lost Investigative agencies have own structure Common Forms:

Chain-of-custody Scene response Photographic Measurement logs Quality assurance forms, etc.

Must be filled out completely Multiple page forms: each page filled out and numbered sequentially in

a format that indicates the page number and the total number of pages

PSU CASE NO. DATE SCENE ARRIVAL TIME

SCENE DEPARTURE TIME

SCENE ADDRESS/LOCATION SCENE (INDOOR/OUTDOOR)

SCENE SECURED (YES/NO)

WEATHER CONDITIONS (IF APPLICABLE)

PERSONNEL AT SCENE

PERSONNEL (FULL NAME AND RANK) SHIELDNO.

AGENCY ARRIVAL TIME

DEPARTURE TIME

Scene Response Form

PSU CASE NO.

VICTIM NAME(S) CRIMINALIST(S):

ITEM ID DESCRIPTION

ITEM ID

RECEIVED FROM (INCLUDE SHIELD #)

RECEIVED BY (INCLUDE SHIELD #)

DATE

Chain of Custody Form

Item No. Object Printed/Method Location Gathered By Photo by/Method

65 Door know knob/black powder

Entrance to house

Sgt. Harvey Close up by Millicent Culpepper

Living room Sgt Harvey None

Name: Sgt. Harvey Date: 8/15/11 Time: 10:10 PM

Latent Print Processing Log

Item No. Impression Category/method

Location Gathered By Photo by/Type

104 2D Footwear Impression/electrostatic lift

Floor in living room Det. Wishburn Millicent Way/closeup

Name: Det. Robert Wishburn Date: 8/15/11 Time: 11:31 PM

General Impression Evidence Processing Log

Mistakes can and will happenCorrecting mistakes

Single line through mistake Write the correct information above mistakePlace initials and the date of correction next to or above

correction If the date is not included … no way of knowing when

the mistake was identified and correctedNever obliterate or white-out a mistake

Mistakes

Sketches

Has been suggested:Sketching involves two separate actions:

Artistic and analytical – process similar to mapping. oNo true analysis is involved

Sketches are part of the case fileDefined:

A marriage of drawing and making measurements of crime scene elements, the final rendering of which is a perspective that renders the scene understandable to

the lay public and provides information to investigators.

Sketching occurs twiceRough sketches (drafts) are contemporaneous with the scene investigation and are

discoverable as evidence for admission in a legal proceedingFinal sketch … final rendering … cleaned-up version of the rough sketch; it, too, is

discoverable

Sketches

History: Before photography there was sketching … still an essential skill Sketching is among the first activities at the scene

Provide an overview and the precise and/or relative location of evidence

Initial rough sketch made @ scene Converted to a final sketch off-site

Both integral parts of the case file

Where to begin the sketch, e.g., which room to sketch first …Determined by the team leader Without interrupting the investigative process Delaying the scene investigation to wait for sketchers is certainly not

time efficient

When does sketching take place?

SketchingIllustrative diagrams

Purpose of the sketch• Overview of scene and relative

relationships of evidence• Complements photography and

videography• Ties elements of a scene

together• Eliminates extraneous or

confusing details seen in photos & videos.

• Depicts appearance of scene• Not meant to be an

architectural drawing

Why Are Sketches Important?• Memory

• Helps investigators recall details• Clarifies relationships of objects @

scene?• Prosecutors/attorneys/juries

What does it become?• Permanent record in the case file

Most effectively involve two people working together: one measures and the other draws and records the information

All sketches include:

Address – place of the sketchDate and time N/S indicators (compass rose)Name of sketcher(s) – individuals who did the sketchCase number Notation whether sketch is rough or final Legend to capture information in the sketch

CASE NO: 1-008ROUGH DRAFT: Y (X) N

DATE: 8/15/11SCALE: 1 INCH= 1 FOOT

CRIMINALIST/INVESTIGATOR:EMILY BORN

SKETCH WORKSHEET

Bird’s-eye view or floor plan of scene.

Simplest for a jury to understand.

Required for all crime scenes, Gives an accurate overview of

the scene and the relative location of evidence observed.

Partial plan sketch can be made of the individual components of the scene, such as

Walls with bullet holes or bloodstain patterns

Not typically considered part of the floor plan per se.

This sketchFirst, the detail of the area –

landscaping – around the house where the crime took place is too large … out of proportion with respect to the house.

Legend explains meaning of icons … nice & important addition … construction not ideal

NOTE: measurement form used to record actual measurements therefore not on sketch

Indoor Sketch

The Plan sketch

Plan Sketch Correct information recorded, Scene shows important items of evidence, Legend is appropriate for what was observed and recorded. One Problem: Since this is a final sketch, the lines should not have been drawn free hand.

SimplicityNot ClutteredLegend Orientation

Lines drawn freehand

Cross-projection SketchExploded Sketch

• Depicts room as if the walls folded down flat into the plane of the floor.

• Useful for complex scenes

• Locates evidence on walls & ceilings– Bloodstain

patterns – Bullet holes

45

32

Wall

N

1

6

Wall

WindowFloor

Ceiling 7

Key1= Body2= Bed3= Nightstand4= Dresser5= TV6= bloodstains7= bloodstains on ceiling

Purposefully simplified an example of a Cross-projection sketch.

The measurements @ scene be maintained in separate measurement log, and not on the sketch to keep it simple.

Cross projection sketch is flattened view of the scene … top & bottom pressed into a single plane.

Useful where the walls and ceilings have important probative evidence, e.g., bloodstain patterns, bullet defects, etc.

Appropriate for rooms but not for an entire building.

Cross Projection or Exploded Sketch

Document side-view of one part of a scene … wall or ceiling with bloodstain spatter or bullet holes.

Measurements included on sketch to indicate the exact location and, in the case of a bloodstain pattern, its size.

Can might also show position of bullet defects. Perspective Sketch – 3D Rendering of the SceneDepicts the 3-dimensional aspects of the scene … requires

artistic skills if done free-hand … or specialized 3D software. Becoming popular as software programs become more

readily available … favorites of students who have access to these programs on college campuses.

Elevation Sketch

Outdoor Sketches

Essentially plan sketches … typically overviews of the area designated as the crime scene.

Can be sketches of fields, parking lots, paths in the woods, etc.

Illustrate location of evidence such as the debris field and body locations after an airliner crashes.

Sketch of Bullet Paths into Automobile

What Information Do We Get From This Sketch?

1. Rough Sketch2. Visual Layout of Bullet Paths

Measuring Evidence at the Scene

Pinpointing Evidence

Measuring in the sketch: Orients investigators, lawyers, judges and jury to the scene

AND clarifies the relationships of evidence and the relational information seen in videos or photographs.

Determining the dimensions of the scene and pinpointing evidence is a critical aspect of sketching. …

Regardless how accomplished … measurements must be precise enough to allow investigator to return at a later date and understand placement of original evidence.

Measurements also critical so that the scene can be reinvestigated when the case turns cold.

Principle of significant figures versus accuracy.

So, if one measures the length of a room using a tape measure and finds one wall to be 15 feet 3 and ½ inches, does it matter that someone else measures it to be 15 feet 3 and ¼ inches? Absolutely not! Measurement error

Not worth the time to measure wall 3 times to obtain average and error bars.

Once is enough, and the single measurement is the one that should be used.

Measuring Scenes

Measuring outdoor scenes employs the same principles as those described for fixing location of evidence indoors.

The main difference can be the size of the scene. The tools needed to measure indoor and outdoor

scenes are shown below.

IndoorMeasuring tape (metal is preferred but not

essential) Compass to designate N/SPencil – it is OK to erase on a rough sketch.Gridded grid paperMeasurement logs

OutdoorMeasuring tape – long lengths, measuring wheel,

laser measuring devices.Compass to designate cardinal coordinatesGridded paperRose compass (usually for large unencumbered

areas)Measurement logs

Tools for Measuring the Scene

Locating objects at the scene (indoor scenes) typically done using two measuring methods and variation of these. Deciding which method to use is a matter of understanding how a method works and using logic to make that decision. The two methods - variations of them – are triangulation and baseline methods.

Triangulation Triangulation, the most precise method for placing an item of evidence, is

accomplished by measuring the object relative to two fixed, immovable points at the scene.

Diagram‘X’ is a knife ‘Y’ is a cigarette butt. Points ‘A’ and ‘B’ are corners at opposite ends of a wall. The distance A & B measured … the fixed points in the triangulation

method. The distances from ‘X’ and ‘Y’ to both ‘A’ and ‘B’ fix these items at the scene.

The data collected and maintain in a separate log.

Precisely Locating Objects

TriangulationMost Common & Accurate Measurement Method

A

B

A & B = Fixed Points @ Scene

X

Y

A&B=Corners of room

Knife

Cigarette

Measure

Distance

PSU CASE NO.1-008

VICTIM NAME(S): UNKSKETCHERS NAMES:EMILY WAY & STEVEN WANG

MEASUREMENT LOCATION: 155 WESTERN PL, STATE COLLEGE, PADATE: 8/15/11

Item No. Description of Item

Measured

DistanceTo Fixed

Location 1

Distance to Fixed Location 2 Remarks

 

32 Bloody Knife 32”/corner of door jamb to

kitchen

18”/SW corner of living room Knife lying between sofa and chair in living room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Triangulation Measurement Log

Objects fixed by using perpendicular dropped to a line from something real … wall.

Variations : Equally applicable to the traditional baseline method or its

variations.

Like the triangulation measurement log, can be used as a legend or table of measurements instead of putting them into an already cluttered sketch.

Base-line Measuring Method

A

B

A&B = Fixed Points (corner, etc)

Y

Perpendicular (or known angle)

18”

28”

Establish Datum PointTriangulated to fixed points

Established By Cardinal Direction – N/S/E/W

Baseline or Rectangular Coordinate Method

X

Knife

Cigarette

PSU CASE NO.1-008

VICTIM NAME(S) UNKNOWNSKETCHERS NAMES:MILLICENT WAY AND STEVEN WANG

MEASUREMENT LOCATION 155 WESTERN PL, STATE COLLEGE, PADATE: 8/15/11

Item No.

Description of Item Measured

Distance along Baseline/Location Distance offBaseline/Location

Direction From Baseline to Item Remarks

40 Bloody Baseball bat

48” from door kitchen door jamb along SW Wall

14”/SW Wall 90 degrees None

Baseline Measurement Log

Generic measurement form … equally applicable to the traditional baseline method or its variations.

Can be used as a legend or table of measurements instead of putting them into an already cluttered sketch.

Example: bloody baseball bat measured as 48 inches along the southwest wall from the door jamb and 14 inches off the perpendicular to the baseball bat.

N

Wall

X = Broken Wine Glass

Angle MeasuredUsing Transits or Compasses

6’2”

Point is corner of wall

Modification of Base-line MethodUse of other than 90o angles

The modified base-line method, employs known angles from a fixed object instead of the perpendicular off a reference line.

Typically an outdoor method. Uses a virtual line fixed by Cardinal directions: north, south, east or west. The initial fixed point

can be a GPS location or it can be a fixed object. Virtual baseline fixes the location of evidence in conjunction with triangulation or baseline

measurements made to items of evidence. So, whether the measurement runs from the object to be measured to a virtual or real line, e.g., wall, or

whether it is 90o or some other angle doesn’t matter. The object is fixed at the scene.

Major attributes Evidence scattered over open areas

Airline crashes Bombing scenes

Need a direct line-of-sight – cannot be hindered Woods or other objects

Uses surveying techniques Total Station or other 3D imaging systems GPS coordinates Laser or IR measuring devices

Start @ single datum point GPS Triangulation to fixed point

Polar Coordinate Method

Technique for converting photographs into a 3D rendition of the scene.

Specialized software necessary from which items at the scene, such as evidence cones, natural formations, vehicles, etc, are referenced to different photographic views of the same area.

Common items in each photograph are referenced – tied together electronically.

One caveat is that at least one known measurement must be known. After referencing, the data is converted into a CAD (computer aided design) format and loaded into a CAD program which renders the scene in a 3D format.

Photogrammetry is the practice of determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images.

As old as modern photography and can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century.

Photogrammetry

More sophisticated technique Estimating the three-dimensional coordinates of points on an object. Determined by measurements made in two or more photographic images taken

from different positions. Common points identified on each image.

A line of sight (or ray) can be constructed from the camera location to the point on the object.

It is the intersection of these rays (triangulation) that determines the three-dimensional location of the point. o More sophisticated algorithms can exploit other information about the

scene that is known allowing reconstructions of 3D coordinates from only one camera position.

Used in different fields: topographic mapping, engineering, police investigation, by archaeologists to quickly produce plans of large or complex sites and by meterologists as a way to determine the actual wind speed of a tornado where objective weather data cannot be obtained.

Also used to combine live action with computer-generated imagery in movie post-production – Think, The Matrix).

Crime Scene MeasurementBullet Path MeasurementImpression Evidence Enhancement

Stereophotogrammetry

Combining the polar coordinate method with triangulation and/or the baseline methods of measurement.

Outdoor concern is finding fixed points of reference because they are not always readily apparent or available. Determine the first fixed point (triangulation from another fixed

point or GPS coordinate) Run a line through the scene (tape measure) along a polar

coordinate (Cardinal direction of, for example, N, S, E, W). Drop a perpendicular from an item of evidence to the line running

though the scene. Measure this distance. Measure the distance from the fixed point to the perpendicular

drop point. Repeat this sequence for all items of evidence.

Outdoor Scene Measurements

House

Body

Gun

Latex Gloves

ImpressionFootprints

Taped Line

Triangulate 1st Datum Point - ACardinal Line

North/South, etc

Outdoor SceneBase-lineIllustration

A

First fixed point triangulated from house. Subsequent measurements made from virtual line (actually a tape measure laid on the ground) through the scene … direction of line (tape measure) is Cardinal designation:

Measurements off line (tape measure) made using triangulation, base-line or combinations of both.

House

Body

Gun

Latex Gloves

ImpressionFootprints

Triangulate 1st Datum Point

RP1 RP2 RP3 RP4

Distance 1

Outdoor SceneTriangulationIllustration

A

Alternative method for measuring an outdoor scene … useful for large, open areas, but it can also be used for more closed areas, depending on the area.

Procedure.Fix the board to ground by staking center

hole with appropriate dowel and four corner holes.

Triangulate middle hole and one corner hole to two fix objects (or GPS coordinates) so compass can be returned to original location at future date.

Run a line (tape measure) from the center hole (secured by stake) to each item of evidence.

Measure distance from the compass to item and record the distance (inches) in a log.

Record degree mark tape passes over. Rose Compass marked in degrees – 0-360o

– Location of each item of evidence is

fixed as ‘X’ number of inches (feet) at ‘Y’ degrees from the center of the Rose Compass.

Compass Rose or Azimuth Board

Anchoring Point

Centering Point

Line To Evidence

RoseCompass

House

Body

Gun

Latex Gloves

ImpressionFootprints

Distance 1

Outdoor SceneRose Compass Illustration

Distance 2

Determine Degree &Distance

Fix Location ofRose Compass

Searching scene for evidence of a serial killer. After completing the search and marking evidence, investigators measured scene.

Chose the compass rose because it gave them a fixed reference point at the scene.

Subsequently realized that they had a problem: trees and bushes at the scene interfered with the straight line measurements.

Solved problem by using the compass rose in two different locations after bisecting the area.

Outdoor Scene

Rose Compass Measurements & Sketch of Outdoor Scene

Examples of using triangulation and baseline measurement logs for items at another mock crime scene