Crime Scene Investigation

Scenario:

It's August 25th in the city of Torrancetown. You are working the second shift at the Torrancetown Police Department. At approximately 8:30 PM, dispatch receives a 911 call that there has been a murder at the local grocery & deli in the city's east end.

The grocery & deli is a small, standalone building with a 10-car parking lot in the front of the store. People in the neighborhood frequent the store and there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic in the area. The store is open daily 5:30 AM to 10 PM.

Upon arrival, you noticed a crowd of 10 to 20 neighbors that have gathered in the front parking lot. A person standing by the front door waves you over. She tells you she lives in the neighborhood and walked to the deli from her house to buy milk. The front door was open. As she entered the front door, she saw that the store owner was lying on the ground behind the cash register with a gunshot wound to his head and was dead. She immediately backed out of the store and called 911.

You confirm that the store owner is deceased in the store with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The store owner is lying on the floor behind the counter, where the cash register is located.

The cash register drawer is open and apparently empty. There appears to be a firearm shell casing on the floor in front of the cash register. You know from a previous theft complaint made by the owner that the store has 3 video cameras, capturing the parking lot on the exterior, the back of the store on the exterior, and a video camera on the interior that captures the cash register area.

As the Role of The First Responding Officer

1. Describe some of the necessary steps you would take to secure the crime scene and maintain scene integrity prior to the arrival of the crime scene investigator.
2. Explain how these steps can affect the investigation and the ultimate outcome of the case.