Learning Activity 1.1: Discussion Forum

1. In order to get you thinking about evidence and the types of analysis that an item might need to undergo, consider the following scenario:
2. You are a crime scene investigator and you have noted that there is what appears to be part of a torn shirt (not the victim's) with blood on it next to a deceased victim.
3. Why is this item potentially an important piece of evidence?
4. What is it about this shirt that could help connect the victim to a perpetrator (if this is a homicide)?
5. What are the sciences/specialists that are needed in order to examine this item?
6. Using the same scenario mentioned in question 1, what are the possible safety precautions that must be taken prior to handling this evidence?

Learning Activity 1.2: Discussion Forum

1. Go online and try to find resources (written or video) that are available to you that cover crime scene processing procedures.
2. Consider the following questions:
3. Do any of these procedures differ from your textbook? (It is important to have a critical eye as to the source of the information and if it is reliable.)
4. Is it an authoritative source?
5. How much confidence do you have that the information is accurate?