The Major Classifications of Evidence (Research Paper Sample)

Major Classifications of Evidence
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Major classifications of evidence
Ordinarily, physical evidence falls into three distinct categories: objects, body materials, and impressions. The evidence in a crime can establish a link from the suspect to the victim (Gardener et al., 2009).Objects
The tools used in a crime usually leave marks, striations or impressions on objects at the crime scene. By means of physical or other types of comparisons, the striations left at the crime scene can yield crucial evidence on the perpetrators of the crime. In other cases, the tool responsible for the question marks can be identified by the means of laboratory comparison of tools and the objects at the crime scene. Objects include weapons, tools, firearms, bullets, cigarettes or cigar butts and displaced furniture (Geberth, 2014).
Cigarette or Cigar Butts
Cigarette or cigar butts at the scene of the crime, particularly those with filter tips, can be inspected by serologists for identification of blood group and other genetic factors such as the sex of the secretors. This evidence should be collected using sterile forceps, placed into separate marked containers to prevent contamination and forwarded to a serologist. Proper marking should be done on the samples to be examined for DNA presence (Geberth, 2014).
Displaced Furniture
Displaced furniture can serve as an important type of evidence in crime reconstruction if examined carefully. Displaced furniture can be examined for any fingerprints or serology (Geberth, 2014).
Body materials
Body materials include blood, semen, hair, urine, fiber and vomit.
Blood
The blood forms an important component of evidence to an investigator. The quantity of blood at the crime scene can be small, large (pools) or dry. During the collection of this type of evidence, proper procedures should be undertaken. For large amounts of blood, the investigator should use a disposable eye dropper or the hypodermic syringe to collect about 5cc and transfer it to a sterile container. The specimen should then be refrigerated but not frozen in a laboratory. For small amounts, a 100% cotton swab should be used to collect the evidence, allowed to air dry and placed in a sterile test tube (Geberth, 2014).
Seminal stains
This type of evidence is often, but not always, found in clothes, blankets, and sheets. A crime scene investigator should allow the stain to air-dry before wrapping and packaging the evidence in paper bags. In the case of sexual offenses, a medical expert should always examine the victim. In the collection of evidence from the victim, the expert utilizes a sexual assault evidence collection kit. Proper labeling of garments should also be done to facilitate easy examination of the evidence. Damp fabrics should be allowed to dry before packaging (Geberth, 2014).
Impressions
The scene of the crime may also yield impression evidence left by the perpetrators. When correctly recognized, documented and interpreted, impression evidence can be very valuable in investigation and reconstruction. It can associate a victim or a suspect with a particular location at the scene. Impressions manifest in the form of fingerprints, tire tracks, palm prints, tool marks, and bullet holes (Fish, 2013).
Fingerprints
Four types of fingerprints exist. They are visible fingerprints, plastic fingerprints, latent fingerprints, and wet fingerprints. Fingerprints provide crucial evidence on the identity of the perpetrators. Once fingerprints are identified, unscaled photographing should be done and placing in subsequent pictures before processing or preservation is done. (Fish, 2013).
Footwear impressions
Footwear impressions evidence can provide useful information on the physical characteristics of the shoe such as tread patterns and size. Additionally, the investigator can determine the number of suspects and the paths to and from the scene of the crime. Also, there is a significant potential of knowing the series of actions that lead up to the event if an experienced examiner is involved (Fish, 2013).
Crime scene observations
Observations by the emergency responders are essential to crime scene analysis. As a result, several key observations are to be made by initial responders. Firstly, though the emergency responders are always tasked with patient care and preservation of life, they should ensure that their activities are not carried out in disregard to the investigations to follow. As a result, they should be careful in handling clothes from the victim and to identify the exact position of everything at the crime scene. Secondly, the responders should remember key crime observations such as chemicals at the scene that would not normally be present, suspicious people and the statements issued by bystanders. Additi...