Why and when is a crime scene investigation conducted?
Collecting physical evidence from a scene can help an investigator recreate the crime scene and establish the sequence of events. Physical evidence can also corroborate statements made by the victim, suspects and witnesses.
In practice, a wide range of scenes are secured, documented and investigated including the scenes of:
- burglaries
- violent crimes
- suicides
- fires
- auto thefts
- auto accidents
The type of case being investigated dictates the type of evidence that an investigator will attempt to locate and collect. However, as the facts of the case slowly get pieced together, this may change the theory of what occurred. Investigators may discover that several crimes have been committed instead of just one, or they may discover multiple scenes that require investigation.
In some cases, an investigator may not be able to examine the primary crime scene because it is unknown; for instance, if a body is found buried in a field far away from where the death actually took place. The area where the body is discovered is referred to as a secondary crime scene.