Crime Scene Investigation: An Introduction

Abstract

Forensic science is a multidimensional field consisting of various subfields in it. Some of them are fingerprints, questioned documents, forensic toxicology, forensic biology, forensic ballistics, digital and cyber forensics, preventive forensics, etc. Crime scene investigation is an integral and fundamental part of forensic science. A proper investigation of a crime scene to establish its association with the suspect/s subsequently assists in proving or disproving the crime. An undisturbed crime scene may act as the most vital source of potential information. It is imperative to understand that every crime scene is unique. Crime scene investigation includes a chain of steps that a forensic expert must perform. It starts with securing the crime scene and providing medical assistance to a victim if required and ends with presenting evidence in the court following several different intervening steps. It also includes crime scene management which refers to managing different tools, techniques, expertise and other components for a successful scene investigation. This chapter provides an overview of several different aspects of crime scene investigation, the steps involved in it, crime scene management and crime scene reconstruction.