Crime Scene Investigator: Trace Evidence
As a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), there are duties that have to be met and a job that has to get done. Part of this job is looking for evidence. There are different types of evidence. Some can be seen with an unaided eye and some can't. Trace evidence cannot be seen with an unaided eye. Every person who is physically involved with a crime leaves some kind of trace evidence such as hair, fibers, and even have gunshot residue left on the perpetrators hands. It is even possible to obtain a confession from the suspect . In the OJ Simpson case, there was a lot of trace evidence. Some of it led to suspicion that OJ killed his ex-wife and her friend. There were four blood drops from the Bronco console and one drop from the glove found at the
Simpson's estate. This indicated that the blood could have come from at least twice as many people from an analysis that genetic statistician Bruce Weir performed. Susan Brockbank, a police department criminalist in the trace analysis laboratory, testified in June of 1994. She stated that she collected hair and trace evidence from the bloody glove at the crime scene where Nicole and Ron's bodies were. She also obtained trace evidence from the victims' clothing and from the blue knit cap also found at the crime scene. She also took hair from a brown plaid cap, a towel, and from a shovel found in OJ's Bronco . There was cotton fibers found that was consistent with the carpet in the Bronco that was on the glove at Rockingham .
The OJ trial has had an affect on the manner of how evidence is collected and the processing. Looking at all of the mistakes that took place, investigators need to be more aware of how things are being collected. It can be said that this case made awareness to other investigators that the time and attention is needed when dealing with a crime scene.
We think when the LAPD received the phone call about the murders; they got excited and called all of LAPD to come investigate. Due to the fact that there were so many hands involved, they probably thought they were doing a good job when in fact they were making things a lot worse. Another we reason is that it was a famous person and felt they can be careless with the evidence and feel they still have a case. Because of this negligence, it backfired on them. If they followed procedures of an investigation then they may have had a case and someone would be in jail for two murders that happened 10 years ago. If we were there, we would have simply stopped everyone at the scene and see what their motive of being there was. Elimination would have started because very few people need to be at a scene. Media should have been the least of their worries as long as they were blocked off from the scene. If they got little shots of photos, so what? Its better they have that then have every Tom, Dick and Harry near the scene with the potential of contamination.
Simpson's estate. This indicated that the blood could have come from at least twice as many people from an analysis that genetic statistician Bruce Weir performed. Susan Brockbank, a police department criminalist in the trace analysis laboratory, testified in June of 1994. She stated that she collected hair and trace evidence from the bloody glove at the crime scene where Nicole and Ron's bodies were. She also obtained trace evidence from the victims' clothing and from the blue knit cap also found at the crime scene. She also took hair from a brown plaid cap, a towel, and from a shovel found in OJ's Bronco . There was cotton fibers found that was consistent with the carpet in the Bronco that was on the glove at Rockingham .
The OJ trial has had an affect on the manner of how evidence is collected and the processing. Looking at all of the mistakes that took place, investigators need to be more aware of how things are being collected. It can be said that this case made awareness to other investigators that the time and attention is needed when dealing with a crime scene.
We think when the LAPD received the phone call about the murders; they got excited and called all of LAPD to come investigate. Due to the fact that there were so many hands involved, they probably thought they were doing a good job when in fact they were making things a lot worse. Another we reason is that it was a famous person and felt they can be careless with the evidence and feel they still have a case. Because of this negligence, it backfired on them. If they followed procedures of an investigation then they may have had a case and someone would be in jail for two murders that happened 10 years ago. If we were there, we would have simply stopped everyone at the scene and see what their motive of being there was. Elimination would have started because very few people need to be at a scene. Media should have been the least of their worries as long as they were blocked off from the scene. If they got little shots of photos, so what? Its better they have that then have every Tom, Dick and Harry near the scene with the potential of contamination.