Good Example Of Essay On What Evidence Should Be Collected At This Scene? How Will These Pieces Of Evidence Help You Figure Out What Happened?

Assignment three

The evidence that should be collected at this scene is sequentially arranged according to the evidence gathering process. The first course of action is to isolate the crime scene and mark the boundaries with tape. The next step is to take photographs of the crime scene. Once the photographing is done, a rough sketch is drawn marking all the evidence that has been identified including the angles in which the crime scene photographs were taken from.
The evidence at the scene of the crime determines how the events unraveled. The blood spatter and gunpowder markings allow us to figure out the point of entry of the perpetrators. The range of the shots fired can be ascertained by the concentration of gunpowder markings on victims and walls. A close range shot will have a higher concentration of gunpowder and a long range shot will lack this concentration at its impact point.
The gunpowder residue on the hands of the deceased perpetrators would ascertain who fired the weapons. The concentration of blood in one specific area suggests that the deceased couple were shot and killed by a single bullet each. They dropped to the ground exactly where they were shot. The blood spatter will also conclude who could have shot them based on the angle of the bullet wounds’ entry.
The evidence at this crime scene is the firearms, spent shell casings, wallets and identification cards. The crime scene indicates that the deceased were shooters. They had come to the location with the intent to kill a lot of people or probably take on a lot of opposition while indulging in a criminal act; probably a bank job (Layton, 2012).
They were killed by kill shots to the head. The blood on the floor indicates that the blood had drained only on one spot. This is only possible when subjected to a kill shot. The deceased male fell against the book shelf to his left on the impact of being shot. The blood spatter next to him and the blood on the books suggests this.

What steps would you take to properly collect the firearms evidence?

The first thing to do is to unload the guns. Loaded firearms should never be sent to a lab. There shouldn’t be any cleaning of any part of the weapons. The firearms should never be fired before it is thoroughly examined in the lab. Usually, firearms are transported in person to the lab for ballistic testing.
It is important to make note of serial number, caliber, model and make of the weapon. The model number shouldn’t be confused with the serial number. Also it is important to insert any kind of object into the barrel end of the gun. The firearms of this case are rifles; hence, it is important not to dismantle them. Evidence such as blood, fibers or fingerprints might be found on the weapons. Sometimes fingerprints other than that of the perpetrators might also be found. They could lead the police to the suppliers or the original owners of the weapons in case they are stolen. They should be kept intact for testing in the lab (Saferstein, 2011).
The firearms should be wrapped in a clean sheet of paper before being packed for transportation. This will ensure that the surface evidence is intact. The weapons should be placed in heavy wooden boxes and packed well to prevent the weapons from shifting during transit. Bullets embedded in walls, books or shelves shouldn’t be dug out. They should be cut out from the material and packaged careful. The hands of the deceased should be swabbed for gun powder residue. This determines whether or not the weapon was fired by the deceased or was simply carrying the weapon.
What specific laboratory tests would you ask the crime lab to run on the firearms evidence and why? What information would the results of these tests provide you?
The primary test for firearms is the ballistics test. This test determines the whether or not the weapon was used to fire the bullets that were found at the crime scene. Each gun’s barrel leaves a distinct pattern when the bullets are fired through it. This pattern is a combination of the hammer strike of the gun and the bullet’s travel through the barrel. This leaves a unique pattern on the bullet. The markings are unique like fingerprints. These markings are actually irregularities that are caused when the firearm is fired. These markings are compared by microscopic examination (Forensics Simplified, 2012).
This evidence is important especially in this case since there are two perpetrators. The crime could have involved homicide or a high school massacre. Hence it is important to know which one of the perpetrators was actively involved and to rule out the possibility of any other perpetrators. The ballistics also enables police to determine whether the deceased perpetrators owned the weapons or had access to the weapons or if they had been stolen.
The bullets retrieved by the walls, floors or books can be used to check if any other weapons were used during the commissioning of the crime. The kill shot bullets are also subjected to examination to ascertain who shot the deceased. The point of location of the shooter can be used to determine whether or not the killing of the deceased perpetrators was justified. Moreover, a crime scene that is sprayed with hundreds of rounds requires maximum scrutiny to check who was responsible for the damage (National Forensic Science Technology Center Staff , 2012).
Blood spatter evidence is used to authenticate the point of entry of the wound and ascertain the holding pattern of the deceased perpetrators. The lab technicians will also check the weapons against other weapons of the caliber model and make to check for any custom modifications that can be used to identify the perpetrators.

References

Saferstein, R. (2011). Criminalistics, 10th edition. Saddle River: New Jersey. Pearson Prentice Hall. Print. Pp. 1 – 89.
Forensics Simplified Staff (2012). A Simplified Guide To Firearms Examination. Retrieved from: http://www.forensicsciencesimplified.org/firearms/how.html
National Forensic Science Technology Center Staff (2012). A Simplified Guide To Firearms Examination. Retrieved from: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/SimplifiedGuideFirearmsExamination.pdf
Layton, Julia (2012). How Crime Scene Investigation Works. Retrieved from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/csi4.htm