Chapter 3
Collecting and Protecting the Evidence
IN THIS CHAPTER
Checking out the crime scene
Identifying types of evidence
Obtaining a search warrant
Gathering and preserving evidence
Figuring out where the body went
Crime scenes are like puzzles and, when investigators are lucky, the pieces fit neatly together. In other cases, determining what happened is like trying to create a picture from two or three different puzzles where you have plenty of pieces, but they don’t fit. And investigators often have to deal with pieces that just aren’t there.
Because solving a crime and convicting a perpetrator depend upon evidence, investigators take a methodical approach to finding and handling evidence at crime scenes. They work hard to protect the evidence and to leave nothing important behind. Throughout the process, investigators formulate theories about what happened. If they do their jobs well, they end up with a complete picture of the crime. In this chapter, I fill you in on exactly ...
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