Homicide investigations are taken seriously by law enforcement agencies. The process begins with verification of the victim’s death, securing the scene, and collecting evidence. Human interactions are also important, with suspects and witnesses questioned. The goal is to successfully prosecute the case and bring the offender to justice.
The murder is a major tragedy for the victim’s survivors and for society at large, and is taken very seriously by law enforcement agencies. Homicide investigations are initiated upon a suspicious death and a number of precise steps are followed throughout the murder investigation as evidence is gathered and suspects are questioned so that the case can be successfully brought to court and prosecuted. Law enforcement officials involved in homicide investigations are specially trained so they know how to handle and process evidence, secure a crime scene, and ultimately testify in court if necessary.
All homicide investigations begin with the homicide itself, which is usually reported by someone meeting the victim. The person who finds the victim is asked to remain at the scene and a law enforcement team arrives on the scene, along with a medical team. The first thing that happens at any homicide location is verification that the victim is actually dead. The paramedics usually arrive first, followed by the coroner, who pronounces the death and turns the scene over to law enforcement. Next, an officer is put in charge of the murder investigation and undertakes to secure the scene to minimize contamination of the evidence. A commissioned officer usually had prior experience with homicide investigations.
A record of all people on or around the site is immediately established. Usually the medical response team will have your fingers and toes printed, along with any bystanders, so that marks found at the scene can be easily identified. The next step in the homicide investigation is to observe and photograph the scene. Nothing is moved, including the body, until the scene has been fully scripted and photographed, to ensure nothing is lost. As crews photograph the scene, they tag items that are supposed to be collected as evidence, such as blood-stained clothing, weapons, and other items of interest at the site.
During any homicide investigation, the people on the scene are very careful to avoid accidentally contaminating the evidence. Gloves and protective booties are worn for shoes, and coveralls are used to cover clothing so that fibers, hair, and other debris from the investigators do not contaminate the scene. The scene is closely monitored by the officers in charge, and once everything has been documented, the evidence removal process is initiated. The body is usually the first thing to be removed; the coroner’s office takes him away for an autopsy. Next, the evidence is collected, bagged, and sent to the crime lab for analysis.
An important part of criminal homicide investigations are human interactions. After the evidence is collected and reviewed, law enforcement interrogates those involved in the murder. Sometimes, one case is very clear: a man was seen shooting his wife, for example. In this case, the husband would be questioned, along with witnesses, so law enforcement could be assured that no detail had been missed. In other cases, the identity of the culprit may not be as clear and the investigation could drag on for a long time before more information is uncovered or the case is officially dropped. During this time, law enforcement will follow up on suggestions made by citizens, and people who know anything about a homicide are encouraged to contact law enforcement in an effort to bring the offender to justice.
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