IAI CSSA case studies
IAI CSSA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Crime Scene Analyst (CSSA) designation is one of the certification programs listed by the International Association for Identification (IAI), a professional forensic association that describes itself as "the oldest and largest forensic association in the world." The IAI states that its membership is "assembled to educate, share, critique and publish methods, techniques and research in the physical forensic science disciplines," and it points candidates to information on forensic science disciplines including Crime Scene Investigation. The CSSA sits within that crime scene discipline and is intended for practitioners who process, document, and reconstruct scenes and want independent professional recognition of their knowledge. The IAI CSSA case studies are 5 cases and about 2,691 words.
1Apartment Shooting: Body, Blood, and Cartridge Cases
At 02:15, a 28-year-old man is found supine in the hallway of a one-bedroom apartment, with a single entry wound to the left chest and no exit wound. A blood pool about 25 cm wide lies beneath his left shoulder; fine cast-off stains are visible on the wall 1.2 m from the kitchen doorway.
611 words, about 3 min2Rain-Threatened Footwear Impressions on a Farm Track
At 06:40 on a cool, damp morning, a farmer reports a broken gate on a rural track. In the soft loam beside the gate you find six partial footwear impressions, each about 28 cm long, plus a mountain-bike tire track that crosses the clearest impression.
535 words, about 3 min3Delayed Sexual Assault Report with Bleach-Smelling Bathroom
A 19-year-old woman reports a sexual assault that occurred about 30 hours earlier. She showered twice, changed clothing, and placed her underwear in a plastic grocery bag, where it stayed for 24 hours before she brought it to the hospital.
517 words, about 3 min4Processing a Damp Pistol and Plastic Bag for Prints and DNA
A 54-year-old homeowner is found dead in the kitchen with a plastic grocery bag near his head. A loaded 9 mm pistol lies on the carpet 1.5 m away, a drinking glass is on the counter, and a partially eaten meal is on the table.
521 words, about 3 min5Officer-Involved Shooting in a Parking Lot
At 22:10, four officers respond to a report of a man with a knife in a supermarket parking lot. Shots are fired; the man is pronounced dead at the scene.
507 words, about 3 min