Priority of Evidence at a Storm-Threatened Burglary-Homicide
At 21:10, you are the first CSI to arrive at a one-story residence. The front door is ajar; a 34-year-old victim lies in the north bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest. A revolver is on the floor 0.5 m from the left hand. The suspected point of entry is a broken east window; glass is outside and inside. A bloody shoe print is on the bathroom tile. A partial latent print is on the inside of the storm-door glass. A DVR is in the living room. Two patrol officers are holding six neighbors behind tape 20 m away. A thunderstorm is forecast in three hours. You have one CSI kit, one alternate light source, and no additional personnel until 06:00. The victim's family is asking to enter to retrieve medication. The bathroom is the only room with a tile floor; the rest is carpet.
1. Define the initial scene boundaries and access control, and explain what you would change as the investigation expands.
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Initial boundary: the entire house, the east window and the ground within at least 3 m of it, the front approach, and the bathroom. Establish one entry and exit at the front door, a crime-scene log, and a command point 20 m away. Keep the six neighbors and family outside; the family should not enter. Protect the bathroom shoe print with a box or marker and restrict traffic. As the investigation expands, extend the boundary if the path, glass, or blood trail continues into the yard. Do not let patrol walk through the bathroom or storm door. The DVR is inside the boundary and must be secured early because it may overwrite.
2. Sequence documentation and evidence collection before the storm. Justify the order.
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Document before collecting: overall, midrange, and close-up photographs; sketch; video if available. Then collect weather-sensitive exterior evidence first: glass outside, any footwear or tire impressions, and the path. Inside, protect the bathroom shoe print, photograph it, and collect the storm-door latent before anyone opens the door. Seize the DVR early and preserve it; digital evidence can be overwritten. Collect the revolver with safety and packaging procedures. The order balances perishability, contamination, and scene safety; do not collect the latent before photographing the shoe print if traffic would destroy it.
3. The family demands entry for medication. What do you do?
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Do not allow the family to enter. Medication is not an immediate life threat unless verified; ask them to identify the exact location and have a patrol officer retrieve it after documentation, or arrange a pharmacy delivery. If there is a genuine medical emergency, escort one person with PPE along a documented path, but do not let them roam. The scene has a homicide and a latent print near the entry; unauthorized entry would compromise both. Document the request and decision.