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Monday, June 18, 2007
The first presentation of the course and of the day
began with a lecture by Captain Rose of the
OSU Police Division.
He introduced the class to crime scene investigation with a PowerPoint
presentation hitting on the major components of crime scene analysis.
He began by classifying the different types of evidence such as
testimony, writings, and material objects. He then defined and gave
examples of the four types of physical evidence: transient, pattern,
conditional, and transfer. Next was the topic of chain of custody and
crime scene management. If Captain Rose stressed anything, it was that
documentation is crucial to an investigation. When one is in control of
evidence, he must be able to account for it by documenting who has
handled or examined the evidence and where the evidence had been
stored. The evidence must be accounted for from the time it was found
until the time it is presented to the court. Not only did Captain Rose
give a stirring lecture, he also provided the class with visual effects
like, finger prints, tool mark casts, composite sketches and crime scene
photos. Along with the crime scene photos, he told several anecdotes
about his experiences on the OSU police force.
After our lunch break, the
K-9 Response: Search and Rescue
team, based out of Delaware, Ohio, outlined what their team of handlers
and canines do in the context of forensics. K-9 Response informed us of
the numerous requirements made of canine rescue dogs and their human
counterparts. They emphasized the importance of training and
consistency, as well as the characteristics of good dogs and good
handlers. Most important is that the K-9 Response team leaves the crime
scenes undisturbed, whether they are on land or in water. We then drove
out to Waterman Farms to see the dogs in action. Two dogs, Buck and
Otter, tracked the scent of human remains, and managed to locate them,
although they were both buried and hanging from trees! We’ve only just
begun, but we already feel excited to be immersed in the forensic
experience.
The 2007 OSU/PAST Foundation Forensic
Archaeology Field School is sponsored by:
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