I need support with this Law question so I can learn better.
A young woman in her early twenties was found murdered in the woods in the early hours of the morning. A passerby noticed the dead body and informed the police. Reporting officer Sam Murphy and assisting officer Ted Armstrong reached the crime scene and started the investigation. Visual inspection indicated the victim was wearing a white shirt and a dark-blue skirt. She was wrapped in a clear paint tarpaulin with the ends tucked under her body. The body lay in a supine position with the head pointing north. The legs were together, and the arms were at the sides, the right hand holding a purse. Stab wounds were observed in the stomach. A cell phone lay near the victim.
Discuss and answer the following:
- What is the role played by a crime scene investigator? What role do the objectives and the basic principles involved in crime scene searches play in criminal investigation?
- What would you, as the responding officer, look at as possible physical evidence in this case? Discuss at least five items of evidence.
- Based on the information provided in the report, which of the following do you think the physical evidence supports: accident, suicide, or homicide? Explain why.
- Which pieces of evidence found at the scene so far, or likely to be found by you, may be used to associate the dead body with another individual or place? Support your response with a brief explanation.
- Which pieces of evidence found at this scene do you believe will provide investigative leads in this case? Explain why.
- Suppose one of these pieces of evidence shows association of an individual with the dead body. Does this necessarily mean that the individual becomes a suspect? What other evidences are required to support the guilt or innocence of that individual?
