NCJ Number
153472
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 45 Issue: 1 Dated: (January/February 1995) Pages: 25-29
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Crime scene investigation methods have improved over the past 5 years with the use of forensic light sources, computerized fingerprint identification of suspects, and DNA technology, but actually diagramming the crime scene has not changed substantially.
Abstract
In most cases, the crime scene diagram consists of a sketch depicting a room or a section of the street where the crime occurred. Various measurement methods are used to record the location of each piece of evidence. The baseline method involves establishing a line stretched between two reference points. The coordinate method identifies each reference point according to an X-Y axis. The triangulation method involves establishing two reference points; the distance between these two points is recorded and measurements are then made from the point of interest back to the reference points. Other crime scene measurement methods include angle and distance from a known point and computer-aided design (CAD). The CAD software market has expanded considerably over the past few years, but the defacto standard is Autocad. On the computer screen, Autocad looks like an updated version of a traditional drafting table. An Autocad drawing, however, is drawn to real world scale. Costs and benefits of CAD applications in crime scene investigations are noted. 1 figure