CRIME SCENE SKETCHING
CRIME SCENE SKETCHING
Before the jury hears testimony about conditions at a crime scene, before blood evidence is collected
for DNA analysis, before latent fingerprint development begins, even before the area around a body is
combed for clues,, the crime scene is documents by sketching and photography.
There are two phases to crime scene sketching - the rough sketch (draft) and the finished
sketch (draft). The most common view used in crime scene sketches is the “bird’s eye” view. This is the
view of the scene as from directly above. Which does not include the appearance or contents of vertical
surfaces like walls or cabinets. An elevation is the view from the side, and is always accompanied by the
cardinal direction. For example, a particular view may be “the elevation of the north wall of the living
room, Smith residence, 1313 Mockingbird Lance, 01 Jan 2009” The address, date and your initials must
be on each sketch, in addition to any other “ chain of custody documentation.
During the initial evaluation of the scene, an investigator must select two points of reference like
“the north exterior wall” or a window or “the main entry door.” These must be immovable, permanent
feature of the building or landscape. To generate a rough sketch, the investigator measures the
dimensions of the space and uses these points to accurately characterize the contents of the scene.
Major items of interest, like a body or a weapon, are located in reference to these points. For example,
the investigator may select the south exterior wall of a home and the back door, located in the kitchen,
as two points of reference in a crime scene focused on the kitchen and stairs to the basement. The
sketch should begin with the dimensions of the room(s) involved and the footprint of the dwelling, as
well as the orientation of the building to due north as it would appear on a map. The property
surrounding the building, like the distance to a road, other buildings, or vehicles, may also be relevant
to the investigation, so communication with the other investigators on scene is important during this
portion of the crime scene analysis.
Once the floor plan of the building is documented, the specific contents are recorded. You must
be sure to search the room in a methodical way, which is most commonly done by walking in a circle
around the room, spiraling clockwise toward the center. Furniture, blood spatter, bodies, weapons, and
any other items of interest should be included on the drawing with the distance from each item to the
two reference points determined earlier. It is not necessary to draw each item. Rather, a letter or
number should be assigned to each and then included in the sketch. Be sure to correlate the letter or
number with the photographs as well.
Any details like odors, sounds, or other facts not encompassed by the sketch should be recorded
in your notebook. The level of detail should be sufficient to adequately refresh your memory when and
if you are called to testify in court. After the scene has been properly documented, a finished sketch is
prepared in a controlled environment, like back in the lab or the office, or in your case at home! It
should be a neat version of the rough sketch clearly drawn to scale. Computer programs or printed cut-
and-paste kits are also used by some law enforcement agencies to generate finished sketches.
Crime Scene Sketching Assignment
