Collecting the Evidence

There are a number of set procedures which are in place, designed to be followed by all individuals who are involved in an investigation at a crime scene. These procedures are in place to ensure that the case is handled correctly, that evidence is collected and preserved to ensure no contamination occurs and also to ensure that if a case goes to court, any convictions of a guilty individual will be obtained without argument regarding the reliability and value of evidence that has been collected, that may indicate the guilt of an individual. At any crime scene there are specific procedures in place that are required to be followed when collecting evidence. The procedures consist of collecting the evidence using the correct tools and equipment, bagging the evidence in an appropriate manner and also tagging and labelling the evidence correctly. These procedures guarantee that evidence is preserved correctly and is not contaminated prior to it being forensically examined. 

First Attending Officer

Speaking to the first attending officer is very important as they can give information that may not be obvious by looking at the scene. They can give various amounts of detailed information which can help with the investigation of the scene such as what actually happened at the scene. This includes knowing what evidence would be relevant to and benefit the case, making it easier for this evidence to be collected. Witnesses may also have spoken to the first attending officer meaning these statements can give more information about what occurred. Gaining all of this information from the first commanding officer can make the investigation process much more effective, and prevent any irrelevant evidence being collected and any necessary evidence being contaminated or left behind.

In the Soham case, the FAO arrived at the home where the girls were last seen and took witness statements from friends and family, the next step is to alert the chief officer or detective so they can put together a search party, this search party included volunteers as Soham is part of a large rural area. However in some cases, if the FAO does not do their job properly a number of problems can be caused due to this such as evidence being destroyed, not collected, and overlooked straight away.

Securing the Scene

The crime scene must be kept safe from the public to prevent evidence being destroyed. Members of the public may not know certain areas are part of the scene so the whole area should be secured using crime scene tape. It is necessary to secure the whole area where the crime occurred as it might be possible that some evidence is within the area outside of where the area had been taped off. This can result in important evidence being lost. Unwanted personnel must be kept from a scene also to ensure all the evidence is kept safe so it can be collected without getting contaminated. This includes the media. The media can be extremely disruptive during an investigation as they can affect the investigating processes. They can make it difficult to easily examine a scene and can often destroy evidence in the area. Suspects must also be kept away from the crime scene as they would be likely to purposely destroy evidence and attempt to hinder the investigation. The scene must also be protected from various things such as the weather if the scene is outside - various types of weather (rain, snow, wind) can destroy types of evidence making them impossible to collect and be used in the case. It is very important the scene be protected from the weather to prevent the investigation being affected due to the contaminated evidence. Unfortunately, this case had been attracting a lot of media throughout the two week period that the girls went missing to the day they were found deceased but the police handled it well as all the protocols were followed and the scene was secured as soon as they got the 999 call. In some cases however, this is not the case as the media and the public can contaminate the crime scene and therefore evidence is destroyed and not being able to use in court which can cost a conviction.

Initial Scene Assessment

Notes on the crime scene must be done such as the weather at the time of the crime, small details about the area, and placement of main details. This is because it is very easy to overlook evidence that can be critical to a scene but may not be obvious and seen at first glance. Making a note of small details about the scene can accompany a sketch of the scene which is also helpful for preventing evidence being overlooked. A sketch is a bird's-eye view of the scene with all specific details included. This sketch is useful as it shows everything where it was originally as the scene was left before anything was moved or collected as evidence. The notes and the sketch can go together to be used in a courtroom meaning they have to match with each other. Photographs are a large part of a case as they are very useful in deeper analysis for any evidence that may have been missed, and can also show exactly how things looked without being disputed. Photographs from each corner of the scene should be taken in order to get everything in the area photographed. This is vital when the crime goes to court as the jury need an image and a step by step guide on how an investigator processed the scene and what notes were made. This is also reassuring for when an investigator forgets relevant pieces of evidence and needs to reflect back.

PPE

When collecting evidence it is important that SOCOs wear PPE such as gloves, this is to ensure that nothing is transferred to the evidence causing potential contamination, which would then lead to any analysis of the evidence to be concluded as not valid and not admissible in court. It is also important that the evidence is collected in the correct style using the correct equipment. For example bodily fluids, such as blood would be collected using a swab, hair and fibres would be collected using tweezers and any suspected drug substances would be collected using sterilised spatula. The reason that specific pieces of evidence are collected using specific equipment is to prevent the evidence being damaged or contaminated during the collection, therefore preserving the integrity of the evidence. Before evidence is collected it should also be photographed using scales so that the size of evidence can be evaluated from looking at the photographs. This was carried out professionally and efficiently in the Soham case because it was very high profile and vital that everything was done correctly.

Entry Log

Everyone who enters and exits the crime scene must sign a log to say who they are and when they went into and out of the scene. This is because anyone who enters the scene becomes a witness, meaning if they are needed for whatever reason for the case then they can be easily contacted and information from them can be gathered easily. It is also done so that it is possible to know, if any evidence had been contaminated, who it had been contaminated by because the times of when the individuals entered the scene is kept on the log. The log can prevent unwanted people from entering the scene because everyone in the scene must have signed to say they entered. It is sometimes possible for suspects to enter the scene to purposely contaminate evidence that could get them convicted before it is collected. This is prevented by the use of an entry log because if 3 people signed themselves into the scene and there were 4 there then it is obvious that one of them may be purposely messing with the scene.

Common Approach Path

This is a path set that travels through the whole scene, avoiding contact with any evidence that is around. It prevent contamination of this evidence as people entering the crime scene must keep to the path, meaning they won't be able to stand on and ruin any potential evidence on the ground. The route begins at the focal point (entry point) of the crime scene and travels around the entire scene making it possible to examine every part of the scene without causing damage to anything or contaminating any evidence.

Evidence Log

This goes to the Exhibits Officer, and shows where pieces of evidence have been and who handled them and when. Each time evidence is given to another individual in the investigation team, that individual must sign the evidence log to say who they are, what they are doing with the evidence, when they received the evidence, and when they pass the evidence on to another person. This is done so that all information about where the evidence has been and when is kept together and can be referred to. Where the evidence goes is called the Chain of Custody. It is necessary to where the evidence goes in case there is an issue with it that may have occurred during its time with someone after being passed on. Tracking the evidence is possible using the Chain of Custody which can be very helpful to the case to prevent contamination. Contamination can be prevented by knowing where the evidence had been as it is possible to see if it had gotten into the hands of someone who was not supposed to receive it and has purposely contaminated it for whatever reason.

Collection

When collecting evidence it is important to use the correct type of tool necessary for the type of evidence being collected. These tools include tweezers, spatulas, and swabs - tweezers for collection of hairs and fibres; spatulas for collection of powder substances such as drugs; swabs for collection of liquids such as blood. The type of tool being used depends on the type of evidence being collected. It is also very important to wear protective equipment such as gloves to ensure the evidence is not contaminated as it is collected. Touching evidence without gloves will contaminate it as it will have the individuals DNA on it, making it not useful in court.

Evidence Packaging

There are various types of evidence bags that are used to hold evidence and keep it secure. They come in different sizes and made from different materials (plastic/paper) to keep each type of evidence safe and at low risk of contamination. Boxes are available to hold pieces of evidence which would not be contained safely in bags - pieces of glass. Tubes are also used to hold pieces of evidence which may be too big to be held in a bag or a box. They are made of plastic, adjustable in size and are mainly used to contain possible weapons. It is important to use the correct type of packaging to ensure the evidence will be kept safe from contamination and is secure in the packaging. The type of packaging to use completely depends on the type of evidence being collected so the suitable packaging is to be chosen at the time of collection.

Tagging Evidence

Evidence tags are necessary for identification of the evidence in the packaging. They relate the evidence to the case ensuring it is not ignored in particular cases. The tags have information such as that collected it, when it was collected, where it was collected, what case it belongs to, and what exactly it is. All this information ensures the evidence does not get lost and that everyone coming into contact with it knows exactly what it is (identification). Tags are necessary for the Chain of Custody which tell who has dealt with the evidence so that it is possible to know if there had been any issues when the evidence had been passed to other people. It also helps is cases where evidence had been lost or contaminated after it had been passed for analysis.

If a crime scene has specific evidence which is needed to be analysed by a specialist at the scene, the SOCOs and the police should ensure that this evidence is not interfered with as much as possible and that potential evidence is protected. This could include things such as a corpse that has to be examined at the crime scene by a pathologist or doctor, trained to look for specific evidence and evidence relating to a fire which would need to be examined by a specially trained forensic fire investigator.

Biological Evidence

Biological evidence can not only be collected from a crime scene but they can also be collected from victims and suspects. Biological evidence is usually blood, hair and semen which is useful because DNA can be extracted and help provide key evidence for the investigation. Biological evidence can also be anything that comes from a living thing.

Blood found at a crime scene firstly undergoes a presumptive test to determine whether or not it is actually blood. This is done by carrying out a Kastle Meyer test. This involves adding Ethanol, Kastle Meyer and Hydrogen peroxide to the sample all in order. If the sample is blood then it will turn pink due to a reaction with the haemoglobin in the blood. A positive sample will be sent off for further analysis.

Semen can be found at a scene in cases such as sexual assault. However, to identify the sample it must undergo an acid phosphate presumptive test. The semen only takes around a minute to react once put on the acid phosphatase strip. If the test is positive it will turn a dark purple colour and be sent off for further analysis.

The final most common type of biological evidence found at a crime scene is fingerprints. These can be analysed by identifying specific characteristics of the finger print such as; loop patterns, whorls, arches, delta, island, crossover etc. Once these have been identified they can be compared to a suspects fingerprint to determine a match.

Physical Evidence

Physical evidence usually involves any physical objects found at a crime scene. Physical evidence can include fingerprints, footprints, weapons etc. Also it can use evidence such as surveillance, CCTV and witness statements as forms of physical evidence.

Weapons found at a crime scene could be analysed by taking photos and measurements. In addition to this a visual inspection can be carried out in order to determine whether there’s any other additional evidence such as blood. In addition to this other analysis could test for finger prints and gunshot residue. If the weapon is found to have any additional evidence it will be sent off for further analysis.

Another common form of physical evidence found at crime scenes are footwear marks. These can be either 2d or 3d however, they are analysed the same once collected. Characteristics such as make and size of the shoe are identified along with specific wear marks. Once these have been identified it can be compared to a suspects shoe to establish any connections with the two.

Chemical Evidence

Chemical evidence is made up of elements and compound found on various objects, individuals or solutions. Examples of chemical evidence found at crime scenes include; gunshot residue, drugs, paint, poison and accelerants.

A common piece of chemical evidence found at a crime scene is drugs; this is usually found in gang related crimes. If drugs are found they firstly need to be analysed, this is usually done by a presumptive spot test analysis. This involves, using a spot dish we would carefully place the drug sample on to each individual well on the spot dish. Once the drug samples are in place we can use Marquis Reagent to determine what the drug is. Marquis reagent is a reagent which changes colour when applied to a drug sample, this colour change indicates what type of drug the substance is. A few drops of Marquis Reagent is applied to the drug sample using a pipette. Instantly we should see a colour change, using this colour change we can compare it to a colour chart to determine what the unknown drug is. For example a purple colour change would indicate the presence of Heroin. 

In relation to the Soham murders, there were different types of evidence found such as:

The Bin – Physical and Biological Evidence

Biological evidence can not only be collected from a crime scene but they can also be collected from victims and suspects. Biological evidence is usually blood, hair and semen which is useful because DNA can be extracted and help provide key evidence for an investigation. Biological evidence can also be anything that comes from a living thing.

Forensic experts were called in when a bin was found containing Holly and Jessica's red Manchester United tops and other clothes they were found cut and burned in the bin in an outbuilding of Soham Village College. Police discovered them after finding a set of keys in Ian Huntley's home. He had previously denied having keys to the place where the clothes were found.

The bin was packaged and brought back to the lab. As well as the Manchester United tops there were tracksuit bottoms, underwear and shoes belonging to both girls. Surface debris, including hairs and fibres, was recovered from inside and outside the bin including hairs and fibres. The clothing was screened for the presence of blood, saliva and semen.

After forensic analysis two of Huntley's hairs were found surrounding the bin with the clothes and his fingerprints were on a bin bag which had been placed on top. 49 tiny fibres matching the girls' shirts were found on Huntley's clothes and around his house and also fibres from Huntley's carpet and curtains were also found on the shirts, establishing a two-way link between the clothes and Huntley's home. Replica Manchester united T-shirts were marked out with the cuts found this showed that the t shirts had been cut in a zig-zag line and the expert said that it was most likely cut while the bodies were immovable. Another expert established the accelerant petrol was used to burn the clothes. Specialist techniques were used such as comparison microscopy, microspectrophometry, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and thin layer chromatography to identify the type of fibres present, their colours and their dye compositions to distinguish between fibres from the Manchester United t-shirts. These techniques allow scientist to differentiate one fibre from another. Taping was done from Ian Huntley’s car, carpets, curtains, bedding, sofa and bathroom mat they were put on an acetate sheet and analysed under a microscope. The fibres collected form Ian Huntley’s home were matched with the Manchester United football shirts and the tracksuit bottoms.

Fibre Analysis – Physical Evidence

To define the exact composition of the fibres from the football shirts, comparison fibres from shirts provided by Manchester United and other shirts bought from the same outlet where Holly and Jessica bought their shirts as well as shirts from other suppliers were examined. The T-shirts that Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman wore were made up of wool and four types of polyester fibres not identical to the numerous other t-shirts clear differences were seen between the T-shirts that Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman and the other T-shirts.  The carpet recovered from Ian Huntley’s house and car was blue which was made up of five different colours. All five colours were identified from the carpet on the Manchester United shirts and from the Manchester United shirts on the carpet. This two-way transfer of 154 fibres showed there was contact between Ian Huntley and Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Forensic Ecology – Physical Evidence

Patricia Wiltshire a forensic ecologist was called in by police as a forensic expert when the bodies of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were found. Patricia Wiltshire the forensic ecologist noticed that although the area around the ditch were the bodies were found had been untouched there where stinging nettles had sprouted new side shoots and this only occurs when the nettle has been trampled on or damaged from this the point of entry into the ditch was established and from the rate of growth of the side shoots present Patricia Wiltshire was also able to establish the nettles were disturbed 13 to 14 days earlier. Patricia Wiltshire also carried out analysis of soil from the suspect Ian Huntley’s car and of items belonging to him. By comparing them to samples taken from the ditch she was able to prove that he had been to the site. 64 different types of pollen, some from rare plants, were taken from the site. Many matched pollen found on Huntley's shoes, the pedals and foot-well of his car and a red petrol can. Huntley also knew the area well. He used to go plane-spotting there; his grandmother lived in Lakenheath and his father used to have a house half a mile from where the bodies were found.

The information gained by forensic ecology is very important and valuable especially in this case as with this evidence a timeline of events can be made and evidence linking the suspect and victims together.

The Mobile Phone-Physical Evidence

Physical evidence usually involves any physical objects found at a crime scene. Physical evidence can include fingerprints, footprints, weapons etc. Also it can use evidence such as surveillance, CCTV and witness statements as forms of physical evidence. Soham is served by mobile phone network and there are a few hotspots where mobile phone links up to the mobile phone network. Mobile phone records show that Jessica Chapman’s phone sent a final disengage signal at 1846 BST when it disconnected from the network. This was received from a hotspot where Ian Huntley’s house was further incriminating him.

The Car –Physical Evidence
Huntley had red Ford Fiesta and he thoroughly washed and vacuumed it, the day after he murdered the girls. He ripped out the floor mat of the boot and replaced it with carpet and he threw away a throw that had been covering the back seat. He had a mechanic replace all four of Huntley's tyres, despite them having 4mm-5mm of tread left. A forensic examination from the underside of the car found traces of chalk, brick dust and concrete. The combination found matched the surface of the track where the girls' bodies were found. Pollen samples also linked the car to the site.

Petrol – Chemical Evidence

Chemical evidence is made up of elements and compound found on various objects, individuals or solutions. Examples of chemical evidence found at crime scenes include; gunshot residue, drugs, paint, poison and accelerants. The forensic assessment of evidence relating to fire and the use of accelerants was important in assessing the damage in the area of the deposition site. It was obvious that a fire had been present due to the odour and a black soot patch on the region where the bodies were found.  The bodies were also partially burned and there was evidence of burning in the vegetation surrounding the site. The pattern suggested that there had been use of an accelerant to cause a flash fire that had quickly been extinguished. There was evidence later from scientists involved with fuel liquid and vapour analysis of the type of fuel involved at the deposition site. This was able to discount any link with fuel in a petrol can found in the hangar, but was strongly suggestive of a link with the fuel in a petrol can found in the boot of Huntley’s Red Ford Fiesta. When collecting this type of evidence, it is appropriate to take photographs for analysis later on in the investigation and also take a small sample using a spatula or spoon and put into a secure tube signed and dated for chain of custody security.

Once all the evidence was collected in my case it was preserved in bags or containers to prevent any conceivable contamination from occurring. All the evidence in my case was preserved inside plastic bags to secure it and prevent any tampering. When all the evidence had been collected and packaged it was tagged with the collecting person’s initials, the date/time it was collected, description of the evidence and where it was found or where it was obtained. In addition, the case number and the investigation team was also be recorded. This is known as the chain of custody and it allows the evidence to be tracked to where it has been and exactly who has handled it.

When evidence has been identified and collected at a crime scene it must be placed into an evidence bag and sealed to prevent contamination occurring when the evidence is transported to the forensic laboratory to be analysed. There are different types of evidence bags available to place evidence into depending on the size of the evidence and the type of evidence it is. The range of evidence bags available to scenes of crime officers include; plastic bags which can have test tubes containing swabs of biological evidence placed into them. Paper evidence bags can have evidence with biological evidence on it placed into them, such as items of clothing that are covered in blood. Or pieces of evidence that have suspected fingerprints on them, paper bags are superior to plastic bags when having exposed biological evidence placed into them as they allow the fluids to dry if still wet and also prevent them from deteriorating due to the condensation which would be caused in a plastic bag. Boxes can be used at a crime scene to place weapons such as knives or hammers into, these boxes allow the evidence to be secured to prevent it from moving around and also as the boxes are reinforced unlike the bags it can prevent the weapons piercing through and potentially harming someone. Containers can also be used at a crime scene to place evidence such as drugs in, the containers can be sealed to prevent contamination occurring and also prevent the evidence being tampered with.

When collecting the evidence from the crime scene of the Soham murders there were several procedures put in place to protect the value of the evidence during the collecting process. The first procedure used at the crime scene was the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). It was beneficial to the collecting procedure because it helped prevent the evidence from contamination. As a result of this process being carried out correctly in my case, it meant all the evidence obtained from the crime scene was reliable and not contaminated, allowing it to be used in court.

Another example of a procedure that was carried out correctly was the cordoning off of the scene by the first attending officer. Upon arrival to the scene, the first attending officer secured the scene by putting tape around the boundary of where the bodies were found. This prevented any unauthorised personnel from entering the scene and causing contamination or destroying any potentially vital pieces of evidence. In addition, the first attending officer was beneficial to the evidence value because they were able to provide the scenes of crime officers with a detailed account of what has happened and this will allow the SOCO’s to then look for specific evidence which they think may be advantageous to the investigation process. Not only does this speed up the analysis of the crime scene but it also prevented any evidence which has no relevance to the investigation from being gathered. Following, the FAO can be both a beneficial and an unfavourable procedure which is carried out at crime scene. Firstly, a FAO can be helpful because they can give SOCO’s vital information about the crime scene so they know what evidence to look for. This will prevent any irrelevant evidence from being collected which will be a waste time. However, a FAO could be disadvantageous to the collection process because the validity of evidence may be questioned as they may misinterpret what has actually happened which may cause evidence to be missed or wrong evidence being collected. Furthermore, the initial scene assessments carried out in the wooded area proved to be useful to the evidence importance. This procedure allowed the whole crime scene to be recorded before any evidence was collected and disturbed. The chain of custody was the final procedure which was used at the crime scene and throughout the investigation in my case. This was valuable because it keeps track of all the evidence and who has handled it, this helps to ensure no unauthorised tampered with the evidence. This was carried out correctly in my case because each item was recorded correctly allowing the investigation team to identify who had handled it, where it was collected, and when was it collected.