Crime Scene Sketching

first, pencil-drawn outline of a crime scene; drawn at the crime scene; not usually to scale.

• Final Sketch

• Overhead Sketch

• Legend

• Rough Sketch

Is this room drawn to scale?

• Yes

• No

A room measures 45 ft x 30 ft. Draw this room on the grid below using a scale of 1 block = 5 ft

Which of the following should not be info added to your crime scene sketch?

• An arrow pointing towards true South

• A key to identify objects

• Case number

• Scale used or phrase "Not to Scale"

• Date sketch was made

What is the first step in sketching a crime scene?

• Observe and plan

• Measure distances and outline the area

• Plot objects and evidence within the outline

• take notes and record details

What is the main difference between the initial and final sketch

• The final sketch has the location of evidence while the initial does not

• The final sketch has measurements which are not needed on the initial sketch

• The final sketch is a polished scale drawing to present in court while the initial is messier and not necessarily to scale

• The final sketch has all the case info while the initial sketch doesn’t need that

We may decide to use this sketch if there are many significant entries/exits/objects/pieces of evidence on the walls.

• Elevation

• Cross-projection/

  exploded view

• Overview/

  bird's eye view

• Perspective

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

Processing a crime scene involves:

• only collecting evidence and taking pictures

• Collecting evidence, sketching the scene, taking pictures, interviewing suspects, and examining the scene

• only examining the scene and interviewing witnesses

• only sketching the scene and taking pictures

What should be included in a rough sketch of a crime scene?

• North Labeled

• Measured distances of all evidence

• Only the evidence and not any surrounding items

• Write "to scale"

What is the purpose of a crime scene sketch in forensic science?

• To provide a visual representation of the scene

• To replace photographs of the scene

• To serve as the only evidence in court

• To determine the cause of death