Expert: Jack Toomey - 2/22/2005

Question
Hi, Jack.  I'm currently writing a screenplay containing scenes depicting law enforcement officials going about their work, including the investigations of murder scenes.  I was wondering if you could tell me what the basic layout of a homicide investigation is, i.e. who is there, who is doing what? etc.  I have my own vague assumption of how a scenario such as this plays out, but I figured I should ask a professional such as yourself to get  a clear, accurate idea of what goes on in such a situation.  I appreciate you taking the time to read this question and thank you for your help.  

Answer
Hi Nick,

   Ok I found your original question.  Presumably the two bodies were found by a hiker or a passerby of some sort.  The police would be called and at least one uniformed officer would respond.  I would bet that if the call was dispatched as " two bodies found in the woods" that many more officers would respond just to sight see and also supervisors.  Once the scene was verified the homicide detectives would be called (if the department has a homicide section).  Probably two detectives would respond at first and report back to their supervisor.  In the meantime the uniformed officers would be securing the scene by either putting crime scene tape up for hundreds of yards around the scene and making sure that no one approaches the bodies.  Once the detectives get there they would make a preliminary inspection of the scene and then back off and call for the foreniscs people.  On some departments this would be uniformed officers who have training in this field and on others the forensic people might be civilians who are usually retired officers from other departments still working in their field.  Photographs would be taken from every angle possible and then the detectives and medical examiner would approach the bodies and try to make a determiniation about the cause of death without touching the bodies.  I guess these people have been shot to death or stabbed or suffered some kind of violent death?  That should be easy enough to see.

    Once that has been established then the scene around the bodies would be processed by seizing anything that does not seem to belong there.  In other words things that are foreign to the woods or wherever this is.  In the meantime (now this is not immediately) but the person in charge might call on a detatchment of officers or police recruits to scour the woods to see what they can find.  Once the scene around the body is processed then the bodies would be "rolled" meaning rolled over to see how many wounds, etc, the person has.  Then the hands would be bagged so not to lose any evidence and eventually the medical examiner would have the bodies transported for autopsy. At least one member of the department would attend the autopsy and seize any evidence from the patholigst.

   So thats about it.  If you have any further questions please let me know.