The art of crime reconstruction

The art of crime reconstruction

Crime reconstruction is the utilization of scientific techniques, actual evidence, cognitive deductive logic and their linkages to understand a series of events that may have led to the commission of a crime. This phenomenon is further employed in trying to reconfigure the happenings of a particular scene of a crime. The reconstruction of crime scenes is a method that requires objectivism to put together facts relating to a crime committed in a specific scene or locality. Besides, the redevelopment has helped forensic experts in the world to examine actual evidence and create a hypothesis which is crucial in making deductions regarding a committed crime. In essence, such forensic professionals focus on devising vivid imagery on the events leading to a crime which information has always helped investigators to nub the perpetrators. The evidence discovered at the crime scene if assessed adequately and appropriately could lead to incredible clues.

The art of crime reconstruction has further been explained as akin to solving a jigsaw puzzle without the benefit of having the first box. In this instance, one cannot be able to paint the full imagery to be put together, and not all the pieces of the puzzle may be available. There could be numerous holes in the picture. However, in the event, all the right parts are found and correctly placed; it becomes easy and obvious to a person to have a clear image in one’s mind. There are three primary areas in solving and deducing the elements of a crime in forensics. The first involves a particular incident reconstruction that is mostly deployed in homicides, bombings and traffic accidents including those of the same nature. The second is events reconstruction which thoroughly scrutinizes interconnections, identity and the sequences of happenings which is the most critical component. Lastly is actual evidence reconstruction that targets things which can be subject to DNA analysis including blood, glass, firearms and other objects.

There are five primary stages in the scene of crime reconstruction. The stages include obtaining data, conjecture, creation of hypothesis, testing and theory formulation. Data collection involves getting information regarding the condition of evidence in the crime scene from crime witnesses and victims. In this process, sequences, impressions and patterns at the crime scene are broken down, assessed and analyzed. Conjecture, on the other hand, is crucial before a complete scrutinization of the evidence in the crime scene. It is a likely account of the events that can be explained as the possible narration leading to the commission of a crime.

Hypothesis formulation is linked to further analysis of the data collected and is founded on the assessment of the current evidence extracted during the pendency of criminal investigations. In carrying out this process, the actual evidence obtained from the scene ought to be inspected, examined and interpreted. An ordinary illustration of this stage would be the interpretation and analysis of gunshot bullet holes traces, fingerprint marks and traces of bloodstains. The key outcome in this stage is to elicit an educated guess as to the probable happenings during the commission of a crime. Once the hypothesis is devised, additional testing ought to be carried out to ascertain, disprove or accept the interpretation of individual components of the hypothesis. This stage of testing normally involves contrasting collected samples of evidence with stipulated standards, chemical and microscopic testing and analysis. When all this information is immensely tested and is proven to be authentic, then the final stage of reconstruction would pertain the formulation of a plausible theory that would be utilized in reconstructing the crime scene.

A crime scene may involve the commission of more crimes than what is envisioned. As a result, crime scenes are either categorized as primary or secondary. The former pertains the specific locality where a crime is committed. In contrast, the latter is linked to a particular crime, notwithstanding that it happens not to be the actual place where a crime is committed. A key illustration is the scene of a bank robbery where the robber’s escape vehicles and hideout are deemed to be secondary crime scenes. Primary crime scenes in most cases, provide much evidence than secondary scenes. However, this aspect is not always automatic as investigators may also need further to analyze a secondary scene of crime. This can be demonstrated where investigators may require to trace the steps of a murderer who dumped a corpse in another locality after committing murder in the primary scene.

A competent crime scene reconstructionist ought to have a comprehension of forensic investigations to be in-charge of such reconstruction. There are no requisite academic education qualifications. Nevertheless, numerous crime scene reconstruction professionals possess academic expertise in the area of physics, forensics, biology, chemistry and criminal justice. Moreover, such professionals ought to have astounding experience in handling crime scene investigations as well as the analysis of evidence. In performing the role of a crime reconstructionist, one does not need to have mastered all the forensic areas. Still, instead they must have a contextual and analytical mind able to examine the facts based on the circumstances and the evidence at large. Therefore, it is evident that any experienced individual in the world of crime forensics can be tasked with crime scene reconstruction.