Crime scene
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| Physiological sciences |
| Forensic pathology · Forensic dentistry |
| Forensic anthropology · Forensic entomology · Forensic archaeology |
| Social sciences |
| Forensic psychology · Forensic psychiatry |
| Other specializations |
| Fingerprint analysis · Forensic accounting |
| Ballistics · Bloodstain pattern analysis · Forensic arts |
| DNA profiling · Forensic toxicology |
| Forensic footwear evidence |
| Questioned document examination |
| Cybertechnology in forensics |
| Information forensics · Computer forensics |
| Related disciplines |
| Forensic engineering |
| Forensic materials engineering |
| Forensic polymer engineering |
| Fire investigation |
| Vehicular accident reconstruction |
| People in Forensics |
| Auguste Ambroise Tardieu |
| Edmond Locard |
| Bill Bass |
| Related articles |
| Crime scene · CSI Effect |
| Trace evidence · Skid mark |
| Use of DNA in forensic entomology |
A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators (CSIs) or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists.
Strictly speaking, a crime scene is a location wherein evidence of a crime may be found. It is not necessarily where the crime was committed. Indeed, there are primary, secondary and often tertiary crime scenes. For instance, the police may use a warrant to search an suspect's home. Even though the suspect did not commit the crime at that location, evidence of the crime may be found there. In another instance, an offender might kidnap at one location (primary crime scene), transport the victim (the car being a secondary crime scene), commit another crime at a distant location (murder, for instance) and then dispose of the body at a fourth scene.
All locations wherein there is the potential for the recovery of evidence must be handled in the same manner. Legal concepts impacting the usefulness of evidence in court (Daubert, chain of custody, etc), apply to the recovery of evidence whether or not a crime actually occurred at that location.
Crime scene reconstruction is the use of scientific methods, physical evidence, deductive reasoning, and their interrelationships to gain explicit knowledge of the series of events that surround the commission of a crime.
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