NCJ Number
151665
Date Published
1989
Length
180 pages
Annotation
This manual provides practical information for police officers, as well as their civilian superiors, on conducting homicide investigations.
Abstract
The manual covers three broad areas related to homicide investigation, referred to here as tasks, tactics, and tools. Investigation goals include preserving the crime scene and gathering evidence, establishing the victim's identity, determining cause and time of death, finding and interviewing witnesses, reconstructing the victim's last hours or days, establishing suspect identities, locating suspects, and arresting suspects and preparing for prosecution. Investigators must consider homicide statistics, types of homicides, and methods of committing homicide during this stage. Tactics used in the investigation relate to the initial police response, suspect handling, victim identification, forensic medical examination, evidence collection, and media relations. Tools that may be used in the course of a homicide investigation include a copying machine, computerized aids, DNA fingerprinting, evidence and fingerprint kits, infection prevention kit, sketching kit, and tape recorder.