NCJ Number
55927
Journal
Kriminalistik Volume: 32, Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 396-400
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
METHODS AND DIFFICULTIES IN RECONSTRUCTING THE ROUTES OF KIDNAPINGS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
SUCH RECONSTRUCTIONS ARE USEFUL FOR VERIFYING OR REJECTING WITNESS STATEMENTS OR DEDUCING INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRIMINALS INVOLVED AND MUST BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE UNCERTAINTY FACTORS. THE DISTANCE TRAVELED DURING A KIDNAPING CAN BE ESTIMATED DIRECTLY (E.G., WITH TACHOMETER READINGS); INDIRECTLY, USING SPECIAL GRAPHS TO REPRESENT VARYING SPEEDS AND TIMES; OR EMPIRICALLY, EMPLOYING DESCRIPTIONS OF ROAD CONDITIONS, ROAD COURSE, TRAFFIC NOISE, EVENTS SUCH AS STOPS, SMELL OF AIR, AND LANDMARKS--THE METHODS MAY ALSO BE COMBINED. RECONSTRUCTION IS SIMPLE WHEN THE LENGTHS OF THE SEPARATE SEGMENTS OF THE KIDNAPING ROUTE ARE KNOWN: THE ROAD SEGMENTS ARE REDUCED TO THE VALUES OF THEIR DIRECT FLIGHT DISTANCES ARE REPRESENTED IN SCALE BY STRIPS OF CARDBOARD FASTENED TOGETHER AT JOINTS; THE MODEL IS THEN PLACED OVER A ROAD MAP IN DIRECTIONS RADIATING FROM THE SITE OF THE KIDNAPING SO THAT POTENTIAL AREAS FOR HIDING VICTIMS CAN BE DETERMINED AND POSSIBLE HIDING PLACES VERIFIED. MORE EXACT RECONSTRUCTION IS POSSIBLE WITH A COMPUTER: PARTIAL SEGMENTS ARE ASCERTAINED DIRECTLY, INDIRECTLY, OR EMPIRICALLY; THE SEGMENTS WITH THE SMALLEST ERROR ARE ESTABLISHED; AN ABSTRACT VERSION OF THE ROAD SYSTEM, IS CONSTRUCTED AND A MATRIX OF SEPARATE SEGMENTS IS SET UP; AND THE ROUTE OF THE DESIRED COMBINATION OF SEGMENTS IS IDENTIFIED. THE PROCEDURE FOR PROCESSING THE NEEDED INFORMATION INVOLVES ORDERING OF INFORMATION, DERIVATION OF A WORK THEORY, RECONSTRUCTION OF THE KIDNAPING ROUTE WITH ONE OF THE METHODS CITED, EXAMINATION OF THE RESULTS TO ELIMINATE CONTRADICTIONS, CAREFUL STUDY OF REMAINING RESULTS AND COMPARISON WITH THE THEORY, AND EVALUATION OF THE FINAL RESULTS. ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PROVIDED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)