I’d like you to get started right away on the Lawson case. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the case overall before you start your investigation.

Review the case materials
As I mentioned in my previous e-mail, we already have some documents on the Lawson case that we’ve received from the police. Everything we have is attached to this e-mail and should be given equal consideration.

To get oriented, I suggest you listen to the recording of the 911 Audiotape and read the Police Investigator’s Report. That’ll give you a general idea of what happened. After that, you can look at the rest of the materials, which include the crime scene photographs and the investigator’s corresponding recorded description of details at the scene. This should provide you with enough background on the case to get started. When reviewing the materials, try to formulate initial ideas about what happened to Mrs. Lawson.

As you investigate the Lawson case, you’ll need to keep track of evidence and come up with ideas about what actually happened in the Lawson home. Was it suicide? Homicide? How did it happen? Here at Hammond, we have a standard document for tracking those important case details, called the Progress Report. I have attached a template for you in this email. Review it to make sure you have a handle on the different sections of the report.

Start the investigation
Once you have a sense of the case materials and the template, it’s time to begin your investigation in earnest. Go back and study the case materials in depth and begin tracking your evidence in the Progress Report. Use this template to help guide your investigation; there are going to be a lot of facts you need to keep straight.

Keep in mind, your Progress Report will evolve as the case unfolds. For now, you should fill out what you can, based on what we know so far about the case. I also want you to summarize your current position on the case (i.e., suicide, homicide, inconclusive). As you work through the case, you may find that there is information you need to pursue further in order to support or to rule out your theories about what may have happened to Mrs. Lawson. Keep track of these details and note them in the Progress Report. Be sure to prioritize your requests for additional information before you submit the report to me for review. When you are ready to submit your progress report, I will give you feedback on your plan and I will take your requests into consideration when deciding what to investigate next.

I look forward to seeing your first progress report.

K.C. Hammond, P.I.
Hammond Investigations