How to Make a Crime Scene Diagram:
K.C. Hammond has asked you to diagram the crime scene to document the location of key evidence in the Lawsons’ bedroom. In addition, you will update your Progress Report with your latest theories about the case and submit it to your mentor for review.

Sketch the Crime Scene Diagram

1. Download the Crime Scene Diagram first draft attached to K.C. Hammond’s email. You may use this as a starting point to accurately record the details of the crime scene, or you may choose to create your own Crime Scene Diagram from scratch. If you choose to create your own diagram from scratch, be sure it includes the same points of reference - the bed, windows, and doors - that are included in the first draft provided.
   
   
   • Refer to the Investigating Crime Scenes section of the Death Investigation Process resource for more information about diagramming crime scenes.
     
     
   • If you choose to draw your diagram by hand, print out the first draft (provided) to use as a starting point.
     
     
   • Alternatively, you may use a software program of your choice to create an electronic version of the diagram. Refer to the Resources section for software suggestions.
     
     
2. Orient yourself to the crime scene by revisiting the relevant case materials K.C. Hammond provided in the email for Task 1.1: Begin the Investigation, including:
   • Crime Scene Photos. Use the photos to familiarize yourself with the details at the scene. What do you see in the room? What don’t you see?
     
     
   • Police Investigator's Description of the Crime Scene (audio). Listen to a detailed description of objects captured in each photo. Get a feel for the relative location of objects at the scene. Where is a given object in relation to the bedroom door or the bed?
     
     
   • Photo Location Map. Use the map to get a sense for the perspective from which each of the photos was taken. How does each photo “fit together” with the rest of the crime scene?
     
     
3. Brainstorm theories about the case. The process of creating the Crime Scene Diagram naturally gets you thinking about theories that could explain the cause of death in the Lawson case.
   
   
   1. Consider each of the objects found at the crime scene and their relevance to the case. How did it get where it is? What does it tell you or not tell you about what might have happened?
      
      
   2. Test your current theories (based on the information you have about the objects at the crime scene) and brainstorm new ones with your teammates. Make notes about your new/revised theories; you will want to keep track of these to update your Progress Report later in this task.
      
      
4. Take an informal inventory (write a “checklist”) of all the objects that you want to capture in your diagram, as you consider each object found at the crime scene. Review the case materials (e.g., crime scene photos) from Task 1.1 Begin the Investigation and your latest Progress Report for reference.
   
   
5. Draw the objects found at the crime scene, accurately recording the location of key elements in the room on your Crime Scene Diagram. You do not need to worry about drawing the objects in the room to scale, but the layout of the room and relative positioning of the objects are important to represent correctly.
   
   
   1. Note the exact location of each item in your inventory “checklist” and draw the object on the Crime Scene Diagram. Remember that the diagram is a visual tool that helps you communicate the crime scene details to others involved in the investigation, so it is important to be thorough. As long as you capture all the objects at the scene, it is not necessary to draw them in great detail (e.g., draw a rectangle to represent a remote control, but do not draw the buttons on the remote control).
      
      
   2. In addition to depicting all objects found at the crime scene, record the location of each of the crime scene photographs on your diagram. Note that in the Photo Location Map from Task 1.1 Begin the Investigation, the numbers associated with each photo indicate the position of the camera, and the images are placed on the part of the map that the photographs depict. In your diagram, however, you should indicate the location of the photograph, not the position of the camera when the photo was taken.

   For sample diagrams, refer to the section Investigate Crime Scenes in the Death Investigation Process resource.

6. Label key objects and create a legend for your Crime Scene Diagram. To ensure that the objects in your diagram are easily identifiable, create a legend, or key, that explains each object represented. You may refer to the Investigate Crime Scenes section in the Death Investigation Process resource for examples and more information on using legends in crime scene diagrams.
   
   
   1. Before creating the legend, you may choose to label some of the larger objects in the room directly on the diagram. For example, in a living room setting you might label the “sofa” and the “coffee table” by writing these terms directly on the objects in the diagram, if there is sufficient space to do so. By labeling larger objects in the room this way, you provide quick reference points and save space in the legend for the other smaller objects found at the scene.
      
      
   2. Capture all of the remaining objects represented in the diagram in your legend, or key. Give each item a unique identifier such as a number or letter and write that identifier next to the object on the diagram. For example, if there is a diary at the scene, you might draw the diary in the appropriate location, write the letter “D” next to it and then list it in your legend as “D” for diary.
      
      
   3. Label the locations of the crime scene photos using a unique identifying number or letter. For example, if you have five crime scene photos you might identify them 1 through 5.
      
      
   4. Now that you have labeled each of the items on the diagram with either a term (e.g., “sofa”) or an identifying letter or number (e.g., “D” or “1”), create a legend that explains what the letters/numbers represent (e.g., A= bookshelves… D= diary, 1=crime scene photo no. 1). Make sure the legend includes every object represented in the Crime Scene Diagram besides the larger objects that you may have directly labeled with specific terms (e.g. “sofa”, “coffee table”).

   Keep your diagram organized. Labels and identifying letters and numbers should be well marked and should not clutter the diagram. Typically, a legend is found in the bottom corner or off to the side of the diagram. If there is not enough room on the diagram itself to incorporate your legend, you may add it on a separate page.

    

Update Your Progress Report

1. Add new facts to the Evidence Tracker table. Use your brainstorming notes from Step 3 to reconsider your theories and update your Progress Report.
   
   
   • With your teammates agree on an easy way to track new evidence (e.g., “track changes” mode in Microsoft Word; color coding) in the table so that you can easily identify new information when sharing the document among the team.
     
     
2. Summarize your latest position based on your current working theories.
   
   
3. Make requests for additional information that will help you proceed with your investigation, supporting them with your reasoning as to how they will help your investigation.

Summarize your findings for your boss.
Write an email to your boss summarizing new developments in your investigation. Include your observations about the salient facts, your current position or theory of the case, and your next steps toward reaching a conclusion. Remember that this email serves as an introduction to your Crime Scene Diagram and updated progress report, so you should highlight the key developments since you submitted your last report.

Submit your work

1. Review your work. Revisit your Crime Scene Diagram and your updated Progress Report to be sure you thoroughly completed each. Make sure all team members sign off on both documents.
   
   
   1. Ensure that the objects and evidence that appear at the scene are accurately captured in the Crime Scene Diagram.
      • Did you capture all the items at the scene?
      • Did you include everything listed in your inventory checklist from Step 3 above?
      • Did you identify every object in your diagram and create a legend that explains the labeling system?
        
        
   2. Revisit the Progress Report to be sure you thoroughly completed the tables based on the information you currently have. Also confirm that you updated the report with your latest theory(ies) and requests for new information.
      
      
2. Submit your work to your mentor. Review the checklist located in the Submit Your Work section of this task.

Interpreting Evidence

• Don’t jump to conclusions. Try to remain objective when examining evidence. Your first impression might lead you to an immediate theory, but be careful not to instinctively interpret evidence based on how it fits your initial theory. For example, if your instincts lead you to believe that a physical confrontation and struggle occurred, you might be inclined to interpret a broken doorknob as evidence of that confrontation while ignoring the possibility that the doorknob has been broken for weeks.
  
  
• Avoid assigning meaning to evidence that really doesn’t have any meaning. In spite of what popular television shows may have led you to believe, there is not always a “smoking gun” that will unlock the secrets of the case. Don’t let your imagination run wild. There are aspects of autopsy and ballistics reports that will be completely irrelevant.
  
  
• Don’t assume that the “experts” are right. Rather than defer to others, instead question their reasoning, regardless of their perceived qualifications. That’s not to say that you should disregard their opinions, but you should always seek to confirm their understanding of the facts and the reasoning underlying their conclusions.
  
  
• Support your conclusions with sound reasoning based on solid facts. Just as you should question experts, other people will question you.
  
  
• Don’t make assumptions regarding a person’s intent (e.g., a witness or suspect) based on his/her reaction to a disturbing event. There are many potential explanations for odd behavior when a person has been involved in a traumatic experience.
  
  
• Pay close attention to the results of tests, and be certain that you understand how to interpret them. Ask yourself these questions: How are the tests conducted? What is the potential for error?

Investigation Resources

Death Investigation Process - A detailed overview of the death investigation process, including useful resources on evidence gathering and formulating hypotheses about circumstances surrounding the death.

Software Suggestions for Crime Scene Diagramming

Microsoft PowerPoint
This software is usually included in the Microsoft Office suite and may already be installed on your computer.

Crime scene stencil for Visio
If you already have Visio, you can download the crime scene add-in, which includes useful templates and stencils.

Ask the Experts

How do I create a rough sketch for my crime scene diagram?

How do you reconstruct a crime scene when you only have photographs available?

What professional personnel are usually present at a crime scene and what are their responsibilities?

Why aren’t there cartridge cases at the crime scene in cases where the shooting involved a revolver?

What are the critical elements you look for when you arrive at a crime scene on a gunshot death investigation case?

What kinds of things can go wrong at the crime scene during a gunshot death investigation?

Tell me about a time when the crime scene diagram helped reconstruct the story of a particular death investigation.