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A crime scene scenario

In this crime scene scenario, there are a number of evidence types that you will need to collect. The crime scene is a single-floor house with a burned-down tool shed in the back. There is a mailbox that appears to have been hit by a car backing out of the driveway. It is 90 degrees (F) with 100% humidity.
The items you will collect include the following:

A vial of liquid blood
Stains on clothing that may be semen
A paper packet containing an unknown powder
Fumes from the shed that was burned to the ground, containing a body (the body will be handled by the medical examiner, not you)
Paint transfer apparently from a vehicle onto the mailbox in front of the crime scene
Hair and fiber found on a hammer with what appears to be dried blood

Describe the methods you would use to pack these items for transport to the lab.
Explain the danger of the evidence degradation due to the environment.
Describe the instrumentation at the lab that might be used to examine the evidence.

Sample Answer

Methods for packaging evidence for transport to the lab:

Vial of liquid blood: Place the vial in a sealed plastic bag with absorbent material, such as paper towels or cotton. Place the plastic bag in a cooler with ice packs.
Stains on clothing that may be semen: Place the clothing in a paper bag and seal the bag. Place the paper bag in a cooler with ice packs.
Paper packet containing an unknown powder: Place the packet in a sealed plastic bag. Place the plastic bag in a paper bag and seal the bag.
Fumes from the shed that was burned to the ground: This evidence will be collected by personnel trained in hazardous materials handling.

Full Answer Section

Paint transfer apparently from a vehicle onto the mailbox in front of the crime scene: Collect the paint transfer using a sterile cotton swab. Place the swab in a sealed plastic tube.
Hair and fiber found on a hammer with what appears to be dried blood: Collect the hair and fiber using a sterile forceps. Place the hair and fiber in a sealed plastic bag.

Danger of evidence degradation due to the environment:

The high temperature and humidity at the crime scene could lead to the degradation of the evidence. The liquid blood could spoil, the semen stains could break down, and the unknown powder could become wet and clump together.

It is important to package the evidence properly and to transport it to the lab as soon as possible to minimize the risk of degradation.

Instrumentation that might be used to examine the evidence at the lab:

Vial of liquid blood: The liquid blood could be examined using a variety of instruments, such as a microscope, a DNA analyzer, and a blood chemistry analyzer.
Stains on clothing that may be semen: The semen stains could be examined using a microscope and a DNA analyzer.
Paper packet containing an unknown powder: The unknown powder could be examined using a variety of instruments, such as a microscope, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and an infrared spectrometer (IR).
Fumes from the shed that was burned to the ground: The fumes could be examined using a variety of instruments, such as a GC-MS and an IR spectrometer.
Paint transfer apparently from a vehicle onto the mailbox in front of the crime scene: The paint transfer could be examined using a variety of instruments, such as a microscope and a GC-MS.
Hair and fiber found on a hammer with what appears to be dried blood: The hair and fiber could be examined using a variety of instruments, such as a microscope and a DNA analyzer.

The specific instruments that are used to examine the evidence will depend on the type of evidence and the specific questions that the investigators are trying to answer.

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