Underwater Crime Scene Investigation

The investigation of an underwater crime scene is similar in some ways to that on land. The purpose of the investigation is to find convicting evidence that will hold up in court; the investigation is conducted by trained forensics specialists with acute attention to detail; and it is essential that nothing in the crime scene be disturbed until the investigation is complete. This is where the similarities end, however, because conducting an underwater crime scene requires largely different equipment, practices, and procedures than on land.

In the past, underwater investigations were handled unprofessionally, having often been run ôlike salvage operations,ö as when law enforcement officers investigated a plane crash by ôtraipsing through South Florida swamps, gathering pieces of a downed ValuJet plane and throwing them in pilesö (Schcrope). Now, however, underwater investigations have become much more sophisticated, with specialized equipment and meticulous high-tech methods similar to those used in underwater archeology, where ôthe precise location of every scrap and artifact on a wreck site [is] mapped andàeverything recovered [is] carefully preservedö (Schcrope). Thanks to refinements and innovations, evidence found underwater can now be preserved intact and usable in court (Schrope).

Part of the challenge of conducting underwater investigations is the watery environment. Under the surface of the water, it c

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cene Search Study Guide 2003,ö 13). In straight line measurement, fixed points on either side of the object are used to measure from ôCrime Scene Search Study Guide 2003,ö 13). In rectangular coordinate measurement, a straight line is used between two known points; items are measured along that line as well as perpendicular from it (ôCrime Scene Search Study Guide 2003,ö 13). Triangulation involves taking measurements from two fixed points, to point on the item, as if to create ôan imaginary triangleö (ôCrime Scene Search Study Guide 2003,ö 13). Two or more points on the evidentiary item are used to do this (ôCrime Scene Search Study Guide 2003,ö 13). Underwater objects must also be secured, to keep them from shifting in strong currents or settling into silt or sand (Burke & OÆRear, 2). After this, a sketch or diagram is made to record this information (Burke & OÆRear, 2). Sketches and diagrams supplement the photographs by creating a permanent record of items, conditions, and distance/size relationships (scale); they are critically important, especially if for some reason the photographs do not come out, and should not be changed once the scene of the crime is left (ôCrime Scene Search Study Guide 2003, 12). Any number des
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