Module 17

Actions at the Scene of A Death or Anticipated Fatality Notwithstanding the advice given in the earlier module on scene management with regard to personal and emergency services safety, the giving of first aid, etc, these are the actions to be considered in all cases.

1. Confirm as far as is legally possible that the individual is deceased. This fact can only be confirmed by a medical practitioner, but common sense can be applied in circumstances where death is obvious. If there is any doubt whatsoever, first aid measures must be taken. Arrange the attendance of a medical practitioner to confirm life extinct. If a suspicious death, utilise a trained police surgeon.

2. Confirm if it is known if the deceased is at the place of death, or whether the deceased has been moved since discovery, or since the time of death if this can be established. Movement may not be the result of sinister motives, but knowing if the body has been moved will have an impact on the quality of the investigation.

3. Identify and record in writing any obvious marks upon the body. Do not move the body in order to do this. That activity is the responsibility of a specialist. If the cause of death is not clear, it may be necessary to move the body the absolute minimum in order to establish if there are any injuries apparent.

4. Establish an inner and outer cordon for the scene. The inner cordon will represent the immediate surroundings of the body, e.g. the room in which it was found. The outer cordon would represent a building, street, or other geographical location that can reasonably be cordoned off.

5. Establish a common route of entry to the scene, and a rendezvous point for other investigators, emergency crews, specialists and so on. Once decided upon, this is the only route to and from the scene.

6. Observe and record the immediate surroundings of the body, including lighting, temperature (i.e. hot, cold, room temperature), status of doors and windows on arrival (open, closed, locked). Sketch maps are invaluable as an aide-memoir and for briefing other investigators who will wish to visit the scene but who will not be allowed into the direct environs of the inner cordon.

7. If there is any potential evidence of a material nature that will be compromised if left at the scene, consider its removal, and the manner of that removal. Ideally, no material will be removed, but if there are indications that evidence will be lost if it remains at the scene, it must be taken away. Seek advice of specialists for the removal process, but in any event take the utmost care that the article remains intact, and secure from contamination or tampering.

8. Let no one into the scene until a supervisory investigator authorises that this be permitted. This includes any senior investigators. There is always a temptation on the part of an investigator to have a look at the scene of a serious incident, but this enthusiasm must be countered by the need to keep the scene sterile. In most instances, a Crime Scene Manager will take control of the scene and have ultimate authority for allowing or refusing entry. Until that person arrives, the responsibility for access is that of the first investigator on the scene.

9. If a crime is suspected, police will be called (assuming that the first investigator on site is not a police officer). Any communication equipment at the scene will not be used. Police investigators will notify their control room, who will initiate most of the further contacts that have to be made. That said, it is the investigator's responsibility to ensure that those contacts have been made.

10. If a person suspected of involvement is at the scene, this person shall be isolated and escorted from the scene. If at all possible, the following considerations will be met;

• That individual will be asked/told to wear a paper suit to preserve evidential material on their clothing.
• Any person escorting that individual will have no further access to the scene, or in the investigation, until the evidence is secured.
• If a vehicle is used to transport that person, its details will be noted and that vehicle will not be used again during that investigation if at all possible.
• Arrests should not be made in haste because of the time implications at police stations. If circumstances do dictate that an arrest be made, ensure that all legal requirements are addressed.

11. Take the details of all persons present at the scene, and ask them to remain if at all possible. Anyone seeking permission to leave should be asked to consider leaving his or her clothing for examination. (It is appreciated that this may be a problem, but explanation of the reasons may ease the process. Remember - evidential matter can clear, as well as convict a person.) These people should be kept separate wherever possible, and can be briefly interviewed about the incident. Detailed interviewing of witnesses should not take place at the scene.

12. Organise a scene loggist, whose sole responsibility is to record the entry and exit of personnel to and from the scene. Modern logbooks also assist in making references to whether those personnel were wearing protective wear.

13. Record all of the following information in a notebook:

• Time of arrival
• Actions taken on arrival - the notebook will act as a policy book at the outset.
• Situation on arrival - include lighting and weather conditions, and mens rea elements (that is, the atmosphere and environment within which the body was discovered)
• Details of persons present, particularly those who discovered and reported the incident
• Sketch map of scene - detail whether doors were open or closed, lights were on or off, who turned them on if they were off and visa versa
• Persons/resources called, when, and through whom
• What those resources did and saw upon arrival
• Details of victim, and of the individual making that identification
• Details of any emergency personnel on site
• Decision making process re the cordons, and rendezvous point
• Extensive records regarding the information disclosed or discovered through questioning of persons present
• Significant statements by suspects, and dying declarations by the deceased
• Condition of the premises

14. Monitor the well being of the personnel at the scene. Ask if they have concerns, questions, or personal issues that need to be addressed if they are to keep their minds on the task at hand. Also consider welfare issues regarding the traumatic nature of the incident.

15. Once the scene is preserved and the above actions have been taken, the investigator can be prepared to hand the scene over to a supervisor or scene manager. This will entail a briefing as to the actions taken (as recorded) and the persons informed.

16. Scene preservation means preservation of the scene as it was on arrival. This means non-interference with water supply, gas supply, electrical supply, and any other available utilities or services. If the television is switched ON, it stays on until examined.

The above steps are the absolute minimum in any suspicious death incident. If it is established that the death is no longer suspicious, these steps can be withdrawn, but if these steps are not taken and the death is later found to be suspicious, they cannot be put in place retrospectively.

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