SUICIDE BY KNIFE

Consider taking the following notes: 

Case number

Date/Time

Address/Location

Initial case details

Victim info

Assigned Officer/Detective

Consider the following:

What is the appropriate PPE for this scene?

Did someone start a crime scene log?

Is the scene secure and safe?

Is evidence located on the interior/exterior of the scene?

Is consent or a search warrant needed?

Overall/mid-range/close-up photographs of scene

Intersection/street location information

Items of evidentiary value to include:

Weapon location

Suicide notes

Prescribed medications

Other end of life documentation displayed (wills, power of attorneys, insurance policies, etc)

Overall/mid-range/close-up photographs of the victims to include:

Overall of whole body (front and back)

Mid-ranges (front and back) of upper body, abdomen, lower body

Close-ups of:

Head (front and both profiles if possible)

Arms/hands

Legs/feet

Clothing/jewelry
Tattoos/marks/scars with and without scale
Injuries with and without scale

Mark items of evidentiary value within the scene.

Re-take overall/mid-range/close-up photographs of scene, items of evidentiary value and the body with photo markers in place.

Collect swabs of any apparent body fluids within the scene.

Collect measurements to document the location of the body and the location of the weapon within the scene.

Collect items of evidentiary value from with the scene.

Process areas of interest within the scene using the appropriate latent print processing techniques.

Conduct a secondary walk through of the scene to ensure that all evidence was documented and collected and everything of evidentiary value was appropriately processed.