Homicide Investigation: Crime Scene to Courtroom

Course Duration: 2 Days (16 Professional Development hours)

Instructor: Tim Randall

Cost: $450.00

Schedule: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM local time each day (this is a 16-hour training course)

This comprehensive training program equips law enforcement professionals with the essential skills and knowledge needed to conduct thorough homicide investigations from the initial crime scene assessment through courtroom presentation. Participants will develop expertise across multiple critical investigation areas.

Course Topics Include:

• Crime Scene Investigation: Understanding death scene investigation procedures, recognizing the roles and duties of first responders and investigators, and learning proper crime scene preservation, processing, and management techniques.
• Evidence Analysis: Identifying various types of evidence, understanding their investigative value, and applying evidence effectively to build solid cases.
• Crime Scene Photography: Documenting scene conditions prior to any changes, recording evidence locations and positions, establishing witness perspectives, and capturing spatial relationships relevant to the investigation.
• Follow-up Investigation: Executing investigative steps including witness location and interviews, eyewitness identification procedures, social media investigation, surveillance camera review, victimology assessment, crime scene and injury reconstruction, and autopsy procedures.
• Gunshot Evidence: Recognizing that firearms are involved in over 75% of homicides; identifying entrance wounds, exit wounds, contact wounds, grazing wounds, abrasion collars, stippling patterns, and powder burns.
• Blood Pattern Analysis: Using blood evidence to reconstruct crime scenes, identify suspects, and corroborate statements made by victims and suspects.
• Digital Evidence: Locating, identifying, and retrieving digital information present in homicide cases.
• Search Warrants: Understanding critical search warrant procedures to ensure cases are not compromised by procedural errors.
• Case Management: Developing efficient and effective processes for case assignment, oversight, auditing, and closure.
• Case Preparation: Building prosecution-ready cases from inception, considering jury expectations, the CSI effect, defense strategies, and effective case presentation methods.
• Investigative Checklists: Applying comprehensive checklists for various death scene types including homicide, unattended death, suicide, child death scenes, and autoerotic fatalities.

This course is presented by the Public Agency Training Council (PATC).