Crime Scene Reconstruction Flashcards

The 'stringing method' in crime scene reconstruction is specifically used to:

Answer: Determine bullet trajectories by extending string through bullet holes

The stringing method involves placing rods or strings through bullet holes and extending them outward to identify the approximate path and origin of shots fired.

'Transfer evidence' in the context of crime scene reconstruction refers to:

Answer: Material exchanged between persons, objects, or the environment during the crime

Transfer evidence encompasses any material such as hair, fibers, blood, or soil exchanged during physical contact, consistent with Locard's Exchange Principle.

'Experimental reconstruction' in forensic science involves:

Answer: Conducting controlled tests to verify or challenge theories about how events occurred

Experimental reconstruction tests hypotheses by physically recreating conditions and actions to determine whether physical evidence is consistent with a proposed event sequence.

Contact bloodstains are most useful in crime scene reconstruction for determining:

Answer: The positions and movements of persons or objects that came in contact with wet blood

Contact or transfer bloodstains reveal patterns showing where and how persons or objects touched wet blood, directly reconstructing positions and movements at the scene.

Peer review of a crime scene reconstruction is important because it:

Answer: Helps ensure accuracy and strengthens the scientific validity of findings

Peer review by qualified colleagues identifies methodological errors and strengthens the scientific rigor and ultimate admissibility of reconstruction findings in court.

Time-of-event determination in crime scene reconstruction may incorporate:

Answer: Entomology, rigor mortis, stomach contents, and environmental conditions

Time-of-event determination draws on multiple scientific methods including forensic entomology, postmortem changes, gastric contents, and environmental data to establish when events occurred.

When presenting a crime scene reconstruction in court, the reconstructionist is ethically obligated to:

Answer: Present all findings objectively, including those inconsistent with the prosecution's theory

A forensic reconstruction expert must present all findings truthfully and impartially, including exculpatory evidence, to maintain scientific integrity and credibility as an expert witness.