, Fourth Edition
Crime Scene Investigation
and Reconstruction
Robert R. Ogle, Jr.
Sharon L. Plotkin
330 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10013
,Vice President, Portfolio Management: Andrew Gilfillan
Portfolio Manager: Gary Bauer
Editorial Assistant: Lynda Cramer
Senior Vice President, Marketing: David Gesell
Field Marketing Manager: Thomas Hayward
Product Marketing Manager: Kaylee Carlson
Senior Marketing Coordinator: Les Roberts
Director, Digital Studio and Content Production: Brian Hyland
Managing Producer: Cynthia Zonneveld
Managing Producer: Jennifer Sargunar
Content Producer: Nikhil Rakshit
Manager, Rights Management: Johanna Burke
Operations Specialist: Deidra Smith
Creative Digital Lead: Mary Siener
Managing Producer, Digital Studio: Autumn Benson
Content Producer, Digital Studio: Maura Barclay
Full-Service Management and Composition: iEnergizer Aptara®, Ltd.
Full-Service Project Manager: Rakhshinda Chishty
Cover Design: StudioMontage
Cover Photos: Courtesy of Sharon Plotkin
Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers
Cover Printer: Lehigh-Phoenix Color/Hagerstown
Text Font: ITC Garamond Std
Copyright © 2018, 2012, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by copyright, and permission
should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or
transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise. For
information regarding permissions, request forms, and the appropriate contacts within the Pearson Education
Global Rights and Permissions department, please visit www.pearsoned.com/permissions/.
Acknowledgments of third-party content appear on the appropriate page within the text.
PEARSON and ALWAYS LEARNING are exclusive trademarks owned by Pearson Education, Inc. or its affili-
ates in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, any third-party trademarks, logos, or icons that may appear in this work
are the property of their respective owners, and any references to third-party trademarks, logos, icons, or
other trade dress are for demonstrative or descriptive purposes only. Such references are not intended to
imply any sponsorship, endorsement, authorization, or promotion of Pearson’s products by the owners
of such marks, or any relationship between the owner and Pearson Education, Inc., authors, licensees, or
distributors.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Plotkin, Sharon, author. | Ogle, Robert R. Crime scene investigation
and reconstruction.
Title: Crime scene investigation and reconstruction / Sharon Plotkin.
Description: Fourth Edition. | Hoboken : Pearson, 2016. | Revised edition of
Crime scene investigation and reconstruction, c2012. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016041387 | ISBN 9780134548074 | ISBN 0134548078
Subjects: LCSH: Criminal investigation—Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Crime
scene searches—Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Evidence, Criminal—Handbooks,
manuals, etc.
Classification: LCC HV8073 .P5846 2016 | DDC 363.25/2—dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2016041387
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN-10: 0-13-454807-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-454807-4
, CONTENTS
Foreword xvii
Preface xix
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE 1
Key Words 1
Learning Outcomes 1
Introduction 1
Brief History of Forensic Science and the Examination of Physical
Evidence 1
Types, Value, and Advantages of Physical Evidence 2
Categories of Physical Evidence 3
Laboratory Analysis of Physical Evidence 3
Types of Evidence 3
Direct evidence 3
Circumstantial evidence 3
Testimonial evidence 3
Physical evidence 4
Value of Physical Evidence 4
Reconstruction of the crime scene 4
Determines whether or not a crime occurred 4
Links an individual with another individual, a crime scene, or
other crimes 5
Provides investigative leads to investigators 5
Provides facts to a jury to assist in determination of guilt or
innocence 6
Provides evidence to link serial homicide or rape cases 6
Some Advantages of Physical Evidence 6
Major Categories of Physical Evidence 7
Class and Individual Characteristics of Physical Evidence 7
Laboratory Analysis of Physical Evidence 10
Comparative analysis process 10
Results of the comparison process 11
Comparison Standards and Controls 12
Ethical, Legal, and Scientific Requirements for Evidence
Collection 13
Ethical requirements 13
Legal requirements 14
Scientific requirements 22
Summary 23 • Review Questions 24
Further References 24
Appendix 1-A Search and Seizure 25
Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution 25
General Exceptions to the Warrant Requirement 25
The Exclusionary Rule 26
Glossary of Cases 27
iii
Crime Scene Investigation
and Reconstruction
Robert R. Ogle, Jr.
Sharon L. Plotkin
330 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10013
,Vice President, Portfolio Management: Andrew Gilfillan
Portfolio Manager: Gary Bauer
Editorial Assistant: Lynda Cramer
Senior Vice President, Marketing: David Gesell
Field Marketing Manager: Thomas Hayward
Product Marketing Manager: Kaylee Carlson
Senior Marketing Coordinator: Les Roberts
Director, Digital Studio and Content Production: Brian Hyland
Managing Producer: Cynthia Zonneveld
Managing Producer: Jennifer Sargunar
Content Producer: Nikhil Rakshit
Manager, Rights Management: Johanna Burke
Operations Specialist: Deidra Smith
Creative Digital Lead: Mary Siener
Managing Producer, Digital Studio: Autumn Benson
Content Producer, Digital Studio: Maura Barclay
Full-Service Management and Composition: iEnergizer Aptara®, Ltd.
Full-Service Project Manager: Rakhshinda Chishty
Cover Design: StudioMontage
Cover Photos: Courtesy of Sharon Plotkin
Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers
Cover Printer: Lehigh-Phoenix Color/Hagerstown
Text Font: ITC Garamond Std
Copyright © 2018, 2012, 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by copyright, and permission
should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or
transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise. For
information regarding permissions, request forms, and the appropriate contacts within the Pearson Education
Global Rights and Permissions department, please visit www.pearsoned.com/permissions/.
Acknowledgments of third-party content appear on the appropriate page within the text.
PEARSON and ALWAYS LEARNING are exclusive trademarks owned by Pearson Education, Inc. or its affili-
ates in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, any third-party trademarks, logos, or icons that may appear in this work
are the property of their respective owners, and any references to third-party trademarks, logos, icons, or
other trade dress are for demonstrative or descriptive purposes only. Such references are not intended to
imply any sponsorship, endorsement, authorization, or promotion of Pearson’s products by the owners
of such marks, or any relationship between the owner and Pearson Education, Inc., authors, licensees, or
distributors.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Plotkin, Sharon, author. | Ogle, Robert R. Crime scene investigation
and reconstruction.
Title: Crime scene investigation and reconstruction / Sharon Plotkin.
Description: Fourth Edition. | Hoboken : Pearson, 2016. | Revised edition of
Crime scene investigation and reconstruction, c2012. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016041387 | ISBN 9780134548074 | ISBN 0134548078
Subjects: LCSH: Criminal investigation—Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Crime
scene searches—Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Evidence, Criminal—Handbooks,
manuals, etc.
Classification: LCC HV8073 .P5846 2016 | DDC 363.25/2—dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2016041387
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN-10: 0-13-454807-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-454807-4
, CONTENTS
Foreword xvii
Preface xix
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE 1
Key Words 1
Learning Outcomes 1
Introduction 1
Brief History of Forensic Science and the Examination of Physical
Evidence 1
Types, Value, and Advantages of Physical Evidence 2
Categories of Physical Evidence 3
Laboratory Analysis of Physical Evidence 3
Types of Evidence 3
Direct evidence 3
Circumstantial evidence 3
Testimonial evidence 3
Physical evidence 4
Value of Physical Evidence 4
Reconstruction of the crime scene 4
Determines whether or not a crime occurred 4
Links an individual with another individual, a crime scene, or
other crimes 5
Provides investigative leads to investigators 5
Provides facts to a jury to assist in determination of guilt or
innocence 6
Provides evidence to link serial homicide or rape cases 6
Some Advantages of Physical Evidence 6
Major Categories of Physical Evidence 7
Class and Individual Characteristics of Physical Evidence 7
Laboratory Analysis of Physical Evidence 10
Comparative analysis process 10
Results of the comparison process 11
Comparison Standards and Controls 12
Ethical, Legal, and Scientific Requirements for Evidence
Collection 13
Ethical requirements 13
Legal requirements 14
Scientific requirements 22
Summary 23 • Review Questions 24
Further References 24
Appendix 1-A Search and Seizure 25
Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution 25
General Exceptions to the Warrant Requirement 25
The Exclusionary Rule 26
Glossary of Cases 27
iii
