Criminal Investigation Case Study
Karen_2
CMJ2223Coursework2CaseStudySpring2021-BurglaryScenario.pdf
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
CODE: CMJ2223
LECTURER: LESHAUN CHARLES
Case Study
Conduct a crime scene investigation for the scenario below.
Course Work Expectations:
1. Introduction
2. Critical Analysis of the question
3. Academic Writing conventions
4. APA citation standards
(see the grading rubric attached)
Total (20 Marks)
Scenario:
You are a patrol officer who was just dispatched to a burglary that had recently
occurred to an electronics retailer in your district at 5600 S. Kirkman Road,
Orlando, Florida. While responding to the scene, the dispatcher advised that the
business was closed and that the call originated from the alarm company.
According to the alarm company, the front glass door to the business had been
shattered. A video camera recorded a white male subject enter through the front
door, jump the counter, and smash a glass cabinet with a baseball bat. The
subject then removed several small boxes from the cabinet and then fled
Date administered: April 15, 2021 – Due date: April 21, 2021
through the door he entered. From the video, the alarm company representative
stated the white male was wearing a Florida Marlins t-shirt, a Miami Hurricanes
ball cap, denim shorts, and had shaggy dark brown hair down to his shoulders.
Also, the suspect had a lean build, no facial hair, and appeared to be in his mid-
twenties. A video camera outside the store captured the suspect’s vehicle as it
exited the parking lot. The vehicle was described as a red, 1989, Ford Mustang;
with a Florida personalized plate that read, “Blessed 2342.”
A short time after you arrived on the scene, another officer spotted a car
matching the description of your suspect’s vehicle approximately two miles
from the crime scene. The car was abandoned along a busy highway and had a
flat tire. From outside the car, you could see an aluminium baseball bat, several
empty iPad boxes, and a Miami Hurricanes ball cap. A computer check of the
vehicle’s registration indicated it had an expired driver’s license. Both the
registration and the driver’s license listed the subject’s residential address as
2145 Franklin Drive, Bithlo, Florida.
Back at the crime scene, you observed small amounts of blood on glass
fragments hanging from the front door. The entire entryway to the business was
covered in small glass fragments, along with behind the front counter. Several
iPad boxes were on the floor. A representative from the business confirmed that
15 iPads were missing. Each iPad had a retail value of $499. The total loss from
damage and theft was approximately $9,000. The representative of the business
stated that she was authorized by the owner to press charges. Additionally, the
representative stated that no one was authorized to enter the closed business or
take any property. A representative from the alarm company notified you that
their dispatcher believes she would identify the suspect in a photo line-up.
Questions:
1. Identify your primary and secondary crime scenes and describe the stages of
the investigation. Describe what steps you would take to secure the crime scene.
(3 marks)
2. Based on what you learned from your preliminary investigation, using either
an inductive or a deductive method, devise a theory of what occurred. Based on
your theory, identify evidence you will need to support your theory. With this
question, feel free to pull from everything you have learned so far in class. Feel
free to identify any potential sources of evidence that would help test your
theory. Discuss the Tactical and Strategic responses in this question where
applicable. (4 marks)
3. Identify the evidence you have identified that serves as corpus delecti and/or
associate evidence. What is the significance of the evidence? (3 marks)
4. Describe any hazards you may face at the crime scenes and any witness
evidence. (3 marks)
5. Describe any techniques you have learned to analyse any forensic evidence in
this scenario. (3 marks)
6. Considering what you have learned about search and seizure, under what
conditions could you search the suspect’s vehicle? Describe at least two, but
feel free to add more if you want. (2 marks)
7. Finally, were you able to identify a suspect? If so, describe the probable
cause supporting your position and describe what actions you would take to
arrest the subject and recover additional evidence. (2 marks)
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Grading Rubric for Case Study – (CMJ2223) – (CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION)
Criteria Needs
Improvement/
Inadequate = 0 –
9
(Below
Standard)
Basic/ Adequate
= 10 – 14
(Meets
Standard)
Proficient/ Above
Average = 15 –
17
(Exceeds
standard)
Exemplary/Advanced
= 18 – 20
(Far exceeds Standard)
Pre-Scene
List of questions
or statements to
be written up
before crime
scene is viewed
- Vague questions/
statements
- Questions show little
to no
relevance
to the
scene
- Questions do not aid
in
evaluating
the scene
- Few specific
questions/
statements
- Some questions
are
relevant to
the scene
- Questions limit the
evaluation
of the
scene
- Mostly specific
questions/st
atements
- Most questions
are relevant
to the scene
- Questions provide an
adequate
platform
for
evaluating
the scene
- specific questions/statem
ents
- questions are entirely relevant
to the scene and
go beyond
asking the basic
information
about the crime
scene
- questions provide an
above adequate
platform for
evaluating the
scene
Documentation
Description of
evidence and
scene sketches
and notes
- Scene is barely
described
- Descriptio n of
necessary
evidence
needs
improvem
ent
- Scene and body
sketch
needs
improvem
ent
- Scene is somewhat
described
- Descriptio n of
necessary
evidence
is basic
- Scene and body
sketch
basic
- Scene is adequately
described
- Description of
necessary
evidence is
proficient
- Scene and body
sketch
proficient
- Scene is fully described
- All necessary evidence is fully
described
- Description of necessary
evidence is
advanced
- Scene and body sketch advanced
Evidence to be
collected
Physical evidence
collected at crime
scene and why
- Inadequat e amount
of
evidence
collected
- Unreason able
explanatio
ns
provided
for
collected
evidence
- Evidence does not
aid in
evaluating
the crime
scene
- Collected some of
the
necessary
evidence
- Some reasonabl
e
explanatio
ns
provided
for
collected
evidence
- Evidence is limited
in the
evaluation
of the
crime
scene
- Collected most of the
necessary
evidence
- Provided reasonable
explanation
s for each
item
collected
- Some evidence
helps in
evaluating
the crime
scene
- Collected all necessary
evidence
- Provided reasonable
explanations for
each item
collected
- Evidence is of a probative nature
Evidence
Handling
Procedure for
collection and
handling of
evidence
- Very few necessary
procedure
s
suggested
- Few procedure
s
suggested
are
accurate
- Some necessary
procedure
s
suggested
- Procedure s are
accurate
- Most necessary
procedures
suggested
- Procedures are
accurate
and some
supported
- All necessary procedures
suggested
- Procedures are accurate and
appropriately
supported
Contamination
Comment on
possible
inaccuracies in
crime scene
procedure and
how these may be
corrected
- One
inaccurac
y noted
- Insufficie nt
motivatio
n
provided
for
correcting
- More than one
inaccurac
y noted
- Some sufficient
motivatio
n
provided
for
correcting
- More than one
inaccuracy
noted
- Sufficient motivation
provided
for
correcting
the
- All inaccuracies identified
- Outstanding motivation
provided for
correcting these
inaccuracies
this
inaccurac
y
these
inaccuraci
es
inaccuracie
s
Questions on-
scene
List of questions
to ask individuals
on scene or
individuals
following the
initial scene
investigation
- Only one appropriat
e
individual
has been
identified
- Questions show little
to no
relevance
to the
scene and
deceased
- Questions provide
little
informatio
n
necessary
for further
investigati
on
- Some of the
appropriat
e
individual
s have
been
identified
- Questions show
some
relevance
to the
scene and
deceased
- Questions provide
little
informatio
n
necessary
for further
investigati
on
- Most of the appropriate
individuals
have been
identified
- Questions show
relevance
to the scene
and
deceased
- Questions provide
some
information
necessary
for further
investigatio
n
- Questions directed to
appropriate
individuals
- Questions are entirely relevant
to the scene and
deceased
- Questions provide
additional
information
necessary for
further
investigation
Scene Conduct
Comment on the
appropriate way
of managing a
crime scene
- Vague and
insufficie
nt
descriptio
n of
conduct
on scene
- Vague descriptio
n of
appropriat
e conduct
on scene
- Some details
- Clear description
of
appropriate
conduct on
scene
- Some details
- Clear and detailed
description of
appropriate
conduct on
scene
Alternatives
Considering your
scene
investigation,
suggest an
alternative
manner of death
- Provides an
alternative
manner of
death, but
with
sufficient
support
- Provides an
alternative
manner of
death, but
with only
some
sufficient
- Provides an alternative
manner of
death, with
sufficient
support for
why this
may have
- A logical and well-supported
alternative
manner of death
has been
provided
- Motivation is further
for why
this may
have been
the case
- Has not considere
d
collected
evidence
or on-
scene
questions
to
motivate
reasons
for their
suggestio
n
support
for why
this may
have been
the case
- Has considere
d some
evidence
or on-
scene
questions
to
motivate
reasons
for their
suggestio
n
been the
case
- Has considered
most of the
evidence or
on-scene
questions
to motivate
reasons for
their
suggestion
supported by the
collected
evidence and
questions on-
scene
TOTAL
