Peer Review

Robert Evans

CCJS 101 6980 Introduction to Investigative Forensics

CSI Analysis Paper

Rough Draft

01 March 2015

The CSI episode that I chose to do an analysis on is from CSI Miami, Season 10, Episode 16 “Rest in Pieces”. This episode begins with a gentlemen crawling from a shallow grave on a beach crying the name Chelsey. He then staggers into a nearby street and passes out. The following scene shows the CSI detective Heratio Standing over the gentlemen’s shallow grave. The gentlemen is later to be discovered as Curt Armstrong. Heratio and another CSI investigator named Walter discover Chelsey Bartlet’s body in a shallow grave nearby. The corner at the scen discovers that her eyes were removed and her throat was slashed. The corner automatically points out that the crime scene resembles ones related to ones that a Estevan Navaro is being investigated for. In the closing of this scene a private helicopter lands near the crime scne and a elderly woman exits the aircraft. Heratio approaches here and confronts her about landing an aircraft near a marked crime scene. The lady identifies herself as Estevan Navarro’s grandmother and claims that the crime scene is on her land and that she was coming home.

To summarize this CSI Miami episode it is about the investigation of a serial killer that ends up tying his father, Deigo Navarro, and his grandmother, Nina Navarro, to the murder of Rudolph Navarro. Estevan Navarro is linked to the murders of Chelsey Bartlett and two other female victims found in an earlier episode.

Further analysis of this episode revealed the following observations. The opening scene of this episode showed Heratio standing right next the the shallow grave at the crime scene. The crime scene was on a beach. It seems that the integrity of the crime scene would have been protected. The evidence that could have been corrupted would be foot prints from the suspect that may not necessarily lead to the capture of the suspect but could assist in tying the suspect to the location of the crime. A mold of the suspect foot print could of identified the characteristic of the suspects foot print. Also during this scene when Walter, another CSI investigator, approach the scene and observed two long “drag” marks in the sand that led to the burial site of Chelsey. If the crime scene had already been secured I can not understand why these drag marks were not observed when they first arrived. A private helicopter landed at a crime scene would also be unlikely if it were properly secured. Within the next several hours, one of the victims, Curt Armstrong, had recovered and been released from the hospital. If at all realistic, I doubt that some one that had just been a victim of attempted murder would have been taken to a police line up. Even though he still had been taken to the police station and identified Estevan Navarro in a police line up as the person suspected of the crime. Estevan had also been interviewed by investigators and had his preliminary hearing. All of this seemed to have occurred within just hours of the initial response to the crime scene which also is highly unlikely to happen. Now, the only evidence so far that had been identified was the witness identification at the police line up, a heel from a woman’s shoe that belonged to the victims friend. The heal from the shoe was determined to be made from metal and matched a pair of shoes that the CSI investigators found on a fancy shoe web site. It would appear that an attempt to destroy this evidence was being made.

Mean while, more remains had been found at the beach near the original crime scene. These remains were found by a large sand crab running away with a decomposed finger. Walter and the Coroner discovered the remain of a skeleton that had a bullet whole in it’s skull. The investigators found a bullet that was found to be a .22 caliber round fired from a weapon registered to Deigo Navarro, Estevan’s son. Immediately a search warrant was issued for the residence of Deigo Navarro. This is were the heal of a woman’s shoe was discovered. The heel of the shoe was pulled out of a smoldering fire. Moments later the piece of the shoe was examined at the laboratory. Now the turn around for the warrant being issued also seemed to be unrealistic as well.

Back at the lab the Coroner examined bone fragments from the femur of the skeleton tat was found at the beach. The bone fragments were crushed and the DNA from the bone fragments were found to be Alfrado Navarro, father of Deigo Navarro. This lead up to the next scene were Nina Navarro and Deigo Navarro bet into an altercation at the Navarro residence. Nina Navarro shot her son Deigo. The CSI investigators arrive at the Navarro residence and find Nina Navarro holding her son claiming she never saw him act in that way.

Once Deigo Navarro was admitted to the hospital CSI investigators discover a plastic lollipop in Deigo’s clothes. Inside this plastic lollipop was a microchip with and address. CSI investigators then get another warrant to search this address and discover a secret killing layer. They collect a jelly jar with eyeballs inside some type of clear solution from the location. The jar is taken to the CSI lab and a piece of latex glove was found in the threading of the lid on the jelly jar. The piece of the latex glove was determined to have Estevan’s DNA on it. Estevan was then found as the primary suspect of the murders of the three women.

The DNA from the bone fragments was similar to the DNA of Deigo Navarro. This evidence and the lapel pin found in the grave with Randolph Navarro led to the assumption that Nina Navarro killed her husband Randolph and Deigo had been trying to cover it up since he was a teenager. It was also believed that Nina had led her own son Deigo into the room in which he was found shot after the altercation that occurred between her and her own son.

Some of the non-realistic actions of the actors seemed like an investigator with the experience that they were supposed to have would have been seen as very unlikely. All of the movement around the original crime scene would not have take place. A murder scene would have been secured limiting movement so that evidence would not be corrupted. Also the initial identification of the murder victim was made off of a medical bracelet. Even though it is highly unlikely that the final identification would have been made solely from a medical bracelet, it would seem that the identification would not be determined until a positive identification could be made by family or some one that new her. The initial observations made by the coroner at the crime scene automatically point a finger at a suspect that was already being investigated for two other murders with similar injuries.

One of the victims/witnesses had received head injuries. Only hours later he had given a statement and identified the suspect. The suspect was then released under the determination of his lawyer and his grandmother that because there no other hispanic males in the line up and could case a legal issue. That would be determined by a judge in a preliminary hearing.

The initial posture at the crime scene also seemed to be careless. There was no use of physical or biochemical protection devices that would provide safety measures for the investigators.

Also the time it took for investigators to retrieve evidence from the crime scenes seemed highly unlikely. To conduct a thorough investigation it would take more cooperation from the investigators and other law enforcement agencies.

The crime scene investigators also were the first responders to anything that involved them entering a building or room. From my experience they would not be. The first responders would usually be a combination of patrols that are closer to the location of the incident.

The evidence that was found at the hospital in Deigo Navarro’s pants ended up linking Estevan Navarro as the prime suspect. Now, is Deigo had the microchip in his clothes he would also be a suspect. The jelly jar with the victims’ eyeballs was retrieved from the location of the killing room that was later discovered. Now with the piece of latex glove that was found in the lid of the jelly jar, it seems that it would also be contaminated with the DNA of the human eyeballs from the victims. There was also evidence that was overlooked. What about the DNA from the the eyeballs of the victims. Did the eyeballs belong to the victims? Did the blood on the wooden chair belong to the victims. The evidence seemed to have been contaminated with other existing factors.

Some of the materials that were used also did not seem accurate. Even though the investigators used latex gloves and plastic bags their techniques did not seem accurate. Some the materials required are sterile screw capped tubes containing Loparin of EDTA as anticoagulant, distilled water, sterile cotton ear buds, cotton swabs, forceps, sterile glass, polythene bag, toothpick, or a polythene sheet. With the skeleton that was found they could of used it’s teeth for the identification of the victim as well. (Jaya Shankar)

In conclusion, CSI has to me always reverted back to the use of DNA evidence. “DNA typing is a took with vast potential, but only if it is used wisely, with and awareness of human nature-the kind you don’t need an electron microscope to see.” ( Alder, Jerry) There is other evidence that should be preserved as well. With the development of technology the popular techniques to use are the ones that we find to be the most accurate. I think that CSI is a great show. That is what it is. An idea to entertain our culture and society. Some is not most of the techniques they use seem to a bit careless and try to appeal to the “John Wayne” type of mentality. It almost seems too have avoided the basics of investigating a crime scene. All of the technology is inspirational. However, the simple and most basic techniques cannot be forgotten to maintain the proper integrity of evidence. Some of the techniques they use also seem to not fall into the ethical code of forensic investigation. DNA still used by police is essential for identification. Unique to an individual, unchanging through out life, formed in cells from skin, blood, hair follicles, blood saliva and semen.

References

CSI Miami, Season 10. Episode 16. Rest in Pieces

Collins, J.M. & Jarvis, J. (2009). The Wrongful Conviction of Forensic Science, Forensic Science Policy and Management, 1 (1), 17-31.DOT.10.1080/1940904080267.4667.

Shankar, Jaya. July 2010, Collection, Preservation and Forwarding of Different Biological Samples for DNA Collection. Vol.4, Issue 1, p30-30. Database: Criminal Abstracts with full text.

Adler, Jerry; McCormick, John; Klaidman, Daniel; Gegax, T. Trent; Perdersen, Daniel, Underhill, William; Annin, Peter. The DNA Detectives. November 23, 1998. ( Alatlantic Edition). Vol. 132, Issue 21, p. 50. Database: Master File Premiers