Joshua Hay Mrs.

Kinlea Hensel English IV 4 April, 2014 Murder Crime Case Investigation/Court processing Research Project In the United States, the murder rate has immensely dropped from the year of 1993 to 2011. In those past years the crime rate has gone down from 9.5 (per 100,000 inhabitants) in 1993 to 4.7 in 2011 and even though the population has grown from 257,782,608 to 311,591,917 (Crime). A reason for this is that now investigators and courts are more detailed in the processing of investigations and court rooms. The way investigators and courts has changed immensely since they began for criminal justice, helps increase the chance of catching killers, decreasing the murder rate in the United States due to the amount of detail taken to prosecute someone. When an investigator arrives at a crime scene, there are two important things he does right away. The first thing that the investigator does after arriving is to contact other certified officers, also they must find the responder first at the location of the crime scene, to verify any items have been imported to the crime scene (Guide to Death). Therefore he/she will know his/her fellow law enforcement officers at the crime scene, and also have some prior knowledge of the crime scene. The second important step after arriving is discovering the safety and safekeeping of the crime scene (Guide to Death). This will help discover all the risks that can possible happen during the investigating of the crime scene, so that they can be avoided if possible. After, stated by the National Institute of Justice, Appropriate personnel must make a determination of death prior to the initiation of the death investigation saying that they must have a certified person determine

if the victim(s) are dead, and if so when they have died (Guide to Death). All investigators must also be informed of the jurisdiction of each bureau. The steps that must be completed between arriving at the scene and leaving the scene. Once all the death investigators have done the arriving processing, they must collect intelligence on the crime scene. Stated by the National Institute of Justice, They should follow these steps: Photograph scene, develop descriptive documentation of the scene, establish probable location of injury or illness, collect inventory and safeguard property and evidence, interview witness(es) at the scene so they have to collect all vital evidence and information on the scene, photographing it first to make sure they dont ruin vital information or evidence towards the investigation (Guide to Death). Once they have collected all the vital information and documented it for the scene, they must do the same for the body, taking pictures, examination, finding out the victims identity, and making sure that the body is safe and secure. After the documenting, evaluating, and securing the body, the investigator should follow the steps stated by the National Institute of Justice document the discovery history, determine terminal episode history, document decedent medical history, document decedent metal health history, document social history which tells that the investigators basically have to get all of the information of the victim (Guide to Death). The discovery history is basically who discovered the victims body, how, where, and when. The terminal episode history and decedent medical/mental history is basically all the information on medical records, from personal, to familys metal health history. The social history is anyone they would have accoutered. After all of the history has been recorded, the investigators must perform some additional steps before leaving the scene. To complete the scene investigation they must follow these steps;

conserve the authority over the body, then after all evidence has been collected off of the body they may release it to a funeral director, perform policy of leaving, and then helping relatives (Guide to Death). The way to conserve authority over the body is to set up and document a safe and secure way to move the body to an autopsy center for further investigation or storing the body somewhere safe. After moving the body for investigation or storing, they must find who will fill out the death authorization like the officers name and the bureau. After filling out the authorization, they must establish the time, place, and date of the death. Then stated by the National Institute of Justice Collect, when appropriate , biological samples and other evidence prior to release of the body from the scene (indwelling or implanted devices) says they must get blood samples, hair samples, fingerprints, and other items off of the body that would be evidence towards the investigation (Guide to Death). After making sure all evidence is off of the body they record who receives it and release the body to them. The next step is the exit procedures, the first exit procedure stated by the National Institute of Justice is Identify, inventory and remove all evidence collected at the scene which is to secure all of the items that is proof in discovering who the perk was that committed the murder (Guide to Death). The next two processes is reporting anything hazardous, and telling relatives or friends of the hazardous at the scene (Guide to Death). This will make sure they remain safe if they want to visit there to remember their loved one. After the crime scene investigation, if the bureau that was investigating the case has found someone they believe has committed the murder and have enough evidence on that person, they may take the case to court and prosecute them in front of a judge or a jury in a criminal court (Guide to AZ Courts). The processing of a murder case depends on which state it is brought up in, the steps that are about to be brought up to you are from the Arizona court systems. To begin the

trial representatives of the prosecutor and defendant will give a brief opening statement, which are basically facts of what the case is on (Guide to AZ Courts). After the opening statement the prosecuting attorney will call in witnesses asking questions on any evidence on the case, like what they might of saw that night or the defendants back ground (Guide to AZ Courts). This way they can have someones perspective on that night and some background on the defendant. The defense may ask the witness(es) questions after the prosecutor is finished (Guide to AZ Courts). So they can challenge any questions asked, and answers from the witness. After the prosecutor has called forth all of their witnesses and showed all proof, the defense may ask the court to lean toward the defense if the prosecutor has not provided enough proof to prosecute the defendant. If this is approved then the accused will be set free right away, but if this is turned down, then it is the defenses turn to provide witnesses and proof to show the defendant is not guilty of the crime. Stated by the Arizona Supreme court, When both sides have presented their evidence, each side may make closing arguments. Closing arguments are similar to opening statements. They provide an opportunity for the attorneys to address the judge or jury a final time that they produce their final arguments of why or why not the defendant is guilty; showing why they have a stronger statement in the case showing if the defendant did or didnt commit the crime (Guide to AZ Courts). Now the judge will guide the jury on explaining the laws on this type of case, which is murder. The jury will then exit the court room, and go into a back room to review the case and proof provided by both sides to decide on if they defendant is guilty or not guilty, and once decided and announced in the court room, they will be released. If the defendant has been found guilty, the lawyers of both defendant and prosecutor will be planned to a date of which the defendant will be sentenced at, and the lawyers will have to provide what they believe the defendant should be

sentenced to, the judge shall then decide the sentence of the defendant mattering on the law. Then they will serve the sentence given to them. But if found not guilty, the defendant will there for be set free. Murder has the highest sentence out of any other crime out there. The possible sentences in a murder case depend on a couple things like which state it is brought up in and also the aggravating factors. Stated by Thomas Reuters, sentencing can vary from state to state. Possible sentences are outlined in statutes, with court deciding, sometimes within strict statutory guidelines, which sentence a convicted murderer will receive based on the facts determines in the case that each state can have different punishments and also depending on the judge which will base it off of the proof there is against the defendant (First Degree). Aggravating factors are basically things done to the victim before or after they were killed, some examples are beating them, rape, torture, threats, or ambush (First Degree). Basing it off of these factors will help give a reasonable sentence. Aggravating factors could also be the identity of the victim or even the defendants past crime history. Some states give the penalty of death, but not as many as they used to. Most states now days give a certain number of years in prison, usually up to life. The murder rate has gone down due to all of the steps taken in each process going into the high amount of detail in catching the killer that has committed the crime. As we continue to progress in life there will surely be more steps and detail gone into investigations and court processing. With us continuing to grow in criminal justice the rate will go even further down, due to people knowing they cannot, and will not get away with this crime. Even though murder will never stop in the world, at least we can help lower the rate by spending more time increasing our criminal justice field in the United States.

Work Cited A Guide to Death Scene Investigation. National Institute of Justice. NP June 16th, 2011. Web. Feb. 21, 2014. Guide to AZ Courts. How a Case Moves Through the Court System. Arizona Supreme Court. 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. First Degree Murder Penalties and Sentencing. FindLaw. Thomas Reuters, 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. Table 1 Crime in the United States by Volume and Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants, 1992-2011. The FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Department of Justice, ND. Web. 19 Feb. 2014