Cody Gonzalez
This week we in class we discussed and learned about suspect and live victim processing.
These are people that a crime scene investigator will need to deal with sometimes either at a
crime scene or later on in the criminal justice process. First of all a forensic technician is not a
police officer or a detective and is not there to interrogate anyone, however during the course of
an examination a suspect or witness may divulge certain things about the case any relevant
comments that are made should be reported to an officer in charge. (Gardner) At all times an
officer should be with the technician for safety reasons and to make sure everything goes
according to procedure. (Garnder) There are many different types of evidence that can obtained
by processing suspects and victims alike.
Gunshot residue will be left on a hand that fired a gun this can be key evidence in a
shooting case. The evidence must be collected quickly because the residue is not permanent and
will eventually come off the hand. (Garnder) Photography is a huge part of the processing
procedure; many pictures must be taken of both suspects and victims. For suspects a far away
mid range and close up shot must be taken for their front back and both sides to make sure a
complete and accurate photographic account of this person exists. (Garndner) In these photos not
only are we taking pictures of the person but also and injuries or tattoos or scars they may have.
This can be useful later when trying to identify a suspect or showing evidence of an injury to a
victim. Oral swabs are a great piece of DNA evidence and are easy to administer. While wearing
gloves use two sterile swabs and wipe the inside of the mouth, then seal the swabs in a clean
paper bag or envelope for later use. (Gander) Fingerprints must also be taken these allow a
suspect to be put into the system and can be processed to see if they match the crime. Processing
for evidence is a crucial part of a forensic technician’s job. The evidence obtained can easily be
the evidence that determines a person’s guilt or innocence. It is important to collect as much
Cody Gonzalez
evidence as possible because the more information available to the police the better they can do
their job.
Cody Gonzalez
Works Citied
Gardner, J. (2012, November 13). Suspect and Live Victim, Crime Scene Investigation.
Ordway Florida Southern College.