Dead Body Evidence Checklist

   See also the instructional videos on "Evidence Collection"

• Thoroughly photograph everything before moving or touching anything
  
  
• Collect fragile evidence on the body
  
  
• Collect other types of evidence
  
  
• Remove hair, fingernails and other trace evidence. Place in waxed paper, bindle them, and place them in envelopes.
  
  
• Brush head hair and pubic region (if naked). Hold butcher paper under the area you are brushing. Book paper into evidence.
  
  
• Remove trace evidence from skin and clothing from entire body with scotch pads or lint rollers. Only use frosted tape. Take from face, hands, feet, legs, torso, pubic area and neck.
  
  
• Collect samples of pooled blood.
  
  
  • Use hemasticks to confirm it is actually blood
    
    
  • Collect control samples (as close to the area as possible)
    
    
  • Use cotton swab with one drop of distilled water on it. Place the swab in wax paper loosely and then place it in an envelop. Break stick if necessary.
    
    
  • Place in freezer
    
    
• Collect exemplars
  
  
  • Environment (vegetation, soil, maggots, other)
    
    
  • Residence (carpet fibers, paint, misc. fibers, other)
    
    
  • Vehicle (carpet fibers, seat fibers, roll the tires, vin number, wheel base)
    
    
  • Animals (hairs, bedding)
    
    
• Collect blood samples from victim using "Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit" blood tubes
  
  
• Collect fingernail clippings. Use toothpicks if nails are very short.
  
  
• Swab bite mark areas
  
  
• Swab oral cavity
  
  
• Collect exemplar hairs

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Article posted April 5, 2001

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