Determining the group nature of a criminal offense during the crime scene inspection

Abstract

The article is dedicated to highlighting the features of determining the group nature of a criminal offense during the crime scene inspection.

It is noted that forensic specialist is the universal member of the investigative-operational teams conducting crime scene inspections. Specialists from other fields may be involved as needed, at the discretion of the investigator.

Author states that during the search actions at the crime scene, the involved specialists must identify potential locations where traces of the criminal offense may be localized. This includes detecting and documenting traces of forced entry, hand and foot prints, vehicle tracks, and so on. The presence of multiple individuals involved in the commission of a criminal offense can be indicated by a significant number of handprints left on various objects by the same fingers but with different types of papillary patterns. Determining which finger of which hand left a trace, and even more so, identifying the type and kind of papillary pattern directly at the crime scene, can only be done by an experienced forensic specialist, who must be involved in the investigative (search) action.

It is recommended to pay attention to the presence of fuel and lubricants, brake fluid or coolant at the crime scene, which may remain if they have leaked from the components and units of multiple vehicles at the location where they were parked.

A promising direction for further research, as identified by the author, is the development of scientifically grounded forensic recommendations on the use of specialized knowledge during other investigative (search) actions to establish and prove the group nature of criminal offenses.