As with an actual crime scene investigation, each of these “investigations” must be detailed, and comprehensive. You should demonstrate investigative techniques as well as creative thinking and problem-solving skills. For each of these cases you are to perform the following tasks: Evaluate the case. Develop a strategy for investigating the crime. Explain in detailed steps (in order) how you would begin the investigation. Explain in detail what evidence should be collected, the techniques used for the collection and the possible significance each piece of evidence may have to the case. Record this information in the form of field notes. Explain what steps you would take to conduct the investigation. Document your preliminary investigation using field notes. Use the field notes to create an investigative report. Your investigative report should include all factual findings. Also include in your investigative report, a detailed theory about how/why the crime took place. Support your theory with the evidence, statements, observations, etc. that you have compiled. You are to apply the techniques, strategies, processes and principles learned during this course. Finally, define the goals and objectives of criminal investigations and explain how you have met each. You will be graded on your application of the above mentioned principles, techniques, strategies, and process used in criminal investigations. All actions taken by you as an investigator should be supported by an explanation of the action. On October 2, 2020 at approximately 11:15 pm the Stop & Rob at 34 Carlton Ave. was reportedly robbed by two armed suspects. The following is a summary of the events that were reported to the primary officer. Store clerk: Around 11:00 o’clock I saw a man enter the store and head over to the beer cooler. He was a tall, thin, white guy wearing jeans and a tee shirt. I was waiting on another customer so I didn’t pay too much attention. Right after I finished with the customer I saw another guy enter the store. He was a white guy too, I think. He was kind of short and heavy-set and was wearing dark clothes. When he came in he waited up by the door looking at the candy display. A customer at the gas pumps was having trouble getting the pump to work and she called me on the intercom. I went to the intercom and explained how to reset the pumps. When I returned to the cash register the tall, thin white guy was waiting. He asked me if I knew what time it was. I turned to show him there was a clock on the wall behind me and when I turned back to face him he was pointing a gun at me. He yelled to the short guy by the door, “You know what to do”! The shorter one then came around the counter and pushed me down to the floor. He pulled out a garbage bag and pulled it over my head. I couldn’t see anything but I could hear them talking. The taller guy’s voice was now further away and seemed to be coming from over near the front door. The shorter one was close by, I could hear him moving and felt him bump me a couple of times. After a few minutes, I think, one of them pulled my hands up behind my back and wrapped my wrist with tape. A few minutes later I could hear them talking quietly near the door. Then I heard one of them, I don’t know which one, scream that he would kill me if I didn’t count to 1000 before I got up. He started counting, 1, 2, 3….. I picked up there and counted on. After about a minute I heard the door open and then I didn’t hear them anymore. I kept counting anyway but started to try to work my hands free. I heard the door open again and thought they had returned. I lay still and resumed counting out loud, I guess the customer heard me and said, “Hello, are you ok?” I could tell by their voice that it was not the robbers. I screamed for him to help me. I could hear two people whispering then I felt someone pulling the bag off my head. It was a guy I knew that is a regular customer at the store. He got a box cutter from the drawer and cut my hands free. I told them I had been robbed and I then called the police. About 5 minutes later you (the officer) showed up. Items known to have been taken in the robbery: cash in the amount of $2,146.00. A large number of one dollar bills were included in this amount. An unknown number of checks written to the store by various customers. Six cartons of “Marlboro” brand cigarettes. A jar containing an unknown amount of bills and change. The jar was a donation jar used to collect donations to a local child for medical expenses. It was located on the store counter next to the cash register. The following is a summary of a preliminary death investigation. On October 2, 2020 at approximately 3:20 pm a subject by the name of Tanner Olsen was walking along state highway 745 in the area of mile marker 43. He was collecting aluminum cans along the roadway near the ditch line. As he walked along, Olsen noticed a large piece of cardboard on the opposite side of the ditch near the edge of a wooded area. He stated that he often finds cans lying beneath objects so he lifted the cardboard sheet. What he saw was what he described as the body of a person. He immediately dropped the cardboard sheet, moved away from the body to a position near the roadway and used his cell phone to call the police. The following is the observations made by the primary, responding officer. Upon arrival at the scene I made contact with the individual (Tanner Allen Olsen) who had reported finding the body. Olsen directed me to a large sheet of cardboard lying on the ground approximately 15 yards from the edge of state highway 745. The cardboard was approximately 3 inches thick, 4 feet wide and about 5 feet tall. I could clearly see the logo of the appliance company “Maytag” displayed on the top side of the cardboard. The cardboard was slightly raised in the middle indicating that it was resting upon an object underneath. I gently lifted the cardboard sheet and immediately saw what appeared to be the leg and foot of a person. Further observations: On the upper, portion of the cardboard sheet I observed what appeared to be the indentation of a boot or shoe print. After documenting the position of the cardboard and other aspects of the crime scene, the cardboard was removed revealing the body of a white female. I would estimate the age of the deceased at approximately 20 years of age. The female’s body was clothed only in a green, pullover type shirt. On the upper left side of the shirt was a logo for “Frank’s Seafood”, which I recognized as a local restaurant approximately five miles from the location of the body. The body was lying face up with the legs lying straight down and the arms folded across the torso. The lower portion of the female’s legs, from the knees down, were a deep purple. The eyes were open and I could see a white discoloration around the pupils of both eyes. The body was cold and stiffness was present throughout the body. I noticed what appeared to be bloodstains and several, recent, cut wounds on the palms and inner portions of both arms. From the position of the body I could see no other visible wounds. I also observed that the fingernails of the female appeared to be clean and manicured except for the two nails on her right index and right middle fingers. Unlike the other nails on both hands, these two nails appeared to have been broken, uneven and had what looked like skin under each remaining portion of nail.
