Chain Of Forensic Evidence

The chain of custody is the continuous documenting of evidence from the initial discovery, in situ, up it is used in the courtroom. Through each step of the process: labeling, collecting, preserving, transferring, and analyzing,each piece of evidence, including locations and all those involved in handling the materials are systematically logged. This is important for forensic anthropologist and archaeologist because not only does it keep material evidence extremely organized but if done efficiently, if for any reason the evidence needs to be reexamined or the site revisited, because of scrupulous documenting, these tasks can be easily achieved. It’s also important because in the courtroom, evidence plays a pivotal role for or against the defendant. Any break in the chain of custody could result in the evidence being inadmissible and have a significant impact on the result of the trial. …show more content…
Chain of custody at the crime scene starts with a controlled area and forensic evidence expert is there to witness as evidence is chronically marked or labeled and visually logged where the evidence is found. Photographs using a few various types of cameras are taken again documenting each item and their location including scale to size. Features or non-portable items and their locations at the scene are documented by scale drawings.Anyone involved in the process or at the crime scene coming or going are also well documented.
3. Soil Stratigraphy was present in the case, which often can suggest to a forensic anthropologist and archaeologist how long the body has been there. In the previous case this was a surface layer search, however by the time this case took place, a natural layer of organic materials had developed. Topography is important because it provides a detailed record of the crime scene.It documents the surrounding conditions of the area and preserves the crime scene through visual scaled