What Did Margie Say About...

The 2/25/13 Bones episode "The Fact in the Fiction" brought to light a few themes that I would like to talk about.

 

First, the FBI agent was squatting while taking photographs to document the crime scene.  Although this is fine for supplemental photographs, the mainstay photographs should be at something called natural perspective.  That is eye level when standing.  

One of my partners was 6'5" tall.  When he entered and viewed a scene, it was at quite a different viewpoint than my 5'4" height.  He could see things without assistance at a higher level than I could.  The first matter of business would be to document the scene as you would see it just walking in.  Then you do a much more thorough search to locate things outside your limitations - those things high or low.  That's when it's okay to squat or stand on something for your supplemental photographs.  You want to be able to testify in court that your mainstay documentation photographs accurately depict the scene as you saw it.  Document those first and then you can explain the other views due to your search.  

 

Secondly, all investigators deal with post crime scene interference on occasion.  The large aerator was more destructive potentially than average interference but things tend to happen.  Well meaning family members, curious passersby, pets or wild animals, weather, first responders, medical personnel - all of these could alter the potential evidence.  One must keep an open mind to explain the things that may not be in their "original" state.  Or even better, to recognize those things in the first place.

 

And last, but not least, I was so thrilled that they dismissed the idea of bagging a head in plastic.  This sounds basic but many don't think about the idea of condensation as mentioned in the episode.  This lends itself to mold and bacterial infestation.  Just think about buying a nice piece of steak and then leaving it sealed in plastic on the kitchen counter for a week.  Would you then go ahead and eat that?  I don't think so.  The same degrading that occurs in the meat will occur in the biological evidence.  The bottom line is always to maintain the integrity of the evidence and preserve it in the best condition possible.

 

Time travel, on the other hand, is a whole separate subject altogether.