The 7/17/13 repeat episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled "Exile" had a original blog entry posted on 2/13/13. The last post discussed autopsies.
This time I would like to make mention of the importance of elemental analysis. The black streaks of oily residue test results turned out to be motor oil. This in combination with the results of the analysis of the fragment of metal embedded in Marta's heel led the investigators to the Auto Body Shop where they located the crime scene of the homicidal beating.
The steps taken in a criminal investigation are like piecing together a puzzle. Every little piece helps to make the overall picture. One analysis leads to a scene or a victim or a suspect. This is the 'triangle' in criminal investigation. The best outcome ties all three together and links them.
On another note, I cringed when they picked up the burlap sack fiber in the hotel room where Estevan was killed. Not that it was an improper technique to collect the fiber but it wasn't photographed in its' original position under the corner of the desk but rather "flying in the air" in the grip of the tweezers. It is proper crime scene technology to bring your packaging material to the evidence rather than creating more travel or movement which creates the possibility of loss or damage. And, of course, the tweezers must be cleaned prior to collecting any other piece of evidence.
The 7/16/13 repeat episode of NCIS titled 'Phoenix' begins with an exhumation of a body that had been buried for 12 years.
The body was in really good condition with only a little mold as a tell tale sign that it had been buried. It was even in good enough condition that they could run toxicological tests on the liver.
The condition of a body in an exhumation relies on the tightness of the seals of the coffin.
I have seen bodies that have been buried for over a decade, not unlike the one portrayed in tonight's episode, that look like they have only been buried for a short time. On the flip side, I have seen bodies that were in terrible shape and some floating in excess water after only having been buried for a year or two.
The difference was the condition of the casket seals. Extra moisture that seeps in does not do a body good. I have seen coffins that have been washed up after a flood but upon opening the casket, the bodies were able to be identified by visual because of their good condition.
This is why a lot of suspects prefer cremation over burial to destroy potential evidence. In reality all they would need to do is buy an inexpensive casket and have their "loved ones" buried in a flood zone.
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