So What Did Margie Say About...repeat of CSI Fallen Angels

If you check the blog entry for 3/27/13 you'll see that the 7/3/13 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode titled "Fallen Angels" is a second repeat airing.  Unlike CBS, I will try not to repeat myself in this current blog.

 

The body of the Reverend and the man who jumped out the window both had their liver temperatures taken to help to establish the time of death. The internal body temperature is supposed to drop so many degrees per hour after death.  This, of course, can vary with environmental conditions and where the body is located.  The time of death is only an estimate at best and is really given as a 'window' and range of a possible time of death.

 

I noticed that Nick wore his gloves when walking to check to find the potential location of the cartridge case.  If you watch enough episodes you will notice that the technicians wear their gloves to answer their phones and perform menial tasks after and between evidence collection and handling.  This in essence defeats the purpose of using gloves to begin with.  It is recommended in crime scenes or laboratory work that the investigator or scientist change their gloves between each item of evidence collected or handled and they certainly should NEVER keep them on when walking out of the scene or away from a completed task.

 

I was also amazed that the batteries in the buried boys' key fob were still viable after a year underground.  Even if they were the super duper EverReady kind, could you really hear the beep under a significant depth of packed down dirt?

 

I do want to end the blog tonight the way I did in March - mentioning the blood.  They stated that the blood on the flashlight was black and not tacky.  There is no way to 'age' the deposit of blood but these are indicators of aging.  But like so much else in Forensics, the environmental conditions and the surface on which you find the blood could definitely affect these indicators. 

 

As always, it pays to be conservative and cautious.

So What Did Margie Say About...CSI Fallen Angels

The repeat CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Fallen Angels" airing on 3/27/13 was packed full of great forensic evidence.

 

It began with the shooting victim in the graveyard. Two cartridge casings that were located were considered not related due to their condition.  This occurs when a scene happens in an 'active' area where shootings or drug activities or excessive parties take place.  There is a tremendous amount of trash that must be "weeded out" from potential evidence that is relevant to the current event being investigated.  Usually the rule of thumb is to collect it even if there is a doubt but there are some scenes where it is sadly obvious that cartridge casings or syringes or used condoms have been there for quite some time.

 

They spoke of the lack of stippling in reference to the gunshot wound to the Reverend.  When a gun is fired the striking of the primer creates a small explosion which causes the gunpowder in the cartridge to ignite and send the bullet spiraling through the barrel of the weapon.  The unburned powder creates a pattern when it hits an object or a body.  When none is present this is an indication that the muzzle to target distance is such that the particulates fall away and don't hit the object or the body.  This gives a minimum distance that a weapon could be when fired.

 

The Medical Examiner utilized an Alternate Light Source to scan the body to search for potential evidence.  Some things absorb the light while others reflect certain wavelengths of light.  These reactions indicate a location to swab or collect potential evidence.

 

The fingerprint processing of the batteries in the flashlight is right on target.  Even when the item itself is wiped clean or contaminated with blood or dirt, there is a good chance that the protected batteries inside the item may provide at least a partial print.

 

There were several trace pieces of evidence but I will skip to my all time favorite form of evidence to help in an investigation: the BLOODSTAIN PATTERN!  The impact spatter on the top surface of the tennis shoes established that the wearer of the shoes was close to a blood source (the victim's head) when a forcible event (the shooting) occurred.  Blood spatter sizes are a clue to the force behind the forcible event.  The smaller the stains then the more force behind the event.

 

Great episode - worth the repeat.