Another procedure carried
out at a crime scene before the scene is processed and prior to any evidence
being collected would be the set up of a common approach pathway. This pathway
would be set out by a scene of crime officer and is a pathway that everyone
entering and moving around a crime scene should follow.
The common approach pathway is
effective as it protects evidence by marking out a clear route to be followed
in order to avoid contaminating or damaging any evidence. It is also useful as
it ensures that no evidence is overlooked, this is because all evidence has to
be taken into account in order to plan out the common approach pathway. The
common approach pathway is also effective as it can prevent anyone who is
entering or moving around the crime scene from sustaining any injuries, for
example if there was no common approach pathway an individual may stand on
potentially dangerous and harmful evidence – such as broken glass.
At the scene of the murders
of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman, the procedure of setting up a common approach
pathway was not carried out, by the Scenes of crime officers or by any of the
other officers who attended the scene. As this procedure was not carried out,
it was detrimental to the case. The reason for this was that officers walked
through some of the blood belonging to Nicole Brown that was on the pathway
leading to the house. Also mud was transferred from the gardens onto the
pathway close to where the bodies and blood evidence was. This disturbance of
evidence and transfer of contamination allowed the defence to argue that all of
the blood evidence located on the path – including blood drops identified as
belonging to OJ Simpson was contaminated and not able to be used as evidence in
court – therefore proving to be bad for the investigation and the case as a
whole.
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