The Preliminary Investigation

Logically the next stage of the investigation is where the investigation actually begins. This therefore occurs at this stage - The preliminary investigation is where an assessment of the crime which has taken place is carried out, in order to assess if further action needs to be taken. This is an important stage of the investigation as it is where critical evidence is preserved and is identified as being evidence. Examples of processes which occur within the preliminary investigation stage include; the crime scene being cordoned off, premises being searched and evidence being confiscated.

In the OJ Simpson Case Officers Riske and Terrazas began the preliminary Investigation. Both officers proceeded towards the crime scene to attempt to work out what had happened, and so that they could alert the appropriate agencies to attend to the crime scene. After finding the body of a female victim, the officers then proceeded to return to the witnesses which were the two passers-by who had originally seen the body. The officers did this to try to find out if they knew what had happened. After Assessing that the passers-by had only found the body because of Brown’s dog continuously barking and leaving the property covered in blood, the officers then returned to the crime scene.

Both officers proceeded toward the body, each staying off the walkway and walking in the foliage surrounding the path. When they got close to the body, this is when they noticed a second body – a male victim lying dead a short distance away from the female victim. After assessing that both victims were dead, the officers both noted that the pathway was covered in pools of blood, bloody paw prints from the dog, but also that there was a shoe print close to the body of the female victim. At this stage the officers made notes regarding some evidence which was present – including a white envelope, one glove and a knit cap. At this stage neither officers handled any evidence.

Seeing the door to the property was open Officer Riske then proceeded to step over the body of the female victim and enter the house. They observed the house for any evidence of ransacking – indicating a robbery and when they found no sign of this, Officer used the phone within the house to call the station and alert his watch commander what he had found at the crime scene.

Two identifiable mistakes were made at this stage – the officers were not wearing protective clothing or gloves when they entered the crime scene, walking on the walkway which may have contained evidence – which they possibly contaminated. Also Officer Riske by using the house phone may have contaminated any evidence that happened to be on the phone.

Shortly after making the call to the station Sergeant Coon and officers McGowan and Walker arrived at the crime scene, on arrival the officers began to secure the crime scene by putting up crime scene tape – cordoning off the scene and also redirecting traffic away from the road the murders had happened. At 12.45am Paramedics then arrived and confirmed that the two bodies at the scene were in fact dead. The first attending officer Riske and his partner had established that the female victim was most likely Nicole brown, OJ Simpson’s ex-wife, they did this as whilst within the house Riske had spotted a letter addressed to Simpson.

The Los Angeles Homicide division photographer did not arrive at the scene until 3.25, however he was only allowed to take photographs of the general area of the crime scene – and not the bodies until a lead detective was present at the scene. The forensic team did not arrive at the scene to begin the collection of evidence until approximately 7.30, and the coroner and the team of medical examiners did not arrive until after 9am. Before this however one of the detectives at the scene – Detective Tom Lange had placed a blanket from inside Brown’s house over her body, to stop any of the building crowds of onlookers and the media from taking photographs. This covering of the body was a huge mistake made at this stage of the investigation process. This is because neither the coroner nor forensic experts had arrived to begin collecting evidence or samples from the body. Therefore the blanket – which will have contained fibres and maybe even DNA evidence of anyone who had innocently previously come into contact with it, will have contaminated the body of Nicole brown and the crime scene around her. This later on in the investigation process led to the defence arguing that this evidence could not be used as it was contaminated.