• Evidence Collection & Handling
  
  • General

New Jersey Court Reaffirms Spoliation Not A Recognized Tort But Admits Evidence of Destruction

Florida Appeal Court Discusses Sanctions for Spoliation of Evidence

New York Court Upholds Dismissal of Action for Spoliation of Evidence

Ohio Court Upholds Arson Finding of Juvenile

New Jersey Court Finds No Separate Cause of Action For Negligent Spoliation

New Jersey Court Upholds Spoliation Sanctions for Evidence Mishandling

Evidence Collection and Laboratory Analysis

The Evidence Collection Kit. (reprinted from Kirk's Fire Investigation, 4/E by John D. DeHaan.)

Laboratory Analysis. (reprinted from Kirk's Fire Investigation, 4/E by John D. DeHaan.)

ATF National Laboratory Center (description of analysis that can be performed and instructions for the collection and submission of common fire scene evidence)

Evidence Collection. From "Motive, Means and Opportunity."

The Lab Analysis. From "Motive, Means and Opportunity."

Evidence, Section 5-3 through 5-3.3 from NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations 1998 Edition.

Sample Evidence Transmittal Letter

Other Laboratories and Technical Experts, B. Wesley Sherman.

Moreau, Dale M. Crime Scene Search As a Process. Forensic Science Training Unit, FBI Academy. Quantico, Virginia.

Excerpts from The Pocket Guide to Accelerant Evidence Collection, MA Chapter IAAI, 1999.

Ignitable Liquid Classification System

"Spoliation of Evidence: A Fire Scene Dilemma" Working Paper by Guy E. Burnette, Jr., Esquire (1998)#2 Accelerant Evidence Collection

Watch Out for Civil Tort Liability for Spoliation of Evidence! Fire and Arson Investigator. Vol. 47, No. 4 (June 1997). p 17-19.

Preserve Scene and Physical Evidence

Collect and Preserve Evidence

Submit Evidence for Testing

• Accelerants

Iowa Court Affirms Arson Conviction

California Supreme Court Finds Intoxication Not a Defense

Wisconsin Court Affirms Arson Conviction Over Claim of Newly Discovered Evidence

Florida Appellate Court Reverses Attempted Arson Conviction

New Hampshire Supreme Court Affirms Arson Conviction Over Defendant's Objection of Evidence Destruction

Excerpts from The Pocket Guide to Accelerant Evidence Collection, MA Chapter IAAI, 1999.

Laboratory Analysis. (reprinted from Kirk's Fire Investigation, 4/E by John D. DeHaan.)

"Accelerants Raise Temperatures Faster, Not Higher," Fire Findings.

"Concrete Core Sections Can Provide Concrete Sampling Results," Fire Findings.

"Medium Petroleum Distillates, Ignitable Liquids May--Or May Not--Be Accelerants," Fire Findings.

Use of Ultraviolet Light in Fire/Arson, Bomb and Environmental Investigation. Forestal, Raymond, E.

Chemical Analysis of Fire Debris: Was it Arson? Bertsch, Wolfgang.

Excerpts from The Pocket Guide to Accelerant Evidence Collection, MA Chapter IAAI, 1999.

Evidence Collection and Laboratory Analysis

Crime Scene and Evidence Collection Handbook, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Department of the Treasury.

• Other types of Evidence--see Criminalistics