Specialized Investigative Methods in Criminal Justice

Executive Summary 

Specialized investigative methods (SIMs) are not new in the justice system, as they have been used by many countries across the globe, especially in the developed world. SIMs do not only assist in uncovering complicated criminal activities that cannot be addressed by the reactive law enforcement system, but they also help in deterring crimes in the society. However, many countries are only using SIMs for serious high profile crimes such as terrorism and tracking of drug dealers. Some of the common SIMs that are used include DNA analysis, electronic surveillance, controlled deliveries, and use of tracking devices. The objective of the paper, therefore, is to demonstrate how SIMs can be used to bring justice in situations where the normal investigative techniques are less helpful. Specifically, it focuses on the Boston Stranglers case that took almost 50 years before the killer, DeSalvo, is identified. The paper demonstrates how DNA analysis, as well as other SIMs like electronic surveillance and online searches, can help resolve the case. 

The Case 

The Boston Strangler Case is one of the few cases that puzzled even experienced investigators because it took about 50 years before they could conclusively identify the killer (McPhee, 2013). A 19-year-old girl by the name Mary Sulivan was raped and murdered in Boston in January 1964. She was raped and strangled to death by the unknown killer. After conducting a thorough investigation, the police was not able to identify her killer due to lack of adequate investigative equipment and techniques. However, DeSalvo, who was sentenced to life on rape charges confessed while in prison that he killed Sulivan and 11 other women. Despite his confession, the police could not find evidence that DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler. Fortunately, the investigators did not discard some of the evidence that they collected at the crime scene. They preserved fluid that they found on the body of the victim and the blanket that she covered herself with. 

However, by 1964, the investigative technologies such as forensic analysis were not advanced. As a result, the collected fluid could not be used to confirm whether indeed DeSalvo killed Sulivan and other 11 ladies who were murdered in cold blood (McPhee, 2013). The hope of confirming whether indeed DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler faded away when he was stabbed to death by inmate colleagues in 1973. However, due to the emergence of investigative techniques, the hope of finding the killer of Sullivan and other women did not fade completely, especially due to the preservation of the fluid evidence that was collected at the crime scene. It is possible to solve the case using specialized investigative methods. 

Use of Specialized Unit or Specialized Officers 

The case requires the use of specialized officers in order to be effectively addressed. The two main specialized officers that are required in the case include forensic experts and DNA analysis ( Gans & Urbas, 2002) . Both forensic experts and DNA analysts are needed in the case to help in matching the fluid that was collected at the crime scene and those from suspects, particularly DeSalvo. The best way to prove that DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler will be to confirm whether the DNA from the fluid matches that of the killer. At the same time, the case would require cyber and IT experts to monitor whether there was any form of communication between the killer and the victims. Tracking communication can help in confirming whether DeSalvo was the most wanted killer. 

There are two main conditions that specialized officers used in the case must follow when they are involved in the case. First, they must adhere to the ethical code investigation, particularly with regard to respecting the rights of DeSalvo’s family members who are going to submit their DNA and other fluids for analysis to find if they are marching. Secondly, specialized officers must ensure that the preliminary results remain confidential before final results are released. Adhering to the principle of confidentiality is important in this case because it will ensure that the process and the evidence are not tampered with, leading to accurate analysis and outcome of the investigation. 

Strategies 

Documenting the Crime Scene 

Documenting crime scene is the most important aspect of any criminal investigation, as it helps in coming up with evidence. Accuracy in recording the crime scene is essential in investigative crimes and presenting the case in a court of law ( Lowe, 2002) . The first responding officer at the crime scene should be the major participant in the case because his action affects the whole investigation. Therefore, first, to address the case, the first responding officers will be required to make a comprehensive report on what he found and observe in the scene. At the same time, the scene should be protected from any interference. 

Secondly, there will be a preliminary survey to assess the condition of the crime scene. A preliminary survey will help in coming up with further evidence that can help in determining the preparatory. In this case, some of the evidence that the investigators will be interested with will include fluids, hairs, fibers, and footprints. Therefore, to avoid the possibility of interfering with the evidence, a limited number of officers will be allowed to access the scene. The main objective of the preliminary survey will be to determine what happened in the scene. Documenting the crime scene will start when the first officer is called to the time when the case is closed. 

Gathering Evidence 

The main evidence that the investigators should focus in this case are fluids, footprints, and hairs because it will involve Forensic and DNA analysis. First, the evidence will be collected from the crime scene. Investigators are expected to collect fluid, footprints, and hair found at the crime scene to help in forensic analysis and DNA marching. Secondly, investigators will collect fluids brothers of the suspect, which will be used to do DNA matching analysis. This piece of evidence will be collected because, scientifically, a father shares similar Y chromosomes with all his sons. Therefore, it will be important to collect fluid from one of the suspect’s brothers. 

All the evidence that will be collected will be recorded in the evidence recovery log, as this will ensure that there is no tampering with the collected evidence. All the collected evidence will be listed, tested, and the concerned authorities append their signatures. Anything that happens to the evidence will be monitored. Besides, any person who wants to see or use the evidence in the case will be required to sign before they are authorized to access them. 

Interview/Interrogation Protocols 

The interrogation protocols that will be used in this case will be based on the progressive narrowing model. Therefore, the first protocol will be to develop a rapport with the potential witnesses who are perceived to have crucial evidence or information. Witnessed will be required to describe what they observed in their own words without the investigators disrupting their communication. Those who were close to a crime scene where Sullivan was killed will be given the opportunity to describe what they saw or hear. By maintaining rapport with witnesses, investigators will be able to get in depth information that can provide a useful lead. 

Secondly, the investigator will ask general questions in order to fill the gaps that will be missing from the available information and evidence. General questions will be followed by specific questions for witnesses that can help investigators tie loose ends before the DNA and forensic analysis is conducted. In this case, it will be important to interview officers who first arrived at the crime scene, people who lived close to the scene, and relatives of the suspects who might know his behaviors and movements. 

Therefore, investigators are expected to adhere to rules of investigation. Specifically, even though they may be allowed to use deception or intimidation, they should only be utilized as last resort. At the same time, they should only be used sparingly during the interrogation. In addition, excessive use of force will not be allowed during the interview. 

Reporting 

Investigation report is one of the most valuable sources of evidence that can be used to prove a case in a criminal justice system ( Lowe, 2002) . Therefore, in this case, the reporting will be clear and factual in order to help an attorney to convince the court that DeSalvo killed Sullivan. First, the investigator will ensure that only right information is contained in the report. Therefore, the report will only contain accurate information from the forensic and DNA analysis. Both written words and pictures will be included the report to prove that the DNA of DeSalvo is matching the fluid that was collected from the crime scene. No critical fact will be left out in the report that will contain DNA analysis results. 

The reporting will also be made reliable, credible, and relevant. Therefore, the reporting will be restricted within the scope of specialized officers. More importantly, the reporting will be chronological, starting with the first arrival of the officers to the matching of DNA of the victim and the fluids collected at the crime scene. Hence, the credibility of the reporting will be maintained in this case. 

Implications for the Prosecution of Criminal Case 

One of the main implication of using DNA and forensic analysis is their extreme accuracy in comparing the fluids collected from the crime scene and suspect’s DNA. Even small quantities of fluids collected from the crime scene can be used to yield sufficient evidence that can help in resolving a complicated case like the Boston Strangler case. Therefore, the main strength of using specialized investigation methods like forensics analysis is their high level of accuracy ( Gans & Urbas, 2002) . Therefore, investigators will have enough evidence to prove the criminal case when they use modern investigative techniques. 

However, the use of forensic analysis has limitations that may interfere with the prosecution of the criminal cases like the one involving DeSalvo. It is possible for investigators and law enforcement officers to keep samples of innocent people, which may lead to some ethical concerns. A mixture of DNA is another limitation of forensic DNA analysis that can affect the prosecution of a criminal case ( Gans & Urbas, 2002) . Like in this case, it was possible for the DNA of a perpetrator to mix with the DNA of the victim, affecting the accuracy of the analysis. 

Conclusion 

The use of specialized investigation methods is increasingly becoming popular due to the advancement in technologies. Many cases like the Boston Strangler case that that could not be solved can now be resolved through the use of modern investigative techniques. Specialized investigative techniques are preferred in complex cases because they yield a high level of accuracy. Therefore, by using DNA and forensic analysis, it is possible to determine whether DeSalvo killed Sullivan. The use of specialized investigation methods can help in addressing cases that cannot be solved through the use of reactive law enforcement system. However, it is important to recognize the fact that specialized investigation methods, like any other technique, are susceptible to human errors. Contamination during evidence collection and analysis is possible in the specialized investigations method, which may affect the criminal case. 

References 

Gans, J., & Urbas, G. (2002). DNA identification in the criminal justice system . Australian Institute of Criminology. 

Lowe, A. (2002). Criminal profiling in the investigative process. The National Legal Eagle , 8 (1), 6. 

McPhee, M. (2013, July 11). Boston Strangler Case Solved 50 Years Later. ABCNews . Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/boston-strangler-case-solved-50-years/story?id=19640699