Education
Fact-checked

At PracticalAdultInsights, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is Crime Scene Reconstruction?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Crime scene reconstruction is a technique which is used in the law enforcement community to gather more information about specific crimes, like robberies, and criminal events, like acts of terrorism. The reconstruction is used to help investigators interpret and explore evidence, and it may also be utilized in the profiling of potential criminals, as well as the prosecution of the case in court. There are varying degrees of depth and complexity to crime scene reconstruction, ranging from casual conversations among a group of investigators to complex computer models which can be used in a courtroom.

Investigators have been engaging in crime scene reconstruction for centuries, but the field really started to explode in the 1990s, when it began to emerge as a legitimate investigative technique, and professional organizations dedicated to crime scene reconstruction were established. In a reconstruction, forensic professionals work together to map out the scene of a crime or event, determining what happened, how it happened, when it happened, and where it happened.

Crime scene reconstruction can be done in many ways.
Crime scene reconstruction can be done in many ways.

For example, when forensic investigators are called to the scene of a murder, they would walk through the scene, taking photographs, logging evidence, and getting a feel for the scene. They would use their collected data along with the information from the autopsy of the victim to map out the scene, establishing a probable scenario for the sequence of events. Using this scenario, investigators might come up with effective lines of questioning for suspects, or they may uncover clues which could be used to track down a suspect.

Forensic investigators walk through the crime scene, taking photographs and logging details.
Forensic investigators walk through the crime scene, taking photographs and logging details.

A variety of crimes can be investigated with the use of crime scene reconstruction. In all cases, the reconstruction blends the scientific method, observation of the scene and the evidence, experience in criminal investigations, and collected data from witnesses and investigators. It is also important to remember that the reconstruction is merely the most probable explanation for the event, not necessarily the empirical truth.

Crime scene reconstruction involves looking at how evidence is dispersed.
Crime scene reconstruction involves looking at how evidence is dispersed.

Being able to explore the evidence and to map out potential scenarios can be very useful. Sometimes information is not readily apparent or readable at the scene, but it becomes uncovered as investigators reconstruct the crime scene. Likewise, data collected at the scene and from the evidence can be used to rule out potential scenarios, or reinforce the possibility that a particular scenario was especially likely. While the process of creating a reconstruction can take time, it may save time and energy in the long term by pointing investigators in the right direction.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a PracticalAdultInsights researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a PracticalAdultInsights researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Crime scene reconstruction can be done in many ways.
      By: ferrerilavarialiotti
      Crime scene reconstruction can be done in many ways.
    • Forensic investigators walk through the crime scene, taking photographs and logging details.
      By: corepics
      Forensic investigators walk through the crime scene, taking photographs and logging details.
    • Crime scene reconstruction involves looking at how evidence is dispersed.
      By: squidmediaro
      Crime scene reconstruction involves looking at how evidence is dispersed.
    • Detectives will visit the crime scene to try and discern what occurred and why.
      By: dmitrimaruta
      Detectives will visit the crime scene to try and discern what occurred and why.