After 15 years of reconstructing crime scenes and analysing shootings, forensic investigator Dr Eric Warren shared his top crime scene tools on the Crime Insiders podcast.
Crime Insiders: Forensics host Kathryn Fox asked, “What do you take with you in your kit in particular, if you get called to a scene like that?”
Forensic investigator Dr Eric Warren shares his Forensic tools on this episode of Crime Insiders:
“In my kit, I have a couple of tape measures of varying lengths… You have a camera, of course. Evidence markers, flashlight, gloves,” Warren said.
“We call them booties, but essentially gloves for your feet. They’re like a hospital gown-type fabric with little grippy surface so you don’t slip,” he said.
These kinds of household items are the “standard” tools for forensic experts. However, many investigators specialise in areas like bones, blood spatter or even insects, which require specialist tools.
“Then get into the specifics of your discipline. So for me, that becomes I’ve got a couple of chemicals that I can spray that will tell me if lead is present.”
As a forensic ballistics expert, detecting lead helps Warren determine if there was a shooting and where it occurred.
“Trajectory rods and yarn are things that I usually have in my kit. If I do find bullet holes, things that appear to be bullet defects, and test positively, I can insert those there.”
Warren can measure the angles of a gunshot trajectory using trajectory rods and laser attachments.
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