Real-Life Decision Making
Each time investigators go to a crime scene, they are hoping to find evidence
to catch the criminal who committed the crime. By matching evidence to a person,
the crime scene technician is able to prove who committed the crime. They
make decisions at crime scenes that may send people to jail, so they have
to be sure their information is correct.
While piecing together the puzzle, they can interview witnesses and suspects,
use formulas and different processes to reconstruct the crime and determine
what really happened. This can lead them in the direction of the right solution.
One formula they may use is triangulation. Triangulation refers to a method
of measuring to pinpoint an item in relationship to the crime scene. Triangulation
uses only two points of measurement. The third leg of the triangle is a permanent
or known source.
For example, you could measure the location of a chair by measuring from
two corners of the room to one arm of the chair and then do the same to the
other arm. That would place the chair in an exact position that can be reproduced
later if necessary. The wall between the two corners is the third leg of the
triangle. This is triangulation.
Josephine was sitting in the living room of her apartment at 1451 8th Ave.
when she heard a "crack" sound at her front window. At the same time, she
thought she felt an object zip past her right ear.
When she went to the front window to investigate, she saw two small holes
in the glass, which she correctly assumed were bullet holes. She tried to
figure out where the shots had come from by looking across to the three houses
on the other side of the street.
She assessed her situation: the house across from her to the left, 1450
8th Ave., is the home of a 50-year-old flower child. The house slightly to
her right, 1460 8th Ave., is the home of a teenage boy who loves the opera
and classical music. The house further down the street is the home of a school
principal.
You are the crime scene specialist who gets called. You examine the holes
in the glass. Then you examine the walls and ceiling of Josephine's apartment.
You see two bullet holes located on the wall opposite the window.
What do you do?