Scientific Investigative Techniques in Arson Investigation

You are a senior member of the Prometheus City Arson Squad. It is 3:00 a.m., and the temperature is below freezing. Your unit is called to an active fire scene. Your team consists of you and 3 others. Upon arrival, you discover that the fire is at the Acme Hardware Store. There are 2,000 of these stores in the United States, and they are very successful. This store is a three-story building. There is a customer elevator in the front of the store that only services the first and second floors. There is a freight elevator in the rear loading dock area.

The fire scene commander reported to you that there is a crowd of about 100 onlookers who are braving the cold to watch the fire incident. In addition, the fire scene commander provides you with a large plastic 3-gallon gas container, the type used for putting gas in lawn mowers. The container has a residual amount of liquid, which smells like gasoline. The spout is attached, and the cap is off of the tip of the spout. One of your investigators takes it as evidence.

The battalion chief said that the fire had 3 points of origin. One point of origin is on the third floor in the rear storage section, one on the second floor in the paint department, and one is on the ground floor, just inside the loading dock entrance, in the rear of the store, where the outdoor and garden section is located. It is clearly an arson fire, due to multiple ignition locations. The fire scene commander advises that the fire will be under control in about 45 minutes, and she will release the scene shortly after that. You are aware, from local media sources, that this chain of stores has had employee-relationship problems, specifically with gender inequality, and the company recently laid off 11 women for complaining about inequity issues.

Prepare a report on the details of the Acme Hardware Store arson fire. You should include the processing of evidence, provided in the scenario, and the processing of evidence found at the points of origin of the fire. This includes how and why you recorded the artifacts and the scene. You should include safety equipment and precautions you took during processing.

Explain your probable cause for getting a warrant for the scene.

Review unit materials for this assignment.

What are 2 actions that can be taken pertaining to the crowd of onlookers that might help you identify the offender(s)? Explain.

What are 2 areas you would check to ensure the scene can be searched safely? Explain.

What personnel records and other business papers should you subpoena from the Acme Hardware Store? Explain why.

• What are 3 artifacts of a fire that would indicate the heat of the fire and points of origin? Explain.

What are 2 elements of evidence you would expect to find in the scene? Explain.

• How would you collect them for evidence? Explain in detail.
• What is 1 method for search, other than visual, you would use to identify the presence of an accelerant? Explain the process.
• What are 2 items of equipment that will be absolutely necessary to conduct the arson crime scene search? Explain.
• Provide a theory, based on facts and not on emotions, on the circumstances surrounding this arson investigation. Be as creative as necessary but support all statements accordingly.