While working on my current romantic-suspense novel proposal, I went trolling on the Internet to find some examples of arson investigations (the story involves a federal arson investigator), when I stumbled across a site called SmartDraw, a software product that helps people capture their thoughts/information as pictures. It contains numerous examples of mind maps, report templates and flow charts for different kinds of crime scenes -- handy for writers needing to understand the different types of investigations and their processes.
Examples of Crime Scene Charts
Below are some examples from SmartDraw of crime scene charts and diagrams.
You can also download a diagram for free, then use that image as a brainstorming tool for such things as a character's motivation or story crime scene. For researchers and investigators, these images provide a basic starting point for customization.
Order of Crime Scene Investigation Example
Crime Scene Investigation Models of Motive Example
Establishing the Role of First Responders - Preserve the Fire Scene
Mind Map of Threats of Evidence at a Fire Scene
Crime Scene - Drug Possession in Automobile Example
Examples of Crime Scene Reports
Below are some report examples from SmartDraw.
Crime Scene Investigation Report
Autopsy Report for Crime Scene Investigation Example
Gunshot Forensic Pathology Report for Crime Scene Investigation Example
Autopsy Report for Crime Scene Investigation Example
Other Crime Scene Resources
The Crime Zone: Software to create crime scene diagrams. You can use the product free ten times with no restrictions.
Crime Scene Diagrams/Presentation: A PowerPoint presentation via TeachWeb.com.
Crime Scene Sketch Activity: This document was a homework assignment for teams creating crime sketches. Information includes types of sketches, scaling, equipment, labeling and more.
forensic-classroom.com: Crime scene forms, classroom activities and forensic/evidence publications.
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