Identification of victims at the scene?

Chrisla

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I have police officers at a house, working a scene where a dead woman lies sprawled on the patio. It looks like an accident. A man who is probably the woman's husband, arrives, looking for his wife. Would he be allowed to ID her there, or would he have to wait and do it at the morgue?
 

DistortedPenguin

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I believe that he'd be able to ID her. And the man... is he actually her husband, or not? It wouldn't matter though, if you did something like he comes into the house, sees a dead woman on the piano, and shrieks, "OMG, (insert wife's name here)" or something to that effect. The authorities would have a pretty good idea of who the woman was. Besides, validations could be made later at the morgue, via dental records.
Hope I helped, and good luck! ^.^

EDIT: Chevbrock is totally right-- they would have to ID HIM first. I feel foolish. >.<
 
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chevbrock

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I'm not an expert, but they would want to establish who he is before he goes and ID's any bodies. They also may want to establish whether he is a person of interest or not, so the less he sees of the crime scene, the better (then they can ask him questions about where this was, what the victim was doing, that sort of stuff). I'm guessing he wouldn't get far past the door.
 

Rowan

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RJK can better answer this, but the main priority is preservation of the crime scene and evidence. I don't think the police would allow a man who is "probably" her husband to ID her body, etc. They'd take his statement, check his ID and then interview him at the station. If he is in fact her husband, he'd ID the body at the morgue.

Remember, spouses are often persons of interest in a murder investigation. Until his alibi has been checked, etc.--he's going to be a suspect. ;)
 

BySharonNelson

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Ok, so I asked a police officer friend. He says if the husband was present at time of death he would be allowed to id on scene. If not he would not be allowed onto the crime scene because he is automatically a person of interest. Even if they think it is accidental or suicide they keep the scene closed until cause of death is determined and the scene is processed. Hope that helps :)
 

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:
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There will be tons of physical evidence at a home crime scene that the husband was there. He lives there. He would normally be allowed to ID his wife from a distance. The cops wouldn't want him touching her or the immediate area where she lies. Of course, they would verify his ID.

I investigated a homicide where a woman lay face down on her living room floor. There were no outward signs of trauma, but she was dead. While waiting for the coroner, a man came to the apartment and identified himself as her live-in boyfriend. He admitted to having a fight with her and punching her and she fell where she lay. He said he thought he just knocked her out.
I sat him in a kitchen chair situated so he could see the body laying about 12 feet away. I talked to him in a friendly, matter-of-fact way, about how the fight started and how he punched her. his eyes never left her body as he told the whole story. I wrote up his deposition nearly word for word, and he signed it at the kitchen table.
Not all murders are solved that fast and easy, but this one went down in 2 hours.