Crime Scene Investigation Management Analysis: JonBenet Ramsey

The final project for this course is an analysis of a crime scene investigation that was conducted concerning the death of JonBenet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado. The purpose of the Crime Scene Investigation Management Analysis is for you to apply and demonstrate the learning achieved in the course by analyzing the work done by crime scene investigators. Determine what could and/or should have been done better and acknowledge what was done well. For this assignment, you will take on the role of an experienced and highly regarded investigator who has been called upon to present a Crime Scene Management and Investigation class at the police academy.

The Scenario:

The body of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was found in the basement of the family home on December 26, 1996. The murder and subsequent investigation remain mired in controversy. One arrest was made in the case when a known pedophile confessed to the crime. All charges against him were subsequently dismissed. The case remains unsolved.

Case Summary:

On the morning of December 26, 1996, the mother of JonBenet Ramsey found a ransom note on a stairway in the family home in Boulder, Colorado. The handwritten note stated JonBenet had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom. After telephoning close friends, notification was made to the Boulder Police Department. Upon arrival, responding officers found the family and several family friends inside the home. The ransom note was reviewed and officers and family anticipated a telephone call from the kidnappers. A detective was summoned and arrived to oversee the investigation. When no call had been received from the kidnappers after a few hours, a police officer and JonBenet’s father began to search the home. JonBenet’s body was found in a locked storage room in the basement.

Assignment:

Prior to completing this assignment, review Chapter 6 (Dutelle, 2016), the required resources for this week, and any other resources that will aid you in conducting an analysis of the management and investigation of the crime scene of the death of JonBenet Ramsey. The following elements must be included:

  • Explain how to process and retrieve trace evidence. Summarize what trace evidence was collected at the scene and what trace evidence might have been altered or destroyed due to crime scene management issues.
  • Evaluate the accepted methodologies employed in contemporary crime scene management relative to how these methodologies were or were not adhered to in this case and the impact that they had on the investigation and make recommendations based on that evaluation that could have been applied to this case.
  • Analyze how the management techniques utilized and not utilized at the crime scene impacted judicial expectations and requirements relative to the admittance of evidence collected by forensic crime scene investigators.
  • Evaluate at least one specialized method used in the investigation and describe the methodology used and its impact on the investigation.
  • Examine judicial expectations and requirements relative to the admittance of evidence collected by forensic crime scene investigators.
  • Analyze how the management of the crime scene impacts the potential admissibility of forensic crime scene evidence in any potential criminal proceedings in this case.
  • Analyze whether the methods used to retrieve and process the evidence would meet the standard for admissibility in court today.

The Crime Scene Investigation Management Analysis:

  • Must be 10 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style
  • Must include a separate title page with the following
  • Must use at least eight scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
  • Must document all sources in APA style
  • Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style
  • Please attached annotated bibliography which will help

    Running head: JONBENET RAMSEY MURDER CASE 1

    JONBENET RAMSEY MURDER CASE 4

    JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case

    Janelle Dean

    CRJ 632: Crime Scene Investigation & Management

    Professor Marquice Robinson

    March 26th, 2018

    JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case and Crime Scene Management Analysis Annotated Bibliography

    “What Is Touch DNA?” 2018. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-touch-dna-jonbenet-ramsey/.

    This particular article has been able to vividly show how trace evidence can be obtained from this particular murder case. To start with, the police used the ‘touch DNA’ technique. The use of this aspect can lead to a number of unanswered question pertaining this particular death. For instance, the use of this technique did not require the use of any blood sample or any semen sample. The main concerns of this methodology focus on the aspect of whether there is the existence of seven to eight layers of the cell skin on the victim. Putting into consideration the existence of layers of skin on the victim was a big blow to the investigation since there is important evidence that could have been left out due to this aspect (“What Is Touch DNA?” 2018).

    “The Investigation”. 2018. Crime + Investigation. http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/jonbenet-ramsey/investigation.

    This article points out that there were a number of clues that were found to in her autopsy that suggested otherwise about the death of JonBenet. To start with the fact that the house was not treated as a crime scene after the death of a JonBenet interfered with the investigation procedures. It is evident that family members were allowed to walk into and outside the house despite that the fact that the disappearance of JonBenet had occurred inside the house. Therefore the movement of people inside and outside the house interfered with the evidence that could have been used to handle this case. Moreover, the aspect that John Ramsey was the one who found the body of her daughter was also suspicious because after long hours of search he was the one who found her daughter in the basement. Additionally, the fact that the ransom note demanded a ransom of $118000 also raises questions since this the same amount of money that John Ramsey had gotten from work as his bonus. Moreover, the fact that he stomach was found to contain undigested pineapples shows that she had eaten shortly before her death. Both parents denied feeding her anything before she slept. This shows that she was lured into eating before her death. Furthermore, the fingerprints of her brother were found in the bowl and this also led to more questions when it came to the concerns surrounding this mysterious death (“The Investigation” 2018).

    “Four Pieces Of Evidence In The Jonbenét Ramsey Case That Just Don’t Fit | The Forensic Outreach Library”. 2018. Forensicoutreach.Com. http://forensicoutreach.com/library/four-pieces-of-evidence-in-the-jonbenet-ramsey-case-that-just-dont-fit/.

    There are a number of accepted forensic techniques that were relative to this death. It is evident that JonBenet’s mother could have been the one who wrote the ransom note, this is because the investigations show that she may have tried to adjust her handwriting during the collection of evidence. Moreover, the forensics also show that the murderer could have been a person from outside because the stain found in JonBenet’s panties did not match any of her family members DNA. Therefore the existence of this DNA material that could not be accounted for raises the idea that the murder could have been committed by an individual who was not a family member (“Four Pieces Of Evidence In The Jonbenét Ramsey Case That Just Don’t Fit | The Forensic Outreach Library” 2018).

    “Experts: Conviction A Long Shot In JonBenet Ramsey Case – The Denver Post”. 2018. Denverpost.Com. https://www.denverpost.com/1999/10/17/jonbenet-ramsey-case-experts-conviction-long-shot/.

    There are a number expectations and requirements relative to the admittance of evidence collected by the forensic crime scene investigators that related to this case that were required by the judiciary in order to make a ruling on this case. For instance, it is evident that Patsy tried to change her handwriting during the handwriting test. This can be seen by the fact that she chose to write the ransom demanded in words rather than in figures as it had appeared before. Moreover, the judiciary also wanted an explanation on this ransom note was different from other ransom notes. Additionally, the judiciary also wanted also to know the motives behind this murder. There were a number of aspects that needed to be proved, for instance, the case had to be determined whether the motive behind the killing was a sexual assault or whether there were other motives (“Experts: Conviction A Long Shot In JonBenet Ramsey Case – The Denver Post” 2018).

    “Jonbenét Ramsey Series Questions Key DNA Evidence | New York Post”. 2018. Nypost.Com. https://nypost.com/2016/09/12/jonbenet-ramsey-series-questions-key-dna-evidence/.

    This article has been able to highlight the possible murders in this case. From the article, it is evident that the murder could have been conducted by either the parents or a former teacher to the victim. From the article, there are a number of reasons that have made this case remain unsolved for a number of years. For instance, there were a number of missteps by the police that affected the investigation process. Moreover, the pressure from the media also led to a quick assessment of the case leading to poor outcomes from the case. In conclusion, it was evident that there were a number of irreversible actions that interfered with this case and thus leading to a point where no one was prosecuted for this murder (“Jonbenét Ramsey Series Questions Key DNA Evidence | New York Post” 2018).

    References

    “Experts: Conviction A Long Shot In Jonbenet Ramsey Case – The Denver Post”. 2018. Denverpost.Com. https://www.denverpost.com/1999/10/17/jonbenet-ramsey-case-experts-conviction-long-shot/.

    “Four Pieces Of Evidence In The Jonbenét Ramsey Case That Just Don’t Fit | The Forensic Outreach Library”. 2018. Forensicoutreach.Com. http://forensicoutreach.com/library/four-pieces-of-evidence-in-the-jonbenet-ramsey-case-that-just-dont-fit/.

    “Jonbenét Ramsey Series Questions Key DNA Evidence | New York Post”. 2018. Nypost.Com. https://nypost.com/2016/09/12/jonbenet-ramsey-series-questions-key-dna-evidence/.

    “The Investigation”. 2018. Crime + Investigation. http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/jonbenet-ramsey/investigation

    “What Is Touch DNA?” 2018. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-touch-dna-jonbenet-ramsey/.

    Four Pieces Of Evidence In The Jonbenét Ramsey Case That Just Don’t Fit | The Forensic Outreach Library”. 2018. Forensicoutreach.Com. http://forensicoutreach.com/library/four-pieces-of-evidence-in-the-jonbenet-ramsey-case-that-just-dont-fit/.

Data Collection

Data Collection Methods

There are 3 main ways to collect data: asking questions, making observations, or using existing data. But a combination is also often utilized. The data collection methods include:

  • Survey      research (asking questions)
  • Field      research (making observations)
  • Existing      Data ( Secondary Analysis)
  • Combination      of methods (referred to as triangulation)

Using the four data collection method options above, complete the following for each of the scenarios below:

1. Identify and describe the one best method to collect information for the scenarios (choices cannot be used more than once), and

2. Justify your reasoning for selecting this data collection method by evaluating the method and why it is the best choice out of the other four.

Scenario 1: Describe police officer perceptions on the effectiveness of wearing body cameras.

Scenario 2: Conduct a hot-spot analysis on 911 calls for domestic violence.

Scenario 3: Describe the prevalence of stalking in a small Midwest city.

Scenario 4: Describe the nature and scope of prostitution at truck stops along I-95.

Use at least four credible outside research sources, including academic journals, to support your view. The paper should be 3–5 pages, excluding cover page and references page.

 

Warrior Versus Guardian Mindset For Policing.

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, watch the following four videos:

  • I Love Being a Police Officer, but We Need Reform (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
  • How the Warrior Mindset Shapes Law Enforcement | Dean Crisp | TEDxTyron (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
    • Transcript can be found herePreview the document.
  • Problem-Oriented policing: Where Social Work Meets Law Enforcement | Derrick Jackson | TEDxYDL (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
  • Warrior vs. Guardian Mindsets in Policing | Mike D’Antonio | TEDxLosGatosHighSchool (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Your responses will be greatly enhanced by an understanding of all of the videos provided.

Police officers and departments are under greater scrutiny than in years past. Much of that seems to come from the advent of social media, greater news channels and coverage, and increased social activism and awareness of people’s rights and obligations in our society.

Most everyone agrees about the need for law enforcement to protect people from harm, catch criminals, and go into violent situations that others would flee from without the training that police officers receive. The question becomes not only whether more needs to be expected from the police in curtailing crime and violence, but also whether there needs to be a better relationship between police and the people that they serve.

Community policing is one approach to better relations between police and the larger public. After reviewing the four videos from TED Talks and TEDx Talks and the optional recommended resources, answer the journal questions below. Please enhance your responses with independent research, personal experiences, and observations from your daily life. Be careful about engaging in “urban myths” and hasty generalizations about the topics you study here. Support your information with credible sources. Offer new ideas on how police can build better relationships with the communities that they serve.

For your journal,

  • Explain the notion of warrior versus guardian mindset for policing.
  • Examine how technology and social media frame how the public views police actions.
  • Explain how police agencies can improve their officers’ relationships with the people that they serve.
  • Describe, in your opinion, the proper balance between the warrior versus guardian mindset for police agencies moving forward.
  • Predict how police agencies will change (or not change) over the next decade based on the discussions in the sources provided.

The Week 2 Journal submission

  • Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
    • Title of paper
    • Student’s name
    • Course name and number
    • Instructor’s name
    • Date submitted
  • Must use at least two sources from the required resources, TED Talks videos, or utilize at least two Ashford University Library scholarly or credible resources in addition to the course text.
    • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for an assignment. The Integrating Research (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. tutorial will offer further assistance with including supporting information and reasoning.
  • Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. guide.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Criminal Justice Paper

Instructions  
In week 4, you learned about the importance of theory, the various theoretical perspectives and the ways in which theory help guide research in regards to crime and criminal behavior.

To put this assignment into context, I want you to think about how Lombroso thought one could identify a criminal.  He said that criminals had similar facial features.  If that was the case you would be able to look at someone and know if they were a criminal!  Social theories infer that perhaps it is the social structures around us that encourage criminality. Look around your city- what structures do you think may match up to something you have learned about this week in terms of theory?  These are just two small examples to put this assignment into context for you. The idea is to learn about the theories, then critically think about how can one “show” the theory without providing written explanation for their chosen image.

Directions: With the readings week 4 in mind, please do the following:

1.  Choose a theoretical perspective (I.e., biological, psychological sociological)

2.  Look through media images (this can be cartoons, magazines, newspapers, internet stories, etc…) and select 10 images that you think depict your chosen theory without written explanation.

3. Provide a one paragraph statement of your theory, what kinds of behavior it explains and how it is depicted through images. Be sure to use resources to support your answer.

4.  You will copy and paste your images into a word document, along with your paragraph.  You do not need to cite where you got your images, but you do need to cite any information you have in number 3.

 

Format Directions:

Typed, 12 point font, double spaced

APA format style (Cover page, in text citations and references)

 

 

Please read other attachment for the reading For week 4, you are to read the following sections in this book IN THIS ORDER:

· 5.1-5.12

Here is a bit of information about each of the readings:

Topic: What is a theory and how do I know if it is a good theory?

Readings: 5.1, 5.2

These readings will introduce you to theory. Theory is used in Criminology to describe, explain, predict and hopefully control criminal behavior. These readings introduce you to the science component of criminal justice- criminology.  While criminal justice is the study of police, courts and corrections, criminology is the study of crime and criminal behavior.  While different, they interact! It is important to understand why “people do what they do” in an effort to inform the criminal justice components to help gain a better understanding of crime and criminality, in addition to biological, psychological and social factors that influence criminality.

Topic: Pre-Classical, Classical and Neoclassical schools of thought

Readings 5.3, 5.4, 5.5

These readings will introduce you to the early thoughts on criminal behavior.  They will provide you with the historical, cultural and society happenings that were influencing the study of criminals. You will also learn about the different ideas surrounding punishment historically.

Topic: Positivism & biological and psychological explanations of criminal behavior

Readings 5.6, 5.7

These readings will introduce you to the idea of positivism- that empirical evidence through scientific inquiry could be used to improve society. You will learn various ways in which scientists tried to identify causes of criminal behavior beyond one’s individual choice.

Topic: Social Process and Social Structure Theories: Chicago School, Strain, Learning and Control Theories

Readings 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11

Some criminologists believe that the cause of criminal behavior lies within society, either in the social structures that are in place, or as a result of social processes. These readings will introduce the impact that things like race, class, sex, education, peer groups, etc.. may have on criminal behavior.

Topic:  Social Reaction Theories and Critical Theory

Reading 5.12

Unlike other theories, social reaction theories focus on those who label react and attempt to control criminal offenders and how this influences further criminal behavior.  Critical theories are rooted in the thoughts of Karl Marx and look at the fusion between power and inequality.  Critical theories attempt to explain criminality as a result of inequality and attempt to influence policies directed and creating equality to curb crime.  Thi