Forensics: The Real CSI - Series 2

Episode
Episode 6 - Standard of Evidence
Broadcast Info
2021 (58 mins)
Description
As the victim of a violent knife attack fights for his life in hospital, Crime Scene Coordinator Jo Ward is dispatched to his home in Birmingham to lead the forensic investigation into identifying his attacker. "We deal with some real vicious attacks but with this job, the victim could die, so time is of the essence to try and identify who’s responsible for this and get them in custody. The victim can’t give us an account, so forensics is key in this case," says Jo. The victim is unable to tell police what happened because he has been put in a medically induced coma and the investigation becomes more challenging when no witnesses are prepared to give a statement to the police. Jo Ward and her team work to gather vital evidence that could help police quickly identify and arrest the attacker. After an initial search, the crime scene search focuses in on a bloodstained door, which could provide numerous forensic opportunities. "Every contact leaves a trace. If you commit a crime, then the theory is that you leave some form of evidence - whether it’s fingerprints, DNA, footprints, hair, bodily fluids. That’s why you recover every bit of evidence," says Jo. But there’s a problem: Because the door is made of porous wood, the forensic powders normally used to develop fingerprints at crime scenes won’t work on it, so Jo and her team must remove the door as a whole and submit it to the lab. Overnight, the victim’s condition worsens and detectives prepare for the investigation to become a murder case. With time now even more of the essence, a sample of saliva discovered at the entrance to the victim’s home is fast tracked to the lab. Meanwhile digital forensics expert Claire Handy uses the latest computer software to download data from the victim’s phone to try and understand the events leading up to the attack. Suspects are identified and investigators hope that forensic evidence from the blood-stained door as well as a car spotted near the crime scene around the time of the attack could provide the vital information needed to help solve the case and get justice for the victim - if he ever recovers from his injuries.
Genre
Criminology; Policing; Forensics

How to cite this record

The Open University, "Forensics: The Real CSI - Series 2". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/239566 (Accessed 09 Jan 2025)