What I mean by closed and active is that all the footpaths leading to the scene are closed, with a police officer on each one stopping people entering the area, and active, in that there are still several police cars parked outside the house.
Knowing nothing about the subject, I'd have thought it would only take a couple of days to check for fingerprints and other evidence. There's obviously a lot more going on. What are they likely to be doing after two weeks ?
[url= http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/-last-sighting-of-betty-yates-on-riverside-near-bewdley.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed ]The murder[/url], if anyone was in the Bewdley and Wyre Forest area between Monday 1st and Wednesday 3rd January and may have seen anything.
2 weeks is unusual but there must be a good reason, as keeping a scene open outside is very resource intensive, and costs a fortune
An average scene. If there is such a thing is usually a few days.
Outdoor scene? Awful lot of work. Forensic scientists, entomologists, fingertip searches, cutting back of bushes and shrubbery, awaiting outcome of post mortem examinations can take weeks in itself. Also dependent on whether the suspect is known and still outstanding or has already been arrested and provided an account. Having said all that yes, relatively rare but not unheard of.
The answer is yes it is quite normal especially if there is a significant amount of outside land to search and it certainly doesn't take a couple of days to collate the evidence. Problem is once the scene goes back you are screwed for getting more evidence so got to make sure you get it right first time. We have had scene watches on houses where the murder occurred inside for 10 days so imagine if you have external land to search too.
Having read threads up there .. must just be our force that tends to have longer scene watches then!!
The murder took place inside a remote house with a footpath along the riverbank passing nearby.
The area is closed, but I happened to be on the other side of the river today and could see about 5 cars outside the house, plus the 3 blocking the approaches.
I also saw a line of police searching a nearby field yesterday which looked like clutching at straws to me. If they thought there was something there, I would expect them to search the area immediately. To search it two weeks later suggests they were running out of ideas.
Takes a while to fit someone up these days with all the DNA shenanigans.
😉
I also saw a line of police searching a nearby field yesterday which looked like clutching at straws to me. If they thought there was something there, I would expect them to search the area immediately. To search it two weeks later suggests they were running out of ideas.
Depends whether they have just received some intelligence about the murder. I've worked on cases where vital bits of info have been received 10 months later. Believe me, if they're doing a line search, theyre doing it with good reason.
do u have a alibi Graham?
As Bregante says, they cost a lot too as the team searching most probably wouldn't have been rostered to work a Sunday so are on OT 😉
There are all kinds of strange twists and turns in murder investigations.
rOcKeTdOg - Member
do u have a alibi Graham?
I bet his GPS history would be of interest to the investigation team 🙂
I log all my runs and rides. Not only do I know exactly where I was at the time, I know how fast I was going.
I phoned the police as soon as I heard they were asking for information. I knew that once they started asking around, someone was bound to say "There's a chap with a beard who rides up and down here every day, he might have seen something".
The footpath is between home and work. Depending on my commute route, I normally ride it once or twice a day. Due to the bank holiday and a sleepover at my grrlfriends hose though, I didn't ride it at all during the period they are interested in.
If it was my friend or relative I wouldn't care if it was shut for 6months nevermind 2 weeks.
Erm Graham. No one was pointing a finger. That is an overly-robust defence you must admit.
I phoned the police as soon as I heard they were asking for information
Hmm straight to the top of my suspect list, way too keen to help. 😉
All too convenient - book him !Due to the bank holiday and a sleepover at my grrlfriends hose though, I didn't ride it at all during the period they are interested in.
MidlandTrailquestsGraham - Member
I log all my runs and rides. Not only do I know exactly where I was at the time, I know how fast I was going.
[lawyer]actually, all we'd know is where the GPS unit was at the time, and how fast it was going.[/lawyer]
It has lust been reported on the news. Two anonymous letters have been received and the police are appealing for the writer to come forward.
[url= http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/anonymous-notes-sent-to-bewdley-murder-detectives.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed ]They've opened the outer cordon now too.[/url]
This means one of my commute options is open again. I hope it doesn't mean it gets full of sightseers.
I know they are still interviewing locals as my mom had the police around on wednesday night, and she lives just off the dowles road
MidlandTrailquestsGraham - Member
I log all my runs and rides. Not only do I know exactly where I was at the time, I know how fast I was going.[lawyer]actually, all we'd know is where the GPS unit was at the time, and how fast it was going.[/lawyer]
<physicist>Actually you can only know where something is or how fast it is going.</physicist>