Solving Homicide and Death Investigations: A Full-Spectrum Guide

Posted on June 1st, 2025

When someone dies under suspicious circumstances, time starts ticking. Whether it’s a staged suicide, a body dumped in a ditch, or a public shooting, every second lost means a lead gone cold, a killer slipping away, and justice delayed. Solving homicides is not just about catching a murderer — it’s about restoring order, finding truth, and bringing closure to shattered lives. This post walks through how homicide and death investigations actually unfold — not in movies or crime dramas, but in real life.

1. Arrival on Scene: Lock It Down

The first officer on the scene plays a role that can make or break a case. Their job is simple but crucial:

• Secure the scene. That means keeping everyone out — even fellow officers — until a proper crime scene team arrives. Contamination is the enemy.
• Preserve evidence. Avoid touching or moving anything unless absolutely necessary.
• Document observations. Weather, lighting, time of arrival, anything that might later be called into question.
• Look for life. Render aid if possible, but note what position the body was in, what was around it, and what the environment says.

Once the scene is locked down, command is handed over to investigators and forensic teams.

2. Scene Processing: The Devil’s in the Details

Crime scene processing is methodical. Every square inch is photographed, measured, and examined. This includes:

• Photographs before movement. Never touch before you shoot — the scene gets captured in situ, from wide shots to tight detail.
• Sketching. Creating a rough layout of the space: where the body is, points of entry and exit, blood patterns, shell casings, etc.
• Evidence collection. Gloves on, tools sterilized. Everything goes into labeled bags and is logged.
• Body examination (pre-autopsy). The body is examined where it lies. Rigor mortis, livor mortis, temperature — all help estimate time of death.

Trace evidence — hairs, fibers, skin under fingernails — often breaks cases open. It’s not flashy, but it’s the backbone of physical forensics.

3. The Autopsy: The Body Tells the Truth

Forensic pathologists don’t just determine what killed a person. They uncover how, when, and often who.

Autopsy goals:

• Determine cause of death (COD)
• Establish manner of death: natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, or undetermined
• Estimate time of death
• Document injuries (pre- and post-mortem)
• Collect internal toxicology samples
• Recover bullets or foreign objects

The autopsy is often where cases turn. For example, a single gunshot wound to the head might appear suicidal — until the trajectory shows the bullet entered from behind and at an angle no person could self-inflict.

4. Victimology: Know the Victim, Find the Killer

Understanding the victim’s lifestyle, habits, relationships, and last known movements creates a timeline and narrows suspects.

Key questions:

• Who were they with in the last 48 hours?
• Did they have enemies, threats, or recent conflicts?
• Were they involved in high-risk behaviors?
• Did they change routines recently?
• Was this random or targeted?

Victimology answers whether the killer was a stranger or someone close. In most cases, especially domestic homicides, it’s someone the victim knew.

5. Witnesses and Interviews: Human Intel

People lie. But they also slip, contradict themselves, or reveal more than they mean to.

Techniques:

• Separate interviews. Never let witnesses sync their stories.
• Establish rapport. Good interviews aren’t confrontational — they’re methodical, relaxed, and precise.
• Timeline checks. If someone says they were at a diner at 8pm, can that be verified? Surveillance? Receipts?
• Behavioral cues. Nervousness isn't guilt. But deflections, gaps in memory, or over-explaining can raise red flags.

Witness statements help reconstruct events, confirm timelines, and put people at (or away from) the scene.

6. Technology and Forensics: The Digital Dragnet

Today, solving a homicide involves more than blood and fingerprints. Technology expands the reach of investigation.

Digital evidence includes:

• Cell phone data. GPS logs, call records, text messages, app data. Phones don’t lie.
• Surveillance video. Traffic cameras, ring doorbells, security cams — they often catch what eyes miss.
• Vehicle telematics. Modern cars track speed, location, and even door openings.
• Social media. Posts, messages, or even deleted content (which can often be recovered) might indicate motive or timeline.

Forensics also includes:

• DNA testing. From cigarette butts to skin flakes, modern labs can match samples to individuals or family trees.
• Ballistics. Every firearm leaves a unique mark on bullets and casings. Matching a gun to a shooting is forensic fingerprinting.
• Toxicology. Drugs, poisons, or alcohol levels might explain behavior or cause of death.

7. Motive, Means, Opportunity: The Big Three

No case proceeds to prosecution without answering three questions:

• Motive – Why would this person kill?
• Means – Could they physically do it?
• Opportunity – Were they in the right place at the right time?

The best suspects score high in all three.

Let’s say a husband is found dead, shot in his home. His wife has gunshot residue on her hands (means), a life insurance policy worth $500k (motive), and no alibi (opportunity). Add a conflicting 911 call, and things start falling into place.

8. Solving Cold Cases: When Time Doesn't Erase Truth

Some cases go cold — too few leads, missing evidence, or no identified suspect. But they can still be solved.

What helps crack cold cases:

• DNA databases. Programs like CODIS and familial DNA tracing (used in the Golden State Killer case) give new life to old samples.
• New witnesses. Relationships change. People grow older. Guilt festers. Witnesses may come forward years later.
• Technology advances. Old surveillance footage can now be enhanced. Degraded DNA can be sequenced.
• Re-evaluation. A fresh set of eyes can catch what the original team missed.

Cold case squads exist in most major departments and work relentlessly to close the gaps.

9. The Prosecutorial Side: Building a Case That Sticks

Finding a suspect isn’t the same as proving guilt. That’s the prosecutor’s job — but the investigator must give them the tools.

Requirements for prosecution:

• Clear narrative. What happened, who did it, how do we know?
• Solid chain of custody. Every piece of evidence must be accounted for.
• No contamination. Defense attorneys jump on sloppy evidence handling.
• Witness credibility. Can they withstand cross-examination?
• Corroboration. Every major point should be backed by multiple sources.

Prosecutors don’t want a “maybe.” They want a lock. That’s why airtight investigation matters.

10. Death Investigations Beyond Homicide

Not every suspicious death is a murder. Criminal Investigators also handle:

• Suicides: Was there a note? Any hesitation wounds? Could it be staged?
• Accidental deaths: Overdoses, falls, drownings — was someone negligent?
• Natural deaths: Especially when the person was alone or the scene seems odd.

All deaths are treated as suspicious until proven otherwise. That mindset protects against missing something sinister. 

11. Real-World Case Example: The Smart Work Pays Off

Case: The Murder of Angela Simmons
In 2019, a 34-year-old woman was found strangled in her apartment. No signs of forced entry, no immediate suspects. But:

• Door lock showed access from her keypad
• Autopsy revealed defensive wounds — she fought back
• A single hair under her fingernails was tested and stored

Three years later, DNA from a domestic violence suspect flagged a match to that hair. The suspect had previously dated Angela but denied it. Now confronted with DNA, his alibi collapsed. He was convicted in 2023.

Moral: Every sample matters. Time doesn’t erase the truth. Investigative rigor wins.

Conclusion: The Pursuit of Truth Never Sleeps

Homicide investigations are high-stakes, high-pressure, and unforgiving. One misstep and justice walks free. But when done right — when the science is sharp, the interviews smart, the evidence solid — killers are caught. And more importantly, the dead speak. Their story gets told.

It’s not glamour. It’s grind. It’s persistence. And it’s one of the most important jobs on earth.