| At the scene of a crime, criminal investigator may | | | | would be considered the secondary crime scenes. |
| note that there is more to it than what they see at | | | | In general, primary scenes hold more usable clues |
| the time of their arrival. In fact, there may be two or | | | | than do secondary scenes but not always. |
| more crime scenes that exist. All of this is dependant | | | | Sometimes, the only crime scene that CSI's have to |
| upon how and where the offense was committed. | | | | go on is the secondary scene-the place on the lake |
| Such scenes are classified as either primary or | | | | where the perpetrator dumped the victim's body. |
| secondary. The primary crime scene is the place | | | | Under such circumstances, forensic investigators may |
| where the actual offense took place. A secondary | | | | not know the primary scene where the killing |
| crime scene is the place in some way, shape, or | | | | occurred and therefore use the clues found at the |
| form, that is related to the offense but is not the | | | | secondary scenes to help them establish the identity |
| place where the offense occurred. | | | | of the offender or locate the primary crime scene. |
| In a jewelry store heist, for instance, the store is the | | | | They may also use to their advantage fibers from an |
| primary scene, whereas the thieves' getaway car | | | | expensive tailored suit they found on the victim to |
| and apartment are the secondary scenes. In a | | | | identify the manufacturer, the vendor, and ultimately |
| murder, the home of the victim who was stabbed or | | | | a list of buyers or places where that particular suit |
| shot by the offender is the primary crime scene. If | | | | has been sold. Doing so can shorten the focus of the |
| the perpetrator used the victim's van to transport | | | | investigation and lead authorities to the primary crime |
| the body and dump it into a nearby lake, the van and | | | | scene and bring the offender to justice. |
| the point at the lake where the victim was dumped | | | | |