65321 Homicide and Human Remains Investigation
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 65342 Crime Scene Investigation
Description
This subject introduces students to a variety of disciplines that can assist in investigating forensic cases involving human remains with a particular focus on homicides. Homicide is one of the most complex crimes to investigate. The victim(s) may be recently deceased, may have undergone degrees of decomposition, or may be completely skeletonised by the time of discovery and recovery.
Overall, the aims of the investigation are to: search for and locate the deceased, process the complex scene and recover their remains and any associated traces, establish the identity of the deceased, understand the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it.
At the completion of the subject, students should have a greater understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of human remains investigations when recently deceased, decomposed or skeletal remains are located. This is achieved by presentations from guests speakers with different background and expertise during the lectures and workshops.
This subject expands on the skills and knowledge introduced in 65342 Crime Scene Investigation while complementing the content covered in 65316 Criminalistics. It is designed to get students to utilise the skills learned in 65342 while introducing the principles, concepts and complexities that are specific to a homicide crime scene and human remains investigation.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Understand and relate the types of investigations that may involve human remains and the varying personnel who may be involved |
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| 2. | Understand and apply the taphonomic factors which can impact human remains and their ability to be discovered and recovered |
| 3. | Develop a search strategy and describe the tools that are available to investigators |
| 4. | Accurately and efficiently document, photograph and manage a homicide crime scene while also identifying, locating and packaging relevant traces. |
| 5. | Explain the difference between the characteristics of disturbed and pristine crime scenes and illustrate the importance of obtaining all contextual and background information |
| 6. | Apply the concepts and techniques of homicide crime scene investigation to build upon skills introduced in crime scene subjects |
| 7. | Reflect on the importance of ethics when working with human remains |
| 8. | Develop written, visual and oral communication skills to convey information to diverse audiences (e.g. academic, police, court, etc.) |
| 9. | Demonstrate planning and organisational skills for teamwork and collaborative activities |
| 10. | Engage in reflective feedback, including self and peer assessment, to develop life-long skills for their professional Career |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate a command of forensic science practice, including the detection, collection, and analysis of traces in order to exploit and integrate the results of analyses into investigative, evaluative and intelligence frameworks. (1.1)
- Apply investigative, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to forensic science problems and design experimental methods to test hypotheses and critically analyse and interpret data. (2.1)
- Practise safe, ethical, and professional conduct with consideration for the role of forensic science in addressing current and future challenges faced by law enforcement, the legal system, security, and the wider community. (3.1)
- Apply forensic science professional skills with a high degree of personal autonomy and reflection to demonstrate initiative and innovative thinking in solving complex forensic problems. (4.1)
- Demonstrate skills in communicating experimental conclusions, expert opinion, and the justification of professional decisions related to forensic science processes effectively to expert, scientific, and non-expert audiences. (5.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes to the personal, professional and intellectual development of students by encouraging the following Graduate Attributes:
1.0 – Disciplinary Knowledge
Students will develop an understanding of the disciplinary, professional and technical knowledge of the investigation of human remains, including a range of diverse examination techniques and crime scene considerations. Students will be assessed on their learned knowledge in assessment tasks 1 and 2. Students will be assessed on their application of this knowledge in assessment tasks 3. During the practicals they will get first-hand experience detecting, collecting and preserving traces that are specific to homicide crime scenes, developing their problem-solving and investigative skills. Students will receive verbal feedback on their investigative skills during the practical classes.
2.0 – Research, Inquiry and Critical Thinking
Students will develop their investigative and problem-solving skills through the teamwork and peer-review assessment tasks. Designing a taphonomic experiment (assessment task 2) will challenge the students to develop novel research questions through review of the literature. During the practical sessions, students will be given the opportunity to apply concepts introduced in 65342 Crime Scene Investigation to more complex crime scenes. Students will be assessed (assessment task 3) on their ability to process the homicide scene, along with their investigative and problem-solving skills during the practical classes and the practical assessment. The case report (assessment task 3) provides an opportunity for students to develop skills related to the critical analysis of forensic case data.
3.0 – Professional, Ethical and Social Responsibility
Students will acquire, develop, and employ a range of professional skills, both independently and collaboratively in assessment tasks 2 and 3. This subject will help to develop universal skills such as time management, planning and organisation, teamwork and negotiation. An awareness of the ethics in scientific experimentation will also be gained and their ability to reflect on the importance of this value will be assessed in assessment task 2 and 3.
Students will learn about human remains investigations and the social impact it can have on members of society in assessment tasks 1, 2 and 3. Through the lecture material, they will understand the value of assisting law enforcement agencies involved in search and recovery investigations for victims of homicide. They will learn about the importance of providing accurate evidence to the criminal justice system to ensure the appropriate prosecution of offenders (assessment task 3). Students will also gain an understanding of the moral and ethical treatment of human remains and the need to recover and identify victim remains, not only for social justice but for the mental welfare of their family and friends. These aspects will be addressed in the workshop sessions.
4.0 Reflection, Innovation, Creativity
Students are required to demonstrate their creativity and innovation when designing a taphonomic experiment (assessment task 2). This task requires the students to be innovative in their approach and use creativity to develop research questions that do not simply duplicate existing literature. During the practical sessions, students will learn the importance of developing a relevant examination strategy for homicide crime scenes and using the human remains to answer crucial questions for the investigation. The students will engage in reflective practices and discuss the use of human remains for taphonomic research during assessment task 3.
5.0 – Communication
Extensive development of written, visual and oral communication skills will be achieved throughout the lecture and workshops sessions. Various methods of documenting and communicating findings will be discussed through the workshops and subsequently implemented in assessment tasks 2 and 3. Written skills will also be developed and assessed through the case report and practical reports (assessment task 3). Students are provided self-guided opportunities to evaluate their own learning outcomes throughout the subject. Visual communication skills will be developed through assessment task 2. Oral communication skills will be developed through the collaborative teamwork in assessment task 2.
Teaching and learning strategies
Learning Support: Canvas is used for the distribution of all learning materials. You MUST prepare before coming to class. This is crucial for the successful participation during the lectures as active learners. Canvas will be used to engage with content as well as to promote dialogue and engage in discussions with your peers. Feedback on progress is provided through formal feedback on assessment tasks. Feedback is also provided informally during the lectures (via Zoom poll function) and interactive workshop sessions using Mentimiter and equivalent tools.
Lectures: The lecture timetable will be according to the schedule included elsewhere in this document. Please download the Class Timetable for information on Day, Time and Location for lectures and workshops. Student announcements and relevant course materials and documents will be made available as handouts and/or downloads through Canvas. Please note: due to the sensitivity of the topics discussed, some of the lectures will not be recorded, and therefore lecture pdfs may also not be provided. However, where possible, censored materials will be provided instead. The material presented in class is examinable. You are thus advised to: [1] be present and, [2] diligently take notes in class.
You will be required to read several relevant journal articles prior to the first lecture. Learnings from these articles will be assessed in an online quiz in the first class. Each subsequent lecture will be actively assessed in the following lecture through an online quiz. You are thus encouraged to attend all lectures as the online quizzes represent an assessment component of this subject.
Workshops: This subject will involve a significant amount of collaborative teamwork throughout the workshops and practicals. This will help you to develop a high degree of planning and organisational skills and demonstrate the value of working cohesively and collaboratively as a group. These aspects are assessable and will involve peer-review and reflection of their learnings, skills, and attributes gained. The workshops are interactive you will have the opportunity to engage in active learning activities, as well as receive feedback from the peers and demonstrators.
Practicals: The practical component of this subject involves both advanced crime scene examination in the context of homicides and the investigation of human remains. The practical sessions will build on the concepts delivered in the lectures and online material. The practicals in the crime scene simulation will give you the opportunity to develop key practical skills needed to be successful as a crime scene examiner. To assist with your engagement in the practicals and to help further your abilities within a homicide case, you will be required to complete short pre-lab activities before the practicals. The practicals in the anatomy laboratories will give you the opportunity to get unique hands on experience with human remains. Attendance and participation for the practical sessions is compulsory, and the pre-lab activities must be submitted two days before the practical session.
Assessments: You will undertake three assessment tasks. Assessment task 1 will involve active learning in the classroom through weekly online quizzes. You will receive immediate feedback on your learning. Assessment task 2 will assess your collaborative teamwork and skills through the design and presentation of a novel research question involving human remains. These skills will also be assessed in assessment task 3, which will assess your practical abilities and application of the knowledge gained through lecture material and reflection. Assessment task 3 also involves the preparation of an expert case report for the police based on a death investigation.
Content (topics)
The subject matter has been divided into the following major themes:
“Search and locate” lectures will address forensic taphonomy and search and detection strategies
“Recovery and crime scene processing including trace analysis” lectures will address forensic archaeology and homicide investigation.
“Identification of Human Remains” lectures will address the use of DNA, forensic anthropology and disaster victim identification
“Understanding the cause and manner of death” lectures will address forensic pathology and radiology
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Weekly online quiz on pre-reading and lecture content
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1.0 - Disciplinary Knowledge 2.0 - Research, Inquiry and Critical Thinking |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 2 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1 and 2.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Criteria: | Quizzes will be marked based on the following:
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Assessment task 2: Design a taphonomic experiment for the body farm
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1.0 - Disciplinary Knowledge 2.0 - Research, Inquiry and Critical Thinking 3.0 - Professional, Ethical and Social Responsibility 4.0 - Reflection, Innovation, Creativity 5.0 - Communication |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 10, 2, 3, 8 and 9 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | The presentation should be a maximum of 6 minutes. |
| Criteria: | Students will be assessed on the following criteria for their presentation:
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Assessment task 3: Working with homicide scenes, human remains and reporting on findings
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1.0 - Disciplinary knowledge 2.0 - Research, Inquiry and Critical Thinking 3.0 - Professional, Ethical and Social Responsibility 4.0 - Reflection, Innovation, and Creativity 5.0 - Communication |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 10, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | Specific information for the practical sessions will be provided on canvas. Case Report - A Word document of five (5) pages maximum, 12pt text, including 8-12 references. Appendices are not in page count. |
| Criteria: | Students will be assessed on:
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Minimum requirements
You are expected to attend all practical sessions and strongly encouraged to attend all lectures during the session.
Practical classes in subjects offered by the Faculty of Science are an important and integral part of your learning in this subject. In addition to assisting your understanding of application of concepts, practical classes develop hands-on laboratory skills and experience, including safety skills and specialised techniques related to the assessment tasks. These also contribute to the development of essential graduate attributes desired by employers. Thus, you are strongly encouraged to attend all scheduled practical sessions.
If you cannot attend a scheduled practical session, please contact your Subject Coordinator as soon as possible to discuss your situation. As the majority of the practical sessions in this subject are assessed, then please make sure you are familiar with the guidelines for when an application for special consideration, including COVID-related matters, must be submitted with respect to missed, or to be missed, assessments: https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/managing-your-course/classes-and-assessment/special-circumstances/special-consideration.
The late submission of an assessment task may attract a penalty of up to 10% per day.
Recommended texts
As no one textbook is able to cover all the diverse aspects of Investigation of Human Remains, there is no prescribed text for this subject. However, some digital resources may be posted periodically on Canvas.