The Lifecycle of Forensic Evidence: A Practical Systems Framework for Crime Scene Reconstruction

Crime scene reconstruction depends on far more than the isolated observations or measurements collected at the scene. Every piece of physical evidence moves through a sequence of events, decisions, and environmental conditions—many of which occur before the reconstructionist becomes involved and long after direct scene access has ended. The Lifecycle of Forensic Evidence is an eight-stage systems framework developed to help practitioners visualize and understand these relationships without altering their current practices, tools, or agency workflows.

This presentation introduces the Lifecycle framework in a clear, practitioner-focused format. The goal is not to critique existing processes, but to provide a practical conceptual map that helps reconstructionists account for the broader trajectory of evidence as it moves from initial discovery through documentation, analytical interpretation, reporting, and eventual courtroom use. By understanding how context and information accumulate across stages, reconstructionists can more accurately communicate assumptions, articulate limiting factors, and anticipate areas where downstream processes may affect interpretive boundaries.

The session uses real-world case examples to demonstrate how lifecycle awareness enhances clarity and coherence in reconstructive reasoning. Examples highlight situations where visibility into earlier or later stages clarified timing, excluded or reframed hypotheses, or improved communication between investigators, laboratories, and attorneys. These examples emphasize complexity rather than error, and illustrate how lifecycle thinking supports practitioners in organizing and explaining their conclusions within the full investigative picture.