EYEWITNESS IDENTIFICATION

GOALS: Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness

identification Identify solutions to those causes.

Your Identification

Write down the following about the rooftop bomber: What was the suspect wearing? Was the suspect a female or male? What is the suspect’s ethnicity? How tall is the Bomber? What was the bomber’s hair color? What is the length of the suspect’s hair? What is the bomber’s eye color? What are some facial features of the suspect? How old is the bomber?

Eyewitness Testimony

Can be a useful tool for law enforcement.How?

Analyzing a crime scene Can have a big influence on the outcome of

the case.

Eyewitness challenges

People tend to view the same scene in different ways depending on … Their position Line of sight Familiarity with the area Others???

Memory Challenge

You will have 30 seconds to view the next slide

Try to memorize all the items you see.

You CANNOT write anything down You CANNOT talk to anyone.

Items to remember

What do you remember?You have 2 minutes to write anything you can

remember.

How did you do?

All 20 – Awesome

15-19 – Great

10-14 – Pretty swell

5-9 – Could be better

4 or Less – Wake up

Crime Scene Challenge

Now that your eyes and brain are warmed up, let’s test your observation skills a bit more.

You will have 2 minutes to study the photograph of a crime scene on the next slide.

Try to pay attention to details as you will be asked 10 questions about the crime scene!

You are not allowed to write anything down until after the time is up.

Ready?

Questions 1. What color coffee mug was in the picture? Blue Red Yellow   2. When was the deadline? Yesterday Today Tomorrow   3. What time was on the clock on the wall? 10:40 11:05 1:55   4. How many sticky notes were on the whiteboard? Four Six Eight   5. Which of the following was NOT in the picture? Stapler Trash Can Printer   6. What was the name on the plaque on the desk? Bill Brian Carl   7. What color was the victim's shirt? Black Blue Red   8. How many plants were in the picture? None One Two

9. What was the color of the marker in the desk drawer? Red Blue Green

10. Where was the book in the picture? On a box In the trash can Under the body

Did you know?

According to The Innocence Project “Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing.”

However the criminal justice system still relies on eyewitness testimony and identification for investigating and prosecuting crimes. (Wells and Olsen, 2003) WHY?

Why Witnesses can be Wrong

Improper suggestions – by police officers, media, inadvertent nonverbal communication. How can we avoid this?

Witness inaccurate perception – They are not trained in observation. Age, drugs used, etc. How can we avoid this?

Cross Racial Effect (cross racial misidentification) – people of one race have a hard time recognizing facial features of other races. Can we avoid this?

Your Identification

Write down the following about the suspect: What was the suspect wearing? Was the suspect a female or male? What is the suspect’s ethnicity? How tall is the suspect? What was the suspect’s hair color? What is the length of the suspect’s hair? What is the suspect’s eye color? What are some facial features of the suspect? How old is the suspect?

Why a witness may be Wrong

Crime Scene Factors Traumatic crime

scenes. Time of Day Gun pointed at you The witness’

viewpoint. Amount of time the

Witness saw the suspect.

Suspect Factors Highly Attractive Highly Unattractive Distinctive looking Simple Disguises

can hurt identification

Tatoos or body piercings help identification

Facial Composites

Sketch of a person’s face Work with investigators and sketch artists Facial reconstruction software (FACES) The composite may be used internally to

help with identifying the suspect The composite may be used externally to

solicit leads.

You will have a chance to try to create a facial composite.Think of Mrs. Hunter: As a group answer the following

questions.

The shape of her face The shape of her jaw The shape of her eyes The shape of her nose The width of her neck The shape & protrusion of her ears The presence of facial piercing The presence of facial hair, its color, & location The presence of facial markings, such as scars or tattoos Forehead or other facial lines The presence of eyeglasses or sunglasses The length, color, & texture of the person’s hair

What did we learn?

Reflecting on our goals for this lesson. Identify 3 causes of false eyewitness

identification Identify solutions to those causes.

Did we meet those goals?

Name one reason for witness misidentification. What is a solution to that issue/problem?