Episode 21: Anatomy of a murder crime scene – Part 3

In Episode 21 of Fool Me Twice, Bradford Oakes and Steve Van Aperen return to their ongoing “anatomy of a murder” scenario, using a fictional targeted shooting in a Melbourne laneway to explain how homicide investigations really unfold. They begin by recapping listener questions from the previous episode, including the old detective advice to keep your hands in your pockets at a crime scene. Steve explains Locard’s exchange principle: every contact leaves a trace, whether fingerprints, fibres, DNA, or material carried away on shoes. From there, they discuss why preserving a scene “in situ” matters, using examples of contamination and misplaced evidence.

The conversation also revisits “thrill kills,” which Steve defines as killings motivated by the pleasure of killing rather than revenge, greed, anger, or another conventional motive. He contrasts these with targeted murders, noting that random, pleasure-driven crimes can be much harder to solve because there may be no link between victim and offender.

They then return to the fictional case: a 27-year-old man with possible organised-crime connections is found shot dead beside a roller door in an inner-city laneway. Steve explains how detectives would assess his clothing, possessions, damaged phone, missing wallet, blood patterns, cartridge cases, tyre marks, cigarette butts, drink containers, footwear impressions, and an unlatched security gate. Bradford regularly tests assumptions, while Steve cautions that each clue may be important, irrelevant, or misleading until supported by evidence.

A major theme is that homicide scenes are rarely neat. Steve describes how investigators would secure CCTV, photograph and video the scene, preserve evidence, remove the body only after forensic approval, attend the autopsy for continuity, and later analyse clothing, biological traces, ballistics, toxicology, and gunshot residue. He also explains how cartridge cases can indicate a semi-automatic weapon, while projectiles may help link a firearm to a shooting.

The episode balances grim investigative detail with Bradford’s humour, including jokes about crime-show clichés, police language, courtroom rituals, and his own youthful court appearance. It ends with the pair acknowledging that they have only covered the initial crime-scene actions. The next episode will move into associates, motives, and the investigative matrix.

LINKS

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