Crime scene technicians share tricks of the trade, work with local youths
Aug. 24—Inside the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, items that could make or break cases, put someone behind bars or exonerate the wrongly accused are watched over by two deputized evidence technicians and an evidence custodian.
Some pieces of evidence have been there for decades. Others could have been brought in the day before. Last Friday, there were more than 15,300 items in evidence.
Guns, drugs, money, jewelry, clothes and more have passed under the gloved hands of Cpl. Daniel McDowell. He's been an evidence technician since 2007 and joined the Crime Scene Unit full-time in 2017.
Newer to the team is Deputy Rick Matthews, who served 20 years in patrol before making the switch to full-time evidence technician about one year ago when a position opened up.
Though civilians can obtain degrees in forensics to work in evidence at other police agencies, at the sheriff's office, you need to be a sworn deputy.
Matthews used to run into McDowell on crime scenes and gained a fascination for the equipment and chemicals he saw used. He reached out to McDowell with questions, and eventually got a chance to attend evidence technician school.
"I've always had an interest in helping solve crimes," Matthews told the News-Post on a recent visit to the evidence room.
Though certain deputies in the field are cross-trained in evidence, it's not uncommon for McDowell and Matthews to be called to a crime scene.
And sometimes, their job gives them the chance to work with youth. Over three Saturdays in July, more than 75 high school students visited the evidence room to learn about crime scene investigations as part of the Envision National Youth Leadership Forum for Law and CSI, according to the sheriff's office. Evidence techs volunteered their time, showing students how they go about their jobs, offering tours of the evidence room and staging hands-on crime scene processing.
"The FCSO always appreciates the opportunity to work with young adults and teach them about the various aspects of our profession," Lt. Andy Crone, FCSO Criminal Investigations Section commander, said in a news release. "Our partnership with Envision allowed us to provide these participants with real, hands-on experiences to learn from current practitioners in the field of CSI."
Tools of the trade
Evidence technicians rely on an array of tools to collect DNA and fingerprints before delivering samples to the Maryland State Police labs in Hagerstown and Pikesville.
To demonstrate, Matthews placed a CD he'd just touched on the table before him. Donning black gloves, Matthews grabbed a fingerprint brush that'd been dusted in black powder.
"In real life, we would have masks on," McDowell noted. You wouldn't want to accidentally compromise evidence with your DNA, he said.
Carefully, Matthews held the brush handle between his parallel hands and rubbed them back and forth, causing the brush to dance over the CD.
"You don't want to push down on the print because you're going to wipe it off," Matthews explained. "So you have to be very delicate."
When he was done, a flashlight illuminated a distinct print on the CD.
Matthews selected a piece of lift tape and pressed it onto the print, not speaking so as to give the task his full concentration. Using an eraser, he smoothed the tape down, then peeled it back with his fingers. Placed on a white index card, the tape would reveal a black fingerprint.
A little more straightforward — sometimes — is the collection of DNA from human-touched surfaces. Armed with a clean cotton swab and one drop of distilled water, Matthews simply rubs the damp swab over a surface to collect a sample and then packages it.
Fingerprint lifting can be a little tricky. To avoid mistakes, technicians can place a piece of evidence inside their cyanoacrylate (aka superglue) fuming chamber to encapsulate the fingerprints, according to McDowell. To oversimplify, the chamber heats up superglue, then spews humidity and sticky material over the evidence inside to preserve the fingerprints. By doing this, a technician is able to lift the fingerprint from a piece of evidence without risk of smudging the print.
A few steps away from the superglue chamber is the drying chamber, where wet clothes hang before being packaged for storage.
"Sometimes if we have a bloody sweatshirt in here, it might be in here for two weeks before it's dry," McDowell said.
The evidence room is a highly secure area. They keep track of who comes in and out and limit who has access to evidence. Outside the evidence room, small lockers serve as the drop-off space for deputies. Once a locker door is shut, there's only three people on the other side of the wall who can open it, McDowell said.
Reflecting on their combined 15 years in evidence, McDowell and Matthews couldn't vocalize a particular piece of evidence that's stuck with them.
"We try not to relive that," Matthews explained.
McDowell said they've experienced some brutal scenes.
"Every scene sticks with me," McDowell said, but that's part of the job.
Matthews said he does his best to focus on the task at hand and not dwell on what he's seen. At the top of their minds, however, are the people affected by the crimes.
"We think of the victims," Matthews said. "We're there for the victims."
Follow Mary Grace Keller on Twitter: @MaryGraceKeller
