At a typical crime scene the FAO (First Attending Officer) would be called. They would check the scene is safe to enter (in case of chemical leak etc). The secure the scene, prevent disturbances or anybody tampering with vital evidence. Limit the number of people entering the scene and re-assure the victim. Then a SOCO, (Scenes of Crime Officer) would be called. It is there role to get an overall impression of the scene and judge what happened and why, figure out a scenario. Depending on the crime, a specialist may be called. For example, bomb disposal groups, sniffer dogs and fire service investigators.
For the James Bulger case, there are 3 main crime scenes. The Shopping Center, where James was abducted from his mother. The Walton Canal, where the boys where have seen to have be seen. Finally the Walton Railway Tracks, where James body was found and where forensic evidence was obtained. When police were searching the shopping center, they obtained CCTV footage and they asked questions to the victims mother and other witness’. Questions would have been asked by the FAO. Police Officers would have done searches for the lost child. Police also searched the Walton Canal as they had testimonial evidence that the three boys had been seen there. A FAO wouldn’t be needed at this scene as it was only a search for the boy. Trace evidence could have been obtained. There was a FAO called to the Walton Railway tracks as a body had been found. Forensic Scientists would have come to examine it. They would look for DNA, hair fibres or anything to link something to a suspect. SOCO’s tried to analyze a scenario.
Shopping Center
In the Shopping Center, the mother realized her child had been kidnapped so she called the police. The FAO arrived and would have asked the mother about her child, description, age etc. they would have also asked about the abductor. What time they had taken James and if she had seen anything that might be useful. The FAO would secure the shopping center, looking for anybody suspicious and checked everybody entering / exiting the center. They would also reassure the mother. Officers searched the shopping center and outside area for the young boy. No evidence was found in the shopping center and to no surprise as it is a busy place and no clue could definitely link to the abductor. Officers went to the security department asking to see CCTV. CCTV was checked over and over again. It showed blurry images of two young boys, one taking James by the hand and the other slightly ahead. All walking towards the exit. The security video stills were broadcasted on the news and put in newspapers. Nothing was fond that linked evidence to the boys in the video. Later that afternoon, police received a phone call, the suspects had been seen.
Canal
The next morning (February 13th) underwater searches were taken in Walton Canal. Other searches were taken on land, looking for anything that could have clues to where the child was, or who had taken him. SOCO’s tried to get into the minds of the suspects and think what the abductors may have done next. They would also write a documentation of events. In the overall search of the canal, no evidence was collected.
Railway Tracks
On Sunday the 14th, a train engineer noticed something on the tacks that looked like a doll. He didn’t see it as anything unusual, neighborhood children frequently laid things in the tracks. He thought about the missing child and called the police that evening.
The FAO arrived and stopped all approaching trains. Police Officers sealed the scene. Ropping of the tracks and shielding it from bystanders and reporters. Forensic scientists were called. James’ body had been severed with some distances between them. It was as if there was two crime scenes, two body halves to examine. The upper half of his body appeared to be nothing more than a bundle of clothing. His lower half was semi-naked. Police determined that James has been laid by the waist down onto the railway track. It looked as if his had had tried to be disguised, covered with rocks, but the trains impact ruined the arrangement. The clothing around his head was from his waist down. His underwear was heavily soaked in blood. Nearby was a heavy iron bar and rocks also covered in blood.
Results of forensic tests on traces of blood and paint found beside James’ body on the railway track were presented to the jury in the prosecution. The role of the SOCO is to link physical evidence to a potential suspect.
Mr. Jackson, a Scenes of Crime Office, described a possible sequence of events deduced from the evidence. He claims Humbrol blue paint was spilt over James. James was hit causing a splattering of blood. At least one brick was used to inflict injuries to his head. The child was moved across the tracks, where bricks were placed deliberately around his body. Speaking to witness’ and using evidence surrounding the body, investigators pieced together the puzzle and chain of events leading to the murder. Although the evidence at the Railway Tracks showed how James Bulger was killed, no evidence was found that could be individualized to the murderer. A bruise on James’ right cheek was found with the feature of the upper part of a shoe, with an unusual arrangement of lacing rings.
Evidence on the Suspects
An anonymous woman called the police station, reporting her friends son, Jon Venables, had skipped school that day and resembled the boy in the CCTV footage.