Chalk outlines

[Chris Scott]

I think we've probably all seen cop films or thrillers where the position of the victim of the corpse is outlined in chalk
I have seen it so often I just assumed it used to be police practice but a friend told me recently this is a complete myth and the police have never used this device to record the position of a body
Not that I'm doubting my friend, but is this true?
Chris

[Monty]

Hey Chris,

Isnt there a natural phenomina in outdoos SOC where there is a reaction between the body and the ground that leaves a 'white line' around the body?

There was some mention of it in connection to Eddowes.

Monty

[Jon Guy]

Hi Chris

This is what I found on Google :


They just do that in movies but....I suppose there are some situations where you might.

In many cases the body has been moved prior to the crime scene people getting there to some degree either by the cops or paramedics to try determine if the victim is alive. So...seldom is the body in the exact position as when they died.

Once the crime scene people get there, they will take pictures, a video and do a diagram of the scene/victim prior to moving the body so there is no point in drawing a an outline around the body.

But if you were so inclined to outline the body it would make more sense to do it in masking tape since it would be difficult put an outline of chalk on carpet, etc. and the tape would be more visible in pictures....assuming the victim was in a building...

If the victim was outside...you would outline the body in a florescent spray paint which is often used at traffic accidents to mark the locations of vehicles. Hope this helps.

[Chris Scott]

Monty and Jon
Many thanks for the feedback guys
Monty - the phenomenon you mention is a new one on me
very helpful from both of you
Chris

[Sam Flynn]

Isnt there a natural phenomina in outdoos SOC where there is a reaction between the body and the ground that leaves a 'white line' around the body?

There was some mention of it in connection to Eddowes.

...could that, perhaps, have been down to her body heat, and her clothing absorbing the moisture from the (previously dampened) pavement? Bricks, paving slabs and indeed stones look "darker" when damp, than they do when they're dry.

(By the way, Neil - I'd heard a similar story about Eddowes, too. Can't for the life of me remember where, nor the details, but I have heard of it.)

[Suzi]

Chalk!

I'm so glad that that has proved to possibly be a myth- the idea of a POLICEMAN carrying CHALK may prove too much for some posters on some threads!

Suz x
Interesting that body leaving a mark thing- I've heard that too somewhere...may have to have a little trawl about....

[diana]

I would doubt there is a natural phenomenon of a body leaving a white outline. My first reaction was that I doubted it but I had no way to know, not having observed dead bodies on pavement.

Then it dawned on me that I have actually seen quite a few dead bodies on pavement; none of them with a white outline.

If you use the highways at all you will occasionally come upon the body of some poor animal that was hit. Usually they are off to the side of the road.

If such a phenomenon is normal then you would expect to see it with animals as well as people and we don't.

[Suzi]

...could that, perhaps, have been down to her body heat, and her clothing absorbing the moisture from the (previously dampened) pavement? Bricks, paving slabs and indeed stones look "darker" when damp, than they do when they're dry.

(By the way, Neil - I'd heard a similar story about Eddowes, too. Can't for the life of me remember where, nor the details, but I have heard of it.)

I think this is what Gareth meant- and that makes sense...sweat,general fith out of clothes etc would tend to leave a mark of some kind Now whether this would make the total 'chalk-outline' is unlikely but it may give shall we say a body impression

[Victor]

The only problem with that theory in the Eddowes case is the blood which soaked underneath the body.

[Suzi]

Yep good point- Hmmmm

[Sam Flynn]

The only problem with that theory in the Eddowes case is the blood which soaked underneath the body.

That was apparent in the Nichols case, Vic, where the back of her garments' being saturated with blood was noted. Offhand, I can't recall a report of the back of Eddowes' garments being in a similar condition. In her case, as we can see from Foster's drawing, a large quantity of blood had flowed away from her, the bulk of which ended up on the ground to the left of her body.