​Instructors: Mark Crider     
Course length: 5 days

This 5-day course provides students with a systematic, real-world approach to homicide and death investigations, including homicides, child deaths, overdose fatalities, and suicides, from initial response through courtroom testimony.  Emphasis is placed on scene management, evidence recognition, crime scene reconstruction, victimology, suspect development, forensic resources, interviews, and case preparation for prosecution.

Students will learn to recognize and mitigate confirmation bias and understand its impact on investigative decision-making.  The course also addresses ethical considerations in interviewing and interrogation, with a focus on corroborating information obtained during interviews through independent evidence. 

Instruction is interactive and discussion-based, led by an instructor with a strong passion for death investigations.  Student participation is emphasized throughout the course, with students expected to engage in case discussions, practical exercises, and the sharing of investigative experience.

Course Outline:

Day 1
Introductions, Manner and Cause of Death, Death Investigative Team, 911 Call Analysis, Best Practices for Death Investigations, Crime Scene Security, Search Warrant Considerations, Wound Characteristics, Understanding Confirmation 
  • Bias, Homicide Case Presentation
  • Introductions & Course Goals
  • Manner and Cause of Death
  • Investigative Team Roles
  • The 911 Call – Is Your Killer the Caller?
  • Responding Homicide Detective Responsibilities-Best Practices

Day 2
Initial Walk-Through with CSI, Crime Scene Search, Documentation, Evidence Identification and Collection, Practical Reconstruction Techniques, Crime Laboratory Coordination
  • Identifying Forensic Evidence & CSI Processing the Scene
  • Practical Reconstruction Techniques
  • Crime Laboratory Capabilities

Day 3
Child Death Investigations, Suicides, Staged Scenes, Overdoses, Accidental Deaths, The Body on Scene, Postmortem Changes, Attending the Autopsy
  • Child Death Investigations
  • Suicide Investigations
  • Staged Scenes & Red Flags of Homicide Disguised as Suicide
  • Overdose Death Investigations
  • The Body on Scene
  • Attending the Autopsy

Day 4
Victimology, Interview and Interrogation, Trauma-Informed Interviews
  • Victimology – Valuable and Often Overlooked
  • Interview and Interrogation Techniques
  • Trauma-Informed Interviews

Day 5
Digital Evidence, Case Management, Case Presentation to the District Attorney, Trial Preparation, Courtroom Testimony
  • Preserving, Obtaining, and Analyzing Digital Evidence
  • Case Management
  • Case Presentation & Courtroom Testimony
  • Course Wrap-Up
Mark Crider
​Mark Crider is a highly accomplished recently retired Homicide Detective with the Denver Police Department, bringing 34 years of distinguished law enforcement experience to his work as an investigator, instructor, and subject matter expert. His career began with honorable service in the U.S. Air Force Security Forces, followed by his role as a patrol officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department. In 1995, he joined the Denver Police Department, where he spent more than 23 years as a detective—over 21 of them in the Homicide Unit.

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