CRIME SCENE CLEANING
A Victim Advocate’s First Hand Experience
by Troy D. Elam, R.A.A.S., CA


Crime Scene Cleaning is an essential component of Victim Advocacy. Families of victims and victims who survive violent crimes will be re-victimized if left to deal with the gruesome aftermath left behind in their homes, cars, or work place. Who cleans up? More importantly, how is it cleaned?

Until recently I believed the purpose of crime scene cleaning was to wash away the visible aftermath and put the crime scene back in pre-crime condition. That is not always the case.

A few months ago I was called as a Victim Advocate to a crime scene by a law enforcement agency to assist a family who had just experienced a murder, two attempted murders and a suicide.

Amid the controlled shock and chaos at a local hospital, I was asked by the officer in charge of the investigation if Victim Assistance had any resources to clean the two homes where these crimes had taken place.

Several months earlier, Jim Venaleck Owner of Bio Safe North America, had introduced me to the services his business could provide to crime victims. I did not understand all the high tech gadgets he showed me or some of the terminology he used, but I immediately recognized the importance of the services he could provide for crime victims and their families.

In response to the detective’s query I remembered Jim and Bio Safe and said “Yes, I do know someone”. I called Jim and we made tentative arrangements for him to respond to the scene. We presented the option to the family and they agreed. Jim responded to the crime scene at an agreed upon time, prepared to begin work. The Bio Safe team fulfilled and surpassed our expectations at every level.

The crime scene involved two separate houses a quarter of a mile apart in two police jurisdictions. The murder took place in the home where the perpetrator’s estranged wife was living with their three children. The stabbing started in the bedroom and continued into the family room where the wife died in a pool of blood from her numerous stab wounds. The perpetrator then went down the street to the home of the victim’s sister and brother-in-law. He began slashing and stabbing the brother-in-law who fought and ran from a bedroom, down a hallway, through the living room into the kitchen, spewing blood all the way. His wife grabbed their new born baby and ran from the perpetrator who slashed her one time in the back as she ran. The perpetrator then went into the back yard where he was confronted by police. He stabbed himself before they could stop him and he later died from a self inflicted stab wound.


.

Jim’s approach was professional, easy and personal. He asked questions and toured the crime scenes with officers from the two Law Enforcement Agencies, and myself. An experienced Law Enforcement Officer himself, Jim worked in concert with the detectives in charge of the crime scenes. It was determined that evidence collection was not an issue since the perpetrator was known and now deceased. The Bio Safe team can and does work with police agencies and forensics if evidence collection is required. The two crime scenes would be released soon allowing the Bio Safe Team to begin their work.


A family representative was appointed to be Jim’s contact for necessary permission to do the work, for insurance information, to answer any questions which might arise and to do a walk through with him both before and after the work was completed.

Jim explained, in detail, to the family representative what he would be doing and why. He would not just be cleaning surfaces nor would he be putting the houses back into pre-crime condition. He would be cutting out pieces of contaminated carpet, mattresses, upholstery, even sections of wall board and would remove and properly dispose of those items as bio-hazards. He would clean and disinfect all hard surfaces, replace sections of damaged wall board, wash soiled sections of walls and doors and paint those sections with primer sealer. Soiled clothing would be bagged and left in the house for laundering, or bagged and disposed of with permission of the family contact.

He would use special lights to identify all soiled areas, including the grass in the lawn where the perpetrator stabbed himself. Not only did he want to remove all bio hazards, he also wanted to remove all visible reminders of what had occurred.

He explained to the family representative that their home owners insurance would cover replacement of carpet and furniture, paint and repairs. Bio-Safe would work directly with the family’s insurance carriers for payment for their services.

The Bio Safe team worked 18 hours and removed 14 boxes of contaminated material from the crime scenes and properly disposed of them as bio hazards.

Jim worked easily and well with the police agencies, the family members, victim advocates and even the media who showed up (he did not talk to them). The services he provided could only have been done by highly trained and properly equipped personnel. There were no surprises and the family expressed sincere gratitude. They could return to their homes, in time, with the assurance there would be no visible or invisible residue to remind them of that tragic day.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Troy Elam has worked in the courts, the church, law enforcement and Victim Advocacy for 36 years. His professionalism is respected and trusted by those with whom he works.