The first officer to respond to a suspected homicide call is generally a patrol officer arriving a short time after the call is received. The actions taken at the time of arrival may have a critical bearing on the subsequent course of the investigation. Responding officers might encounter:

The first officer to respond to a suspected homicide call is generally a patrol officer arriving a short time after the call is received. The actions taken at the time of arrival may have a critical bearing on the subsequent course of the investigation. Responding officers might encounter:

- a killer who might either still be on the scene or may have just exited.

- a man who directs the officer to the crime scene.

- a crime scene that might be filled with people milling around, acting confused.