this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2025
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[–] kitnaht@lemmy.world 23 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Spray Chalk; it's a thing.

[–] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I wonder if they do use that, the aerosol would spray stuff around potentially contaminating other evidence.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 15 points 3 days ago (2 children)

So would chalk dust. Are we sure this isn’t just a movie thing?

[–] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Chalk dust would just settle, any hair or dirt or otherwise from the aerosol could be moved pretty far away.

Also, dustless chalk is thing as well…

[–] moody@lemmings.world 3 points 3 days ago

So is chalkless dust

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

I'd expect that with the zillions of crime scene photographs taken, the need to use chalk to outline the body is lessened, and simultaneously, with more advanced forensic techniques, the danger that chalk would contaminate evidence is increased.

In modern crime dramas, I don't recall seeing chalk outlines around bodies, but around other evidence like bullet casings, presumably because they might roll somewhere. If that's true, then they'd still bring chalk along.

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I think they tend to place a device for scale, then take multiple photos. That answers most questions, and they can recreate the scene/positions from those photos and videos.

I imagine some places are even doing 3D photogrammetric scans - digital scans of crime scenes that are automatically receated in a 3D model with accurate textures. This technology is after all already being used by game developers and other industries.

[–] einkorn@feddit.org 3 points 3 days ago