52. A set of operational and tactical processes, deriving from the overall strategy, should be designed. These processes should seek to establish significant facts, preserve relevant material and lead to the identification of all the parties involved. Activities should be planned and appropriate resources allocated in order to manage the following: nn The collection, analysis and management of evidence, data and materials nn The forensic examination of important physical locations, including the death/crime scene nn Family liaison nn The development of a victim profile nn Finding, interviewing and protecting witnesses nn International technical assistance nn Telecommunications and other digital evidence nn Financial issues nn The chronology of events.86 53. The investigation strategies should be reviewed periodically or in light of new material (or new, more robust methods). A record of the review process should be kept, with all critical decisions noted and the evidence to support each one clearly referenced. Any change of direction in investigative strategy should be justified and recorded, with relevant material logged. The review process should be open, recorded, and disseminated to the investigation team members. 1. Collecting and managing data and materials 54. Material should be collected in a systematic manner. An effective information management system is required to ensure that all material gathered is recorded, analysed and stored appropriately, taking into account security concerns. This system does not need to be complex or technologically advanced, but it should be comprehensive, consistent and secure in order to ensure that no material is lost, damaged, degraded or overlooked; that provides an audit trail that can demonstrate that evidence has not been tampered with; and that it can be easily found, referenced and cross-referenced. 55. The gathering, recording and retaining of material – both inculpatory and exculpatory – requires expertise to ensure that all relevant evidence can be disclosed in any judicial process. The relevance of material may only become apparent as the investigation progresses. The investigation team must not, however, withhold information that could, for example, weaken the prosecution’s case in any judicial proceedings. 2. Important physical locations, including the death/ crime scene 56. In the investigation of a potentially unlawful death there may or may not be a body in a known location, which in turn may or may not be the place where the death occurred.87 Every important physical location in the investigation should be located and identified, including the site of encounters between the victim(s) and any identified suspects, the location of any crimes, and possible burial sites. Global positioning system (GPS) coordinates should be taken and recorded. The identity of the victim(s) will need to be established if this is not known. The lifestyle, routines and activities and the political, religious or economic background of the victim(s) may indicate possible reasons for the death. Missing person reports, family witness statements, dental and other reliable physical records (i.e. so-called antemortem data), as well as fingerprints and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), can be used to assist in identifying the deceased. 57. If DNA profiling is to be used for identifying human remains, other means of identification should be used in parallel. The sample used to generate the profile and the profile itself are powerful repositories of information that must be safeguarded against misuse.88 In profiling DNA to establish the probability of kinship as part of identifying the deceased, mistaken beliefs about kinship may be discovered. Dealing properly with such incidental findings is an ethical issue of great importance, and policies on this should be established in advance.89 86 For more detail on these areas, see e.g. documentation by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (http://www.unodc.org) and Interpol (http://www.interpol.int). 87 If investigators are unable to locate a body or remains they should continue to gather other direct and circumstantial evidence which may suffice for identifying the perpetrator(s). 88 See, e.g., ICRC, Missing People, DNA Analysis and Identification of Human Remains: A Guide to Best Practice in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Armed Violence, 2nd ed., 2009. 89 See, e.g., L.S. Parker, A.J. London, J.D. Aronson, “Incidental findings in the use of DNA to identify human remains: An ethical assessment”, Forensic Science International: Genetics, Vol. 7 (2013), pp. 221–29. 13