More than 60 detectives from across Virginia have gathered in Fairfax County this week to study the handling of homicide scenes, managing victims and media relations.
It’s the first time the county has hosted the weeklong Virginia Homicide Investigators Association’s Homicide Investigation Symposium, filled with regional experts.
Started in 1993, the nonprofit association serves as a statewide forum for information related to homicide case management. The symposium provides detectives with job training. The association is currently headed by Stafford County Detective Richard Leonard, who is among the presenters at this week’s symposium.
This year’s program includes a session detailing how a homicide detective should respond to a crime scene. The session is led by Fairfax County’s cold case squad Detectives Christopher Flanagan and Robert Murphy, and . The detectives start by discussing gaining legal access to a crime scene, then describe proper witness interviewing techniques, and conclude with suggestions on testifying correctly and witness management.
Later in the week, Casey Lingan, a Fairfax County deputy commonwealth attorney, is scheduled to discuss courtroom procedures and the prosecutor’s role in the case.
On Thursday, reporters will sit on a panel discussing media relations and homicide cases. Fairfax County police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell will lead a separate session on the same topic. The symposium ends Friday with a morning session on infanticide and an afternoon of legal updates on the Bill of Rights.
