The Police Investigation
Once the death notification has been made, police will ask you to name a family member as a key contact. They will provide you with the name and contact information for the investigator who will initially be the family contact. As time unfolds, this person may change, if that happens, they will provide you with the new name and contact information.
Very quickly police will begin gathering information and evidence relating to the murder. To do this they will talk to people who may have been involved or who knew your loved one. While they are searching for the offender, they may also need to rule out involvement of other people. Ruling out suspects can include one or many family members. This is a normal part of the investigative process.
If you were a witness to the murder, Police will ask you for a statement about what happened. This is called a witness statement and includes what you saw or heard occur. This statement often is audio and / or video recorded in order to obtain the best possible evidence. If English is not your language of choice, advise the investigator so they can ensure you understand what is asked. They may use a translator if necessary.
Often in the early days of the investigation there is very limited information available to family. Limited information in those first few days is very common. This can be upsetting for families. We’d encourage you to remember that during those first few hours and days, police are working as hard as they can to investigate the crime. There is a lot happening simultaneously and it’s a very dynamic environment they are working it.
It is not uncommon for there to be 20 or more police officers involved with a single case in the early days. Silence or no clear information, does not mean they are not working hard at learning what happened to your loved one or that they have set it aside. It can be frustrating.
Investigators will keep you informed about the progress in the investigation and you may contact the investigator. It may be a good idea to write your questions down. Ask any questions you wish, do be aware that there will be some questions that they can not answer. They will tell you when they can not. They will not be commenting on anything that could:
• Slow down the investigation
• Risk or interfere with the investigation or prosecution
• Affect the safety or security or someone
Privacy legislation and confidentiality rules don’t allow for names or contact information for other victims or witnesses.