How would you organize a search for a murder weapon inside an apartment?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Interior searches go from the general to the specific, usually in a circular pattern, covering all surfaces of a search area. The floor should be searched first. The search patterns used for exterior searches can be adapted for an interior crime scene: lane search, strip search, grid search, circle search, zone/sector search. Of prime concern is to search thoroughly without destroying evidence.

An interior room search usually starts at the point of entry. The floor is searched first so no evidence is inadvertently destroyed during the remainder of the search. After the floor search, the walls—including doors and windows—and then the ceiling are searched, normally using a clockwise or counterclockwise pattern around the room.
After a room is searched in one direction, it is often searched in the opposite direction because lighting is different from different angles. The same general procedures are followed in searching closets, halls, or other rooms off the main room.