WORKING WITH POLICE AND OTHERS

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For many, the notification of their loved one’s homicide is delivered by a police officer. For some, that information is relayed by someone from a Victim-Witness Assistance Program or another victim assistance agency. To make positive identification, you may then be called on to view the body. From that moment on, homicide survivors will have many and varied interactions with law enforcement officials and other allied professionals. Each interaction may be very painful, but they are using all their resources to solve a terrible crime. In many cases, one of their best resources may be information gained from you.

Many survivors have many questions for the police officers that have been assigned to investigate your loved one’s murder. First and foremost, they want to know how, when, and why their loved one was murdered and who committed the crime. They may want to know details about the offense and whether or not the victim suffered. It is important for homicide victims to realize that the police may not always be able to release certain pieces of information, because it may compromise the investigation. If information can be released, however, you can contact the lead investigator or Victim-Witness Program staff, to make arrangements to meet with you regarding the case.

If an arrest is made, it is very likely that the arrested person will go to trial for the charges placed against him or her. In some cases, friends and family of the homicide victim may be subpoenaed as witnesses. In other cases, survivors may not be subpoenaed, but still wish to attend the judicial proceedings related to the crime. In either situation, they can contact the Victim-Witness Program and request that they be informed of the dates and times of any court hearings and request other information and services that may be available to them.