Case Notes #014: Evidence in Focus

We have reached the end of Season 4 of Lines of Enquiry. While the team are planning, researching, writing and recording Season 5, John is sitting down with a series of guests for Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes. In this episode, John is joined by Paul Curran, a retired Detective Sergeant with An Garda Síochána. Paul spent over 27 years working in major crime scene investigation, specialising in Garda photography, aerial and drone photography, and facial identification using EvoFIT. In this conversation, Paul reflects on the role of photography in serious investigations, from documenting crime scenes and post-mortems to capturing fragile evidence such as fingerprints in blood or dust. He explains why crime scene photography is not about recreating what happened, but carefully recording a scene as it was found. Paul also speaks about the development of forensic photography over his career, from darkrooms and film to digital photography, video walkthroughs, aerial photography and the use of EvoFIT in facial identification. Throughout the episode, he reflects on the responsibility of documenting some of the most serious crime scenes, and the role that careful, accurate photography can play in helping victims and their families.