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4.
Reconstruction
We consider reconstruction to be the ordering of associations in space and
time. Reconstruction attempts to answer the questions of “where? how? and
when?” It should be stressed that the “when?” usually refers to an ordering
in relative time only; was the sweater in contact with the couch before, during,
or after the murder took place?
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Principles and Practice of Criminalistics
 
D.
Summary
We propose an organization of the forensic paradigm centered around the
crime event. The principles of divisible matter and transfer interact in the
generation of evidence before and during the crime. The practice of forensic
science begins after the crime event with the recognition of evidence. Divis-
ible matter and transfer are the two fundamental scientific principles upon
which the forensic analysis of physical evidence is based. Identification, asso-
ciation through classification and individualization, and through reconstruc-
tion form the infrastructure for the practice of forensic science.
 
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