This part of the Tutorial takes the EVENT BLOCK (EB) data you have prepared in Part I and inputs it into the INVESTIGATION CATALYST application to build a Matrix displaying your data for further analysis. This will help you see how the Matrix can help you with investigation or quality assessment tasks.

This exercise takes the data gleaned from the Brown witness statement and inputs the data to display, organize, analyze and use it to help the investigation.

• For help, use the HELP menu in INVESTIGATION CATALYST, or contact. support@starlinesw.com

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TASK TIPS

Try to make a mental movie of what the witness did, and what witness said other people or objects did. Wherever you have blank frames in your mental movie, you need more information. If you can not visualize what happened next after you enter an EB, define questions to ask to fill in the subsequent frames.

Sometimes your mental movie has incomplete frames, where the actor or what they did is not known. Use a ? as a place holder to create temporary EBs to fill the gaps. Any ? in the list of EBs indicate a need for additional information, and points to more questions to ask - or report as unknowns.

The completeness of the Matrix gives you an indicator of the quality of the statement or investigator performance, and helps identify conflicting or contradictory statements.

Gather your printouts of the documents you will be using for this part of the Tutorial. You will be referring to them as you enter data from those documents into INVESTIGATION CATALYST.

Open INVESTIGATION CATALYST and set up the Title page defaults with TOOLS > MATRIX PROPERTIES or Command+y with the name of your Project.

Set the Matrix preferences with CATALYST > PREFERENCES > Matrix display tab, clicking on ACTION, OBJECT, LOCATION AND SOURCE only; make sure other boxes are unchecked. Select Timeline Display DATE AND TIME check box. Select Other Tab and set the AUTOSAVE and backup preferences. Close Preferences and then save the empty matrix with a file name like Brown_Statement.

Start entering data from your documents, arranging the sequence on the matrix manually from time to time. Use Command+b to open the Build New Event Block panel. Refer to INVESTIGATION CATALYST HELP menu when you have any questions about how the application works.

TIPS

1. Enter whatever data you have, and use the ? placeholder liberally when data are missing.

2. Position new EBs after four or five new ones. If you have no times, position them manually by dragging them to their relative locations. Then click on the Snap Time to EB icon on the tool bar to set the relative positions, or use the Control+Click - > snap to previous or next EB to set positions individually.

3. Shift click to select more than one EB to move them as groups.

4. Enter estimated begin dates and times to help you sequence the EBs as you build them.

Gaps on the Matrix are the key to guiding investigation efforts. Identifying them, and then bridging them on the Matrix helps complete the description of the process.

When you get your EBs sequenced, examine the EBs and try to link those that are causally related. After that, start adding Question Comments when you see a ? or a gap in the scenario that you can not visualize, or any other questions that the display suggests. Use the Comment icons on the TOOL BAR to add new comments.

The Matrix shows you what you know and don't know so you can frame your questions for a face-to-face interview with the witness, or know what to look for when you inspect objects and debris remaining after the incident.

Save your new file and print the partially completed Matrix and use it as a worksheet during subsequent investigation tasks like interview planning meetings or during witness interviews. Share it with other investigators, witnesses or anyone else who might be able to help you add more EBs and build your mental movie.

From the INVESTIGATION CATALYST application, open the file "TS Brown Matrix" and compare your matrix with this matrix. Review the EB Explanations file if you have questions about any differences between the two matrixes.