Without exception, one of the most traumatic, horrific events that can occur during the course of a lifetime is a murder or other type of homicide in a home or place of business. The act itself can turn the lives of survivors upside down. In addition, a murder in a home or business presents an array of complications that a typical person very well may not have imagined possible. These include the challenging task of cleaning up a murder scene in Orange County.

Basic Facts About a Murder Scene

When a murder occurs, the first step law enforcement takes is to completely cordon off the scene of the crime. Only authorized people are permitted access to the murder scene. As a consequence, despite the fact that murder scene cleanup needs to commence with all due speed, absolutely nothing can be done until law enforcement and the Orange County Coroner release the scene. If a murder occurs in a private residence, it is likely that access to the entire home will be prevented, event to those who reside in the property. An investigation does typically take less than a day, even less than half a day. Nonetheless, it is possible for an investigation of this nature to extend for an even longer period of time.

In addition to law enforcement cordoning off a murder scene, the presence of a dead body can present a health hazard as well. Depending on the manner of death, a murder scene may be contaminated with blood and other bodily fluids. Blood and bodily fluids can contain what are known as dangerous biological pathogens. Pathogens and biological organisms like viruses and bacteria capable of causing disease (including serious disease) in humans.

A murder scene has something of a two-track investigation. The investigation includes work by law enforcement investigators as well as the coroner’s office. Both entities need to complete their work before the scene is released and a home or business owner can get in and commence murder scene cleanup Orange County.

When it comes to the removal of the remains, the coroner handles that task. The remains are transported to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy and other forensic testing as necessary.

Stages of Murder Scene Cleanup Orange County

Once the scene of the crime is released to the owner of the residence, murder scene cleanup can commence. The first step of that process is the removal of biological material that remains in the aftermath of a homicide. This can include blood, bodily fluids, and other biomatter.

Biological materials of this nature can contain what medically are known as dangerous pathogens. These are organisms like viruses and bacteria. Examples of the more common types of viruses and bacteria the potentially can be contained in biomatter left behind following a murder or other type of homicide include:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • HIV
  • MRSA

The physical material collected from a murder scene must be placed in an appropriate biohazardous waste container. This biomatter, and anything else that is contaminated by blood and bodily fluids that is disposed, must be transported by a certified biohazardous waste transport service. In addition, the biomatter and contaminated items ultimately must be disposed of by a duly authorized biohazardous waste disposal company.

Following the removal of biological material, the scene of the murder must then be sanitized. This includes any surfaces and objects at the scene that have been contaminated by blood, bodily fluids, and other biomatter.

Once the sanitization process is completed, the residence may need to be subjected to deodorization. When any type of death cleanup is necessary, the possibility exists that odor may be an issue. This typically is the situation when a couple of days elapsed from the time a homicide occurred and the remains were discovered.

Murder scene cleanup in Orange County necessitates the use of biohazard-rated personal protective equipment. This equipment includes, at a minimum:

  • Protective eyewear
  • Gloves
  • HEPA mask or respirator
  • Smock or other clothing covering

Professional Murder Scene Cleanup Orange County

In addition to being technically challenging and potentially dangerous, murder scene cleanup presents what can be a virtually insurmountable emotional trial. The reality is that losing a family member or other loved one as the result of a murder can result in incomprehensive grief and other powerful emotions. Personally undertaking murder scene cleanup has the very real potential of making a personally catastrophic situation even worse.

For these reasons, in the aftermath of a homicide in a home, a recommended course is engaging the services of a professional, reputable murder scene cleanup company in Orange County. An experienced professional has the background, tools, supplies, equipment, and resources needed to ensure that a residence is returned to a wholly livable condition following a murder or any other type of homicide.