What is the primary purpose of the chain of custody?

The primary purpose of the chain of custody is to document the location and handling of physical evidence. This process is crucial in maintaining the integrity of the evidence throughout the criminal investigation and judicial proceedings. By keeping a detailed record of who collected, handled, transferred, and stored evidence, investigators ensure that the evidence can be trusted and verified. This documentation minimizes the risk of contamination, tampering, or misplacement, which could compromise the case.

While ensuring evidence is not tampered with, establishing a timeline of events, and connecting evidence to a suspect are important aspects of a criminal investigation, they are not the primary purpose of the chain of custody. Instead, establishing a clear record of evidence handling provides a foundation that enables those other objectives to be pursued effectively and confidently. Maintaining a proper chain of custody allows for the evidence to withstand scrutiny in court, affirming that it was handled correctly from the moment it was collected.