Spoilation is defined as what?

• A. Evidence that is destroyed, damaged, altered or otherwise not preserved
• B. The act of sealing a scene
• C. The process of documenting all evidence
• D. The removal of heat sources

Answer: (A)

Spoilation means destroying, damaging, altering, or otherwise failing to preserve evidence, which can undermine the integrity of the entire investigation. Any action that degrades the reliability or availability of evidence—like discarding items, contaminating a scene, or moving evidence without proper control and documentation—fits this concept. It’s about preventing a fair, accurate reconstruction of events because the evidence has been compromised.

Sealing a scene is about securing it so nothing is disturbed, which is the opposite of spoilation. Documenting all evidence is part of proper preservation and chain-of-custody, not spoilation. Removing heat sources is a scene-management action to reduce fire risk or prevent reignition, not a description of spoilation.