Scent Pool Problem
Alice Hanan & Stryker
I was lucky enough to be able to work a
scent pool problem with my own nose!! Can't tell you how many light
bulbs went off on that experience. It's like a text book example of
scent movement and drainage. I have attached a diagram
to help visualize what happened. I got a call to respond for a
critical missing person on July 18th. The person was reported as
critical missing on July 11th, so I figured it would be a cadaver
search. (diabetic, obese, bi-polar and very depressed (him not me).
I got no other information. When I got there at 1115 hrs two
detectives were standing on the road. When I approached them they
pointed out an odor of decay in the bamboo. They seemed intent on
figuring out what it was, so I didn't attempt to get any
information. That means I didn't know the victims house was up
hill behind us, or that PLS (place last seen) was his house. I went
and got Stryker out of the cruiser and directed him to search down
hill in the bamboo and walked him right up against the down hill
side of the road. He alerted to the scent and tried to get into the
bamboo but couldn't get under the railing and would not jump over it
into the bamboo, so he went past it and then down hill. I lost sight
of him for a second and then saw him standing in the water pawing
and facing me. This is his indication on shore line when he can not
physically acquire the actual scent source. So, I figured he was
indicating on drainage from something in the bamboo. I put him back
in the car and started a visual search of the bamboo area which was
hard to get into but not impossible. While in there I was able, with
my own nose, to locate the source of the odor but there was nothing
there. I am confused but I figure now that I have mashed down a lot
of the bamboo, Stryker will be able to get in and he can find what I
can't. As I am climbing back up toward the road, I get a whiff of
decomposition and realize it is coming from above me. I go get
Stryker again and instead of putting him back in the bamboo I walk
him right up against the uphill side of the road and he alerts on
the scent and jumps the stone wall and runs up the hill. As I am
gracelessly climbing the stone wall I loose sight of Stryker, then I
see the white underside of his tail (sure sign of scent acquisition)
between the trees at the top of the hill and then hear him come
running back to me. He bows to my pocket, barks, spins around and
runs back up the hill. I follow him and there is the body. It wasn't
until later that I realized what had happened as far as scent pools,
scent movement and drainage was concerned. Here are my conclusions:
1) Stryker indicated on the water at the shoreline because the body
had been there 7 days with 3 heavy rain falls and was steeply up
hill from shore line.
2) What I pinpointed in the bamboo was a scent pool created by a
combination of the wind and the heated roadway that carried the
scent from the body over the wooded area to the road.
3) The heat from the road lifted the scent and it got dropped right
into the bamboo and stored there because of the thickness of the
reeds.
4) Number 3 is what made no scent available when walking the
roadway.
5) I was able to get that whiff of scent when coming up out of the
bamboo, that cued me to the source being above, because I am taller
than the dog and it was available at my nose height, but not
his.
Lesson learned:
1) No matter how eager the detectives are to investigate a smell,
get the pertinent info first, like that the guys house was right
above us and that was the PLS.
Diagram:
K-9
Specialty Search Associates
