‘A little bit of comfort.’ KC evidence collectors leave clean sheets for rape victims

Unlike police officers, crime scene technicians like Marisa Smith rarely interact with the public, let alone the victims of the crimes they investigate.

While police interview victims and witnesses, it’s Smith’s job to carry out the — at times — “destructive” process of working the scene: capturing photos, fingerprinting and collecting evidence.

In the case of sexual assault, an overwhelmed victim might also come home to a bare mattress, as Smith learned in her job. As they collect evidence, Smith said technicians routinely recover the victim’s sheets to be taken to the lab and tested for evidence.

Sometimes a victim’s only set of sheets is gone.

That bothered her.

“It’s something that I personally care about a lot. Honestly, we’ve always talked about it, the crime scene techs, where it’s an issue we wished we could do something about,” said Smith, who has worked in the crime scene technician for about five years.

“Then I realized, yes, we can do something about this. You just have to ask.”

So in July, with the approval of her bosses, Smith acted on an idea. She began collecting new sets of bed sheets in all sizes to leave behind at the scenes where a sexual assault occurred.

It’s a small gesture, she said, but also “an immediate way” to help and connect with victims in a way crime scene investigators hadn’t gotten to do before.

“If anybody has ever bought any bedding, it’s very expensive and we kind of realized we’re often taking people’s only sheets,” Smith said. “It’s just another thing that kind of adds on to that process of being a sexual assault victim.”

So far, Smith said she’s left a few of these sheet sets behind and hopes to keep going. As colder weather approaches, Smith said they will be accepting more new bed sheets as well as blankets and quilts. All the sheets are donated to the Kansas City Crime Lab.

Smith explained that after they finish their job, they leave the bedding along with helpful resources for the victims.

“We leave the sheets there so that they have a little bit of comfort right when they come home.”

And while crime scene technicians, like Smith, may not be there by the time victims come home to find clean sheets, Smith hopes it leaves a positive impact.

“For me, this little small thing can give that victim confidence that we care and that we are taking this very seriously and that we not only want to continue through the investigation but the healing process as well,” Smith said.