CSI: Stoughton

She may be in the minority, but Kimberly Costa doesn’t watch the popular NBC television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

        The Stoughton native is too busy solving crimes herself to watch Gil Grisham and Horacio Kane pretending to do the job she does every day.

        “From what co-workers say, CSI makes the job look too simple. There's so much more to it…we just can't snap our fingers and solve a crime, like they do,” said Costa.

        The 22 year old has been a crime scene investigator with the Collier County Sheriff’s Department in Naples, Florida since May, 2006. One of nine crime scene investigators in the department, Costa’s territory is the southwest area of Florida, including the Everglades.

        Instead of CSI, Costa opts for shows on Court TV especially Forensic Files, Body of Evidence and Dr. Henry Lee’s shows.

        “These …give a better explanation of what really happens at scenes and how (we) go about finding a suspect,” said Costa. 

        Growing up in Stoughton, Costa didn’t plan to enter the law enforcement field.

        As a youngster, she attended the North School (now the Dawe) and then the O’Donnell Middle School. Pursuing an interest in landscape design, she chose to go to Norfolk County Agricultural School. She graduated in 2001.

        Thinking about entering the medical field, Costa headed to Dean College where she earned her Associates Degree in liberal studies with a concentration in science.

        Having developed a love of science and wanting to become a medical examiner, she headed to Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers to enroll in the forensics program. Unfortunately, the new program wasn’t fully up and running, so she earned her degree in criminal justice. She did, however, get to take some criminal and forensic classes. Drawn by them, Costa was convinced a career in handling evidence was her destiny.

        Her senior year of college, Costa held an internship with the sheriff’s department. Shortly after she graduated this past May, the department offered her a permanent position.   

        Six months into the job and Costa has seen things the average person might not be able to stomach.

        “It is something you just have to have a passion for…most people will put up with anything so that they can do what they love to do,” said Costa.

        She has responded to countless crime scenes including burglaries, a couple stabbings and many suicides.

        The brunt of the work at each scene, she said, is in the photography. 

        “We photograph everything exactly how it is and measure everything…so that we can reconstruct the scene in case we have to in court,” said Costa.

        She recalled a stabbing scene where the victim was rushed to the hospital and there was no known suspect.

        “We had to photograph the whole area and collect blood samples…it is a very detailed job,” said Costa. 

        Different than the television show where all of the results appear immediately, Costa said in the real world most of the crime scene evidence is sent out to a state laboratory for testing. Results, especially with fingerprint matches, can take up to six months. The only time it might be sooner is if they already have the fingerprints of a possible suspect for comparison.

        “We have a fingerprint expert, but it still takes a while…there is just no instant gratification like on TV,” said Costa.

        She added collecting the evidence also takes much longer than shown on television. At an average crime scene like a burglary, Costa can easily spend three hours. A homicide or battery of any sort can take four crime scene investigators up to eight hours time just to record all the evidence, she said. Additionally, after each crime scene, she has to take all the collected evidence back to the office and complete a report. Her results are shared with the Major Crime Bureau Investigator from her office assigned to the case.

        Costa works 10-hour shifts four days a week. Like the actors on CSI, she needs to be ready to be called upon 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Filled with supplies including, biohazard kits, blood kits and fingerprint kits, her large work van is always ready to meet the demands of any crime scene.  

        A self-described “homebody”, Costa said she never expected to live so far from her childhood home. Sometimes being away is tough, but she said her family, especially her mother, Linda, and siblings Christina, 15, and John, 30, get her through the tough times. She calls them at their Stoughton homes often and credits them with motivating her.

        “I couldn’t ask for a better support system…they are the best,” said Costa, who is the daughter of the late John Costa. 

        As she continues with her career, Costa looks forward to hopefully moving up to the state level and working in one of the more specialized crime scene fields.

        For now though she is very content with her job.

        “It is nice to be able to get fingerprints and other evidence …and help someone get answers…and find the person who committed the crime,” said Costa.