TO: Archive Personnel
FROM: Evidence Processing Division
SUBJECT: Evidence Handling Notice
STATUS: Internal Notice
Recent reviews have identified a growing number of reports involving conflicting evidence packages.
Personnel are reminded that conflicting evidence is not grounds for evidence removal.
When processing recovered materials:
- Do not discard photographs solely because they contradict witness testimony.
- Do not discard witness testimony solely because it contradicts photographic evidence.
- Do not remove materials due to impossible timestamps.
- Do not merge separate accounts into a single corrected version.
Recovered records often arrive incomplete.
Recovered records often disagree.
Evidence processing exists to preserve the record, not resolve it.
Materials determined to be contradictory should be marked accordingly and attached to the relevant file.
Archive personnel are reminded that a contradiction is considered a characteristic of a record, not necessarily a flaw within it.
Questions regarding evidence authenticity should be forwarded to Records Review.
Questions regarding evidence consistency should not.
End of memorandum.