An instance of SCP-2174

Item #: SCP-2174

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: The Foundation does not currently have the technical capacity to fully contain 2174; as such, containment is focused on managing information leaks and preventing independent rediscovery. Mobile Task Force Epsilon-5 ("Contagion") is to be deployed to investigate possible SCP-2174 manifestations and, if necessary, work with embedded agents in local law enforcement and media agencies to disseminate appropriate cover stories under Protocol KV-8699.

Description: SCP-2174 is a phenomenon wherein a location spontaneously comes to resemble a stereotypical murder scene.1 Historically, the majority of SCP-2174 instances2 have been found in North America and Europe. All known instances contain at least one humanoid chalk outline, corresponding to the popular misconception that drawing such outlines to mark the victim’s body is standard police procedure.3 Other elements, such as human blood or police tape, may or may not appear.

The body positions suggested by the chalk outlines are often awkward and unnatural, though typical of homicide or assault victims; some cannot be achieved without major skeletal damages. Signs of struggles and violence also frequently appear; however no sign of bodies being removed have ever been found, even in situations where they would be expected. DNA evidence recovered from SCP-2174 instances has not yet been found to match any known missing or deceased person.

SCP-2174 instances appear to be at least partially influenced by their geographical location, although this is not consistent – for example, all police tapes found among American instances display the word "Police", while German instances alternate between “Polizei” and "Police". Different trends may also be observed over time, such as the increase in number of instances containing blood and/or other biological matter since the early 2000s.4

SCP-2174 may also contain a mind-affecting component as interviews with residents in the area show they fully believe that a homicide has occurred and police investigation is under way, even when there is no corpse or police investigator at the site. Additionally, the sites frequently become makeshift shrines with people leaving flowers and candles for weeks to months after they have been cleaned.

Addendum: Obscure references to humanoid chalk figures among murder scenes have been found in a handful of witchcraft/murder trial records from 17th century Europe,5 predating all known SCP-2174 instances. In light of this, historical examples of chalk drawings with similarities to known SCP-2174 patterns, such as the Cerne Abbas Giant, are being investigated.

Footnotes

1. The Foundation has so far not been able to directly observe SCP-2174. The information in this Description should be viewed as approximate, based on the available evidence.

2. “SCP-2174 instances” in this document refers to both confirmed and alleged ones. For a detailed discussion of suspected false positives (works of anonymous pranksters etc.), see Document Alpha-DXL, Section F.

3. In real life, such practice contaminates the scene and is only done by inexperienced officers ignorant of proper procedure.

4. For a comprehensive statistical analysis, see Document Alpha-DXL, Section B.

5. See Document Beta-DXL.