The phenomenon of staging in homicide (SIH) has attracted some interest in recent years, with a firm research focus on perpetrator motivation and staging types. The consensus is that SIH is actioned to misdirect police investigations and is typically conducted in cases in which the perpetrator and victim know each other. Previous definitions of SIH exist on a spectrum of behaviours actioned to remove evidence, destroy evidence or include false evidence, encompassing a broad umbrella of crime scene alterations that enabled the perpetrator to avoid detection. However, specific distinctions between these behaviours are required and are articulated here to demonstrate clarity on the effect of each during homicide investigations. This thesis is divided into 2 studies that address the phenomenon of SIH. A thematic analysis is conducted through a realist perspective, seeking insight into SIH from the participants’ perspectives, without subscribing to a constructivist point of view. The data collection process consisted of interviews with professionals in separate fields of investigation, namely, 6 forensic scientists with experience at homicide scenes, and 6 police investigators in the roles of lead detective, SIO, and Detective Sergeant. Interviews were conducted between May 2021 and July 2022. Participants were asked to discuss the case from their own recollections, allowing a full exploration of the process of the investigation that highlighted key items such as errors that were made by police and perpetrator, and how investigative improvements can be made. Extrapolations from these findings were used to inform a development to the already existing guidance for responders to scenes of sudden or unexpected deaths. These findings alter the starting point for future research into the phenomenon of SIH, demanding a closer inspection of the nature of the crime and the how it was solved in a detail that has previously been overlooked.