Death Investigation Assessment Review PDF

**Death** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Cause and Manner of Death | The cause of death is the reason | | | for a death | | |...

**Death** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Cause and Manner of Death | The cause of death is the reason | | | for a death | | | | | | (BFT. GSW) and the manner of | | | death is how a person dies | | | (natural, accident, suicide, | | | homicide, undetermined) | +===================================+===================================+ | Algor, Rigor, Livor mortis | Livor mortis is the color of | | | death, rigor mortis is the | | | rigidity of death, and algor | | | mortis is the temperature of | | | death | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Carbon monoxide poisoning | When someone breathes in carbon | | | monoxide. | | | | | | The hemoglobin binds to the | | | carbon monoxide instead of the | | | oxygen, preventing oxygen from | | | transporting throughout the body. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Factors affecting body cooling | The ambient temperature, | | rates | clothing, body weight, muscle | | | mass | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Deaths investigated by the | Forensic pathologists investigate | | forensic pathologist | natural deaths, accidents, | | | suicides, homicides and | | | undetermined deaths | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ ------------- **Trauma:** ------------- Blunt force trauma Caused by unsharpened objects, falling, contact collisions and can form abrasions, contusions and lacerations -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contusion A bruise ,Trauma caused by broken blood vessels below the surface of the skin. Hematoma A swollen bruise Laceration A tear in the tissue caused by a sliding or crushing force Categories of BFT BFT can cause abrasions, contusions, and lacerations Abrasion A portion of the epidermis is removed as a result of the body rubbing against a rough surface Incised wound A wound that\'s longer than it is deep and is produced by a sharp-edged object Pattern abrasion An imprint on the body of the object used Therapeutic wound A wound produced for medical reasons, like surgery Chop wound A wound produced by axes, meat clovers, or machetes penetrating versus perforating wound Penetrating wounds puncture organs, while perforating wounds go through organs Stippling or tattooing The pattern formed by gunpowder; It shows how close or far the person was shot from ---------------------------------------- **The Autopsy Process: Open Response** ---------------------------------------- +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Trace evidence / signs of | Some trace evidence is glass, | | struggle | hair, and fibers. | | | | | | Some signs of struggle are | | | defensive wounds. like bruises | | | and cuts. | +===================================+===================================+ | Body bag | A bag to carry a dead body. A new | | | one is used for each body to | | | ensure that only evidence from | | | that body is contained within the | | | bag. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Autopsy table / Body block | The autopsy table is a slanted, | | | aluminum table with raised edges | | | that has several faucets and | | | drains. The body block is a | | | rubber or plastic \"brick\" | | | placed under the patient\'s back, | | | and causes the corpse\'s chest to | | | protrude forward while the arms | | | and neck fall back. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Scalpel / Y-incision | A scalpel is a knife with a small | | | blade, used to cut bodies open, | | | usually used by a surgeon or | | | forensic pathologist. A | | | Y-incision is an incision that\'s | | | made from shoulder to shoulder | | | meeting at the breast bone and | | | extends down to the pubic bone; | | | On a woman, this incision is | | | curved around the bottom of the | | | breasts before meeting at the | | | breast bone. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Bone saw | Used to cut through bones | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Chest plate | A protective piece that covers | | | the front of the chest | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Tissue samples | An analysis of tissue samples is | | | made to see | | | | | | if there is trauma or disease | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Organ examination | Each organ is weighed, examined, | | | and cross-sectioned, then | | | they\'re sampled for microscopic | | | examination | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Toxicology screen | Also known as a tox screen, a | | | device that looks for drugs and | | | poisons | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Skull and brain | The examiner puts a body block | | | behind the neck like a pillow, | | | raising the patient\'s head so | | | that it\'s easier to remove the | | | brain, then proceeds to make a | | | cut with a scalpel from behind | | | one ear, across the forehead, to | | | the other ear and around. The cut | | | is divided, and the scalp is | | | pulled away from the skull in two | | | flaps. The front flap goes over | | | the patient\'s face and the rear | | | flap over the back of the neck. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Baseball stitch | The skull is then cut with an | | | electric saw to create a \"cap\" | | | that can be pried off, exposing | | | the brain. When the cap is off, | | | the dura remains attached to the | | | bottom of the skull cap. The | | | brain is exposed. The brain\'s | | | connection to the spinal cord and | | | tentorium are severed, and the | | | brain is easily lifted out of the | | | skull for examination. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Morgue | A place in the autopsy room where | | | dead bodies are stored | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Autopsy Report | The autopsy is documented; The | | | steps taken, the date, time, | | | place, and who is in attendance | | | and photographs of injuries | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+