An autopsy is the internal examination of the body. It is a procedure that consists of a thorough examination of the human body by dissecting to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present. It is usually performed by a medical examiner or coroner. An autopsy is always required in homicide cases. The head or the chief medical examiner has the authority to investigate and certify any death. The medical examiner is the one to take charge of the body upon notification of death. The medical examiner should respond to the scene of the homicide to conduct an investigation into the circumstances of death. In order for them to do their job properly, he or she must attain as much information as possible from the homicide investigator at the scene. Also only the first officer/crime scene investigator should be in attendance at the autopsy that way they will be able to identify the body at the chain of custody. In this paper I will be talking about how the autopsy is done, the relationship between the medical examiner …show more content…
And also they cut open the chest and abdomen for all the organs in the body.
The relationship between the medical examiner and the crime scene investigator go hand and hand. They are the extension of the crime scene and they provide a healthy amount of information that helps to put all the physical evidence into perspective of the cause or manner of death of a victim. The medical examiner is a key piece to any homicide investigation.
When a family hears about their love ones being killed by the news of an officer or an EMT it is very sad. And then they found out how they did on the autopsy report it really becomes depression and very strong emotions of an innocent man or woman a daughter a son or its depressing to read and it only raise up the emotions not so much a reliever of
parts such as the arms, the nose, and the genitalia are also cut off. The entire piece is also covered
A psychological autopsy is an investigative technique, usually employed by psychologists, which is used to determine how death had occurred in equivocal death cases (Fulero & Wrightsman, 2009). This technique is used to try and understand the mindset of the deceased person to help answer certain questions like why did the individual do what they did and why did it occur at that time? The investigator will collect data about the individual, like written correspondence and journ...
Forensic pathologists are the people who determine the cause and time of death if the deceased person died under suspicious circumstances, whether they be violent or not. They determine if the death was accidental, a homicide, natural, a suicide, or even if the cause of death was unknown. They do this by studying said victim’s medical history, evaluating the crime scene for evidence, studying the body for any clues, and performing an autopsy. After determining the cause, time, and the manner in which the victim died, forensic pathologists make a written report on the victim and sometimes testify in court to report their findings.
Rather on the news or a friend telling you of a murder, you feel sympathy towards the person who died and the family of the victim. There’s only so much you can feel about the murder, only because you either don’t know the victim or you don’t know all the details of what happened when you hear about the person and who they were before they died you start to connect, just like a character in a book that you slowly develop in your mind.
When a death occurs suddenly, unexpectedly and from unnatural or unknown causes, a forensic scientist has the duty to gather and analyze evidence to determine whether the victim died from a previously undiagnosed disease or infection or from a homicide, suicide or accident (Lurigio, 2009). When considering suicide as the probable cause of death, we are looking at the act of intentionally killing oneself through one’s own effort or with the assistance of another (Sever, 2009). The resolution of the manner of death by a forensic pathologist as suicide is based on a series of factors which eliminate natural causes of death, homicide and accident (Geberth, 2013, p.55). The cause of death is also determined by the medical examiner in conjunction with the crime scene investigator; however, it can only be determined after a thorough investigation is concluded. Therefore, in the complicated process of doing a death investigation there are several mistakes that should be avoided, which are discussed in Geberth’s article, Seven Mistakes in Suicide Investigation (2013). Mistakes in doing any death investigation affect the integrity of the evidence in determining the cause of death and in its admissibility in court.
The sudden or unexplained death of a person has a huge impact on families and friends of the deceased, and it places a huge role of responsibility on the medical examiner to answer questions which may provide closure. Interaction with the loved ones of the deceased is a delicate matter that must be dealt with calmly and professionally. Generally, medical examiners are overachievers, objective, analytical, and optimistic. “I can’t do anything for the deceased, they’re gone. But if I can do anything for the family, I will.” (www.voxmagazine.com)
The medico-legal autopsy report should be as detailed as possible so as not to miss even the slightest of findings, which may later play a big role in determining the case, hence standardized autopsy procedures as well as autopsy protocols have been devised.
expensive and hence the profession needs a lot of training and commitment of resources. The
Crime scene investigators have a very important role when it comes to catching criminals and putting them away for a crime they committed. They are also called Forensic Science Technicians. The main role for a crime scene investigator is to investigate crimes and to collect evidence. Most types of evidence being hair, tissue, and fluids like blood or saliva. Basically, they provide evidence that shows information to help either acquit or convict a person of a crime (Crime 1).
Forensic scientists work in labs where they examine, identify, and interpret evidence collected in crime scenes. Crime scene investigators collect evidence and pass it to a forensic scientist who uses the items in numerous ways to help catch criminals. Forensic scientists must also record the evidence and any tests ran on it in detail to prove the truth in court. A forensic scientist also has to be able to present his or her physical evidence verbally in court, so a strong communication background is important.
Forensic reports inform and influence the outcome of legal proceedings. The forensic psychologist utilize the following factor when preparing a written report: (a) who requested the report; (b) who will be reading the report, and (c) what information is needed to be reported. With this being said, forensic reports need to include clarity, straightforwardness, as well as being brief (Conroy, 2006). According to Jackson (2008) forensic psychologist report must reflect accuracy. Therefore, one must acknowledge and disclose discrepancy of the assessment tool, as well as the validity and reliability of the report. When putting statements in a report, the forensic psychologist must identify the statement is fact, inference, or professional opinion. This goes back to the role of the forensic psychologist who is to remain objective. Last the report should not include jargon or utilize clinical terminology (Jackson, 2008). The purpose of this paper is to identify ethical dilemma in report writing.
Imagine pulling into your driveway and seeing your neighbor’s house surrounded by police, flashing lights, and caution tape with bodies covered in white sheet on the lawn. It was a drive by shooting. Next, a van pulls up and a Criminal Investigator steps out and starts assessing the crime scene. She begins taking photos, marking shell casings, packaging evidence, documenting tire treads on the pavement and inspecting and collecting DNA evidence from the bodies. Criminal Investigators are highly trained college graduates that are a vital part of bringing criminals to justice.
The topic I find such fascinating is Forensic Science and how forensic science has significantly changed over the years. “The area of forensic science has grown considerably over the last 150 years and more so since the mid 1980’s.” (Lyman, 2016) Forensic science has gone from taking basic information, and fingerprints to DNA and blood splatter. During a crime scene investigation evidence is collected, analyzed in a crime laboratory and then if needed are presented to the court. However, today the crime laboratory is becoming mobile and can go to the scene to analyze the evidence. Each crime scene and investigation is unique and distinctive, with the help of forensics it can help solve a case.
It is very clear from the abstract that the need to have an alternative method instead of just the conventional post-mortem method comes with benefits as well as some limitations. As stated in the article, radiology plays a huge role in forensic medicine
Autopsy can be performed privately if the attending physician or family members request for one. The introduction of virtopsy would allow more inquiry into determining the cause of death in non-criminal cases where families may object the destructive nature of the autopsy and/or due to religious beliefs prohibiting cutting open of the body. For example, the religion of the Orthodox Judaism and Islam stresses the non-violation of the dead bodies and quick burial. The appeal of virtopsy thus provides an alternative where pathologist or doctors are able to avoid the uncomfortable task of asking the grieving family members for consent on performing a conventional autopsy to confirm the cause of death. The shift in the perception of the public would likely play a part in contributing to the increase use of virtopsy as the public becomes known of its presence.