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.
Geberth (2013) refers to his book Practical Homicide Investigation where he writes, “All death inquiries should be conducted as homicide investigations until the facts prove differently. Not handling the suicide as a homicide investigation is a significant mistake” (p.55). Going into a crime scene with the assumption that the death is the result of a suicide can lead to mistakes in the investigation and erroneous conclusions as to the cause of death. What appears to be a suicide may in fact be a homicide or an accident. Geberth (...
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...urvivors and any of these people may taint the process by providing “biased” recollections. The most commonly cited limitation or weakness of psychological autopsies is the lack of any standardized procedures for conducting them (Roberts & Baker, 2009, Psychological Autopsy, Limitations of Psychological Autopsies section, para.2). Although psychologists have developed a standardized guide with twenty-six categories to assist investigators in conducting psychological autopsies, not all of the categories are applicable to every case or are considered by every psychologist conducting a psychological autopsy (Roberts & Baker, 2009, Psychological Autopsy, Limitations of Psychological Autopsies section, para.2). Lacks, Westveer, Dibble and Clemente (2008) question its validity and reliability as the accuracy of equivocal death analysis has not been empirically studied.
Karmen is a 50-year-old married who told her psychiatrist that she was considering suicide through overdosing on Advil. She complains of severe back pain that has left her with a “poor mood”. She talked about the injury for a long period of time. When doctors did not validate her injury, she described feeling abandoned. Karmen had gained weight and was upset about that. She did not take making suicidal comments seriously and often just used them as a threat towards her husband. She craved the attention of the doctors, and was flirtatious with the person who interviewed her. Karmen’s husband said that she talked about suicide on a regular basis. Karmen became sexually active early in life and has always gone for older men.
Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a topic, which proponents often support by the affirmation of patient free will or as the exercise of patient autonomy. The purpose of this paper is to examine this argument further from an inter-disciplinary approach, regarding PAS from medical, ethical and legal standpoints and to examine the concept of free will from the philosophical discipline. Are these concepts compatible in a meaningful context and can a sound argument be constructed to support PAS on the basis of patient free will?
2. Kirsch, Laura. “Diagnosis: DEATH.” Forensic Examiner 15.2 (2006): 52-54. Criminal Justice Periodicals. ProQuest. USF Mears Library, Sioux Falls, SD. 24 Apr. 2008 http://www.proquest.com/
This crime can be classified as manslaughter and murder as well. There is about 426 incidents of non-negligent homicide, males are more of a victim than females are when it comes to this crime of a rate of 74% for males and 25% for females which is huge for males not by surprisingly. The most often ages of people that is a victim (1,062) or an offender (1,509) of non-negligent homicide crimes are between the ages of 20-29. The (UCR) which is the FBI uniform crime report says that agencies don’t classify suicide, traffic fatalities and etc. as death of non-negligent
In all cases in which the cause of death cannot be determined, a medico-legal autopsy is done. In a nutshell, a medico-legal autopsy serves to help explain a legal question surrounding the death in question e.g. is the manner of death natural, unnatural or undetermined? Was someone else involved? What were the circumstances leading to death? Therefore, in addition to the results and findings of the autopsy, other findings such as those from the crime scene also play big role in helping to determine what really happened.
This case is about euthanasia and assisted suicide. On September 28, 1991, Dr. Boudewijn Chabot administered a sufficient amount of sleeping pills and a liquid drug mixture to a patient with the intentions of assisting the patient with death. The patient, Hilly Bosscher, was suffering from depression, and psychological pain. She was recently divorced from a 25 year abusive relationship, and her two son’s had died. The doctor determined she suffered from unbearable pain, genuinely desired to die, and freely and competently made such a request. On the same day Dr. Chabot administered the medici...
suicide can be a question that can never be answered. Suicide is final, and no one
The term forensic toxicology is defined as examination of all aspects of toxicity that may have legal implications (James & Nordby, 2009 p. 61). In the past, poisoning was one of the most popular forms of murder. There are countless natural substances in the world that when ingested into the body in high doses, can become lethal to the human body. What made this form of murder so famous is that most poisons mimic common medical diseases, leading physicians to believe a victim died of natural causes (Ramsland, n.d.). Aside from murder, this forensic discipline is also essential for determining accidental deaths and suicides.
Maio, V. D. (2003). Medicolegal death investigation system: workshop summary. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
Swiss law does not consider suicide a crime or assisting suicide as involvement of a crime. It views suicide as possibly rational. Besides, it does not give physicians a special status in assisting it. A police inquiry is started when an assisted suicide is declared, as in all cases of “unnatural death.” In view of the fact that no crime has been committed in the absence of a selfish motive, these are regularly open and shut cases. Prosecution takes place if doubts are raised on the patient's competence to make an a...
According to Global Burden of Disease Study (2010, as discussed in Mental Health Foundation 2015) major depression is the main contributor to the burden of suicide. There are sometimes cases where it is uncertain what happened. This death is called an equivocal death. It is important to not make conclusions to soon in consideration of the family. Gordon Hess, a captain in the Army National Guard from the State
The term victim precipitated homicide was first introduced into the study of criminology by Wolfgang (1958), in one of his highly appraised classic novels titled. Patterns in Criminal Homicide. This term was coined throughout this crime drama as a means to define the victims of a homicide that used physical force against the individual responsible for taking their life (Klinger, 2001). This is also described as a victim of a homicide playing an active role in their own death (Polk, 1997). Today this type of suicide is defined as “suicide by cop” and consist of an individual presenting enough of a threat towards a police officer to ensure a fatal shooting.
President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Defining Death: A Report on the Medical, Legal and Ethical Issues in the Determination of Death. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981.
Due to the combination of multiple factors in an individual, the act of suicide can happen (The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine). Over 90 percent of suicides are the result of a mental illness at the time of their death (Caruso). Most common among those mental illnesses is depression (Caruso). Although, some individuals seem to have a happy life, some are genetically susceptible to depression (Caruso). With that in mind, some people commit suicide from depression which was caused by genetics (Caruso). However, most suicides that occur are rarely from one cause. (Caruso). Multiple undesirable life experiences trigger these cases (Caruso). “This may include; deaths of a loved one, a divorce, separation, break-up, lost custody of children, an illnesses, etc.” (Caruso). Again, the leading cause of depression is untreated depression which is caused by one or more of these life experiences (Caruso). “Suicide only strikes people of a certain gender, race, financial status, age, etc.” (Caruso)? Suicide can strike anyone (Caruso). Statistics taken show that male’s had a 20.5 percent suicide rate while women had a 5.2 percent suicide rate (Flanders 23). This shows both genders commit suicide. Women, despite their low suici...
Suicide, it's not pretty. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's the