ADMJ 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Forensic Pathology, Death By Natural Causes, Myocardial Infarction
12 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
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CSI
Chapter 14 Lecture Notes
Homicide Investigations
1. Determine if a death was caused by criminal action
Classifications of Death
1. Natural causes
a. Heart attack, strokes, fatal diseases, pneumonia, sudden crib deaths and old age
b. Problems: drugs can make deaths look like heart attacks
2. Accidental deaths
a. Drowning, accidental poisoning, crashes
b. Problems: could be a suicide or homicide (similar to natural deaths)
3. Suicide
a. Committed by shooting, stabbing, poisoning, asphyxiation, or injecting drugs or
poison
b. Problems: homicides are often made to look like suicides and many suicides are
made to look like accidents
4. Homicide
a. Killing of one person by another
b. Criminal Homicide: subdivided into murder and manslaughter
c. Noncriminal Homicide: includes excusable (true accidents) and justifiable
homicides (self-defense)
Equivocal Death: a death where it is uncertain what happened
- A medical examiner or coroner has the final decision on the manner of death
- A medical examiner is a medical doctor trained in pathology who oversees the forensic
pathologists in the jurisdiction
o A forensic pathologist is a medical doctor who performs autopsies
- A coroner is an elected official (not necessarily a medical doctor) who oversees the
forensic pathologists
Cause of Death is a conclusion drawn by the forensic pathologist that identifies the injury or
disease that led to the biological chain of events resulting in death
- i.e. gunshot wound, wound to the head, stroke
Mechanism of Death is the determination of the forensic pathologist that identifies the
biochemical or physiological abnormality that causes the death
- Hemorrhaging as a result of a gunshot wound
Manner of Death is the determination made by the forensic pathologist that concludes how the
cause of death came to be
- Natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, or undetermined
Team Investigations
- First responder
- Homicide investigator
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Homicide investigations: determine if a death was caused by criminal action. Equivocal death: a death where it is uncertain what happened. A medical examiner or coroner has the final decision on the manner of death. A medical examiner is a medical doctor trained in pathology who oversees the forensic pathologists in the jurisdiction: a forensic pathologist is a medical doctor who performs autopsies. A coroner is an elected official (not necessarily a medical doctor) who oversees the forensic pathologists. Cause of death is a conclusion drawn by the forensic pathologist that identifies the injury or disease that led to the biological chain of events resulting in death i. e. gunshot wound, wound to the head, stroke. Mechanism of death is the determination of the forensic pathologist that identifies the biochemical or physiological abnormality that causes the death. Hemorrhaging as a result of a gunshot wound.
