Death investigation require strict adherence to guidelines. Investigations must search for clues to determine a death as natural, suicide, or homicide. The investigator is the eyes and ears of the forensic pathologist at the scene. The investigator must do their best to find answers for families who have lost loved ones. (A Guide to Death Scene Investigation. (n.d.)
The Types of Murder
When determining how the death occurred there are four modes- accidental, natural, suicide, and murder- to decide out of. Accidental deaths pose as natural such as an automobile wreck or accidental drug overdose. Natural deaths happen naturally such as a heart attack or stroke. Suicide is the killing of oneself, including cutting, shooting, stabbing, …show more content…
Officers must take notes and pictures of everything. Notes should be taken when the officer gets the call; notes should include address/location, time, date, type of call, parties involved. When first arriving to the crime scene be aware of any people or vehicles leaving the area. The scene should be approached cautiously, and notes should be taken of important things noticed at arrival. Finally, the officer must remain alert and attentive; assume the crime is on-going until determined to be otherwise. Once the scene is determined to be safe, the officer must aid to the injured, while trying to be careful of evidence. If the injured is in a stable condition and is able to be moved before being aided to, then the victim should be moved while watching evidence. If the victim cannot be moved and has to be aided to right on the scene then try to get quick pictures of everything around the victim, and aid to the victim. It’s always better to save a life, even if that means losing some …show more content…
Additional photographs should be taken of the body after the removal of objects that interfere with the body. Once the photographs are taken, the body should be properly removed from the scene for further photographing, and testing. Photographs should also be taken after the body is removed. The location of where the body was found should be photographed. Along with photographs of the body, documentation should be wrote down about it. The notes for this should contain the body’s position, physical characteristics, presence or absence and condition of clothing, any items that may be relevant, any marks, scars, and tattoos, any injury’s, and so on. A forensic autopsy is used to determine the cause of death. The medical examiner is to determine the time of death, exact cause of death, and what preceded the death. The forensic pathologist first performs an overall examination of the entire body, including finger nails, hair, bodily fluids, the skin for evidence or needle marks, and all external and internal wounds. Evidence such as fibers are often entrapped in the victim’s hair, so the hair is precisely combed for any evidence. In rape cases, the pubic hair of the victim is also