Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement

The number one cause of death for suicides in America is gunshot injury.  This type of death can leave a lot of blood. That blood can tell a story if looked at with a critical eye.   In this episode, Jeff Gentry discusses blood pattern interpretation and specifically how it is used in suicide cases.  After listening, you might look at death scenes differently next time.

https://coronertalk.com/infant-death-first-contactThe first few minutes upon arrival or notification of an infant death are very critical. Steps need to be taken to know where the infant is located and who the lead investigator is and ensure evidence is protected.   This episode is a portion of an online training course covering infant death investigation in detail. If you're interested in learning more, a link to that course can be found below.    Investigating Infant and Child Deaths  https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/infant-and-child-death

Someone must oversee a crime scene.   This means one person is directing all activity. This might not be a ranking member of a department, though.  If no one takes charge, the scene is chaotic, and nothing is done correctly.    The investigator in charge should oversee the investigation and scene documentation. He or she should ensure proper chain of custody and documentation of evidence. They are in charge of maintaining scene integrity.   As with any crime scene, cooperation is critical among differing agencies. But with a death scene, this cooperation is ever more important and strained. Due to the increased severity of the scene, the spotlight, and egos, these scenes can quickly become a disaster. Therefore, teamwork is vital, and it is the lead investigator's role to set a tone of cooperation and teamwork.    One of the most significant issues in a major case is the failure to communicate information to those working on the case. Some agencies seem to want to keep what they know to themselves. This primarily occurs from egos and "turf wars," which will compromise an effective outcome.    Everyone involved in the investigation has information gathered from the jobs they were assigned, and a lack of communication or an unwillingness to share information discovered for evaluation can prevent the entire team from finding the truth and bringing the case to a conclusion. It's imperative to remember that the cases you work aren't about you, but are for the victim, the family, and, at times, the protection of society.   One of the most frustrating mistakes at a death scene is when command staff show up on the scene with their own agendas, which have nothing to do with the actual investigation. Sometimes, it's for political appearance or simple curiosity. However, unless they are an actual part of the investigative team, they should not insert themselves into the investigation.   In many instances, because they're at the scene, command-ranking personnel feel the need to direct the investigation. Consequently, they will have investigators running in different directions, which have nothing to do with the primary investigation.   The result is the loss of cohesive and central command and major miscommunication Many times, in these situations no one is willing to step up, make decisions and take control for fear of making the boss mad. The chaos continues and the investigation is compromised. When the outcome is delayed or not favorable, the command personnel directly responsible for the chaos will not see that they were the cause, but rather, the blame may fall on the lead investigator.  

Crime scene photography, also called forensic photography, has been around almost as long as the camera itself. Investigators quickly realized that such technology could freeze time -- creating a supposedly incontestable record of a crime scene, a piece of evidence or even a body.  Today, forensic photographs are essential for investigating and prosecuting a crime.  Photographs help preserve not only the most fleeting evi­dence -- like the shape of a blood stain that will soon be mopped up -- but als­o the placement of items in a room and the relation of evidence to other objects. Such images can prove vital to investigators long after the crime scene is gone. Crime scene photographers must be methodical in their work.­ They can't afford to leave out an important piece of evidence or produce photographs that could be considered misleading in court.  There are three classifications of forensic photos -- overviews, mid-range and close-ups. If the crime took place inside, overviews include photos of the outside of the building, its entrances and exits as well as images that place the building in relation to its surroundings. Photos of spectators at the scene can later help locate witnesses or suspects. Overviews also include images of all rooms, taken from overhead and from each corner. The photographer then hones in on key pieces of evidence and captures images of them in the context. These mid-range photos might picture a piece of evidence, like a knife, but at enough distance to show its relation to furniture, a blood stain, or the rest of the room. Mid-range images establish the distance of the object from surrounding objects. Finally, the photographer thoroughly documents evidence with close-up images. Close-ups include identifying marks like scars on a body or serial numbers on a bloodied piece of electronic equipment. A photographer often includes a ruler in the shot to establish scale but always takes a duplicate image without the measuring device. In court, the defense could claim the device covered something important. Of course, pictures are of no value unless they're in context. The photographer keeps a photo log that includes every relevant detail, the photo number, any filters applied, the time and date, the location, and a description of the object. 

Death investigations that include an active decomposing body can be challenging to work. There are many obstacles not seen in a 'fresh' death that will be present in a decomp case. In this episode, Jeff Gentry discusses many of these issues and how to successfully work a case involving a decomp.