Chapter 5: Death Investigation Flashcards

1
Q

What is an autopsy?

A

the examination of a body after death

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2
Q

What is the goal of an autopsy?

A

Determine cause of death and manner or death?

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3
Q

What’s the difference between the cause of death and the manner of death?

A

Cause of death is what specifically caused them to stop breathing (blunt force injury, gunshot wound, asphyxia, substance abuse)

Manner of death is the circumstance which led to the fatal result. Think of it as the category/type of death (homicide, accidental, suicide, etc)

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4
Q

What are the 5 manners of death?

A
  1. Homicide
  2. Suicide
  3. Accidental
  4. Natural
  5. Undetermined
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5
Q

What are evidence example that can come from an autopsy?

A
  1. Victim’s clothing
  2. Fingernail scrapings
  3. Combings from head and pubic hairs
  4. Buccal swab (for DNA typing purposes)
  5. Vaginal, anal, and oral swabs (in sex- related crimes)
  6. Recovered bullets from the body
  7. Hand swabs from shooting victims (for gunshot residue analysis)
  8. Swabs of body areas suspected of being in contact with DNA arising from touching or saliva
  9. Hand stubs or swabs for gunshot residue analysis
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6
Q

What does an external examination in an autopsy consist of?

A
  • Examining condition of body
  • Examining clothes
  • Classifying injuries (types of wounds)
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7
Q

What does an internal examination consist of?

A

The dissection of the human body generally entails the removal of all internal organs through a Y-shaped incision beginning at the top of each shoulder and extending down to the pubic bone.

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8
Q

What is an example of asphyxia?

A
  • Hanging
  • Suffocation
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9
Q

What’s the purpose of toxicological tests?

A

To see if there is a presence of drugs

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10
Q

What are the 3 mains ways to estimate time of death?

A
  • Algor mortis
  • Livor mortis
  • Rigor mortis
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11
Q

What is algor mortis?

A

Results in the loss of heat by a body (as a general rule, beginning about an hour after death, the body loses heat by 1 to 1 1/2 degrees Fahrenheit per hour until the body reaches the environmental temperature).

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12
Q

what is livor mortis?

A

Livor mortis results in the settling of blood in areas of the body closest to the ground (begins 20 min. to three hours after death and continues up to 16 hrs.).

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13
Q

What is rigor mortis?

A

Rigor mortis results in the shortening of muscle tissue and the stiffening of body parts in the position at death (occurs within the first 24 hrs. and disappears within 36 hrs.)

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14
Q

In what muscles does rigor mortis start in?

A

Small muscles (cheeks, face, etc)

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15
Q

Why do your muscles stuck in rigor mortis?

A

Our muscles contract and relax. Body needs ATP to allow muscles to relax. When you’re dead, you’re no longer producing ATP, therefore muscles get stuck.

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16
Q

Why do you get floppy again after 36 hours of rigor mortis?

A

Protein starts to break down

17
Q

What is forensic entomology?

A

Forensic entomology is the study of insects and their relation to a criminal investigation, commonly used to estimate the time of death

18
Q

Why are blowfly important in entomology?

A
  • Blowfly eggs are laid in human remains and ultimately hatch into maggots, or fly larvae, which consume human tissues and organs.
  • Forensic entomologists can approximate how long a body has been left exposed by examining the stage of development of the fly larvae.
19
Q

Where do blowfly’s typically lay their eggs?

A

They like to lay there eggs in holes (eyes, wounds, mouth, etc)

20
Q

What is forensic anthropology?

A

Forensic anthropology is concerned primarily with the identification and examination of human skeletal remains.

21
Q

What information can bones reveal?

A

Sex
Approximate age
Race
Height
Injury

22
Q

Do blunt force injuries impale the body?

A

No.

Blunt force does NOT make holes in the body.

23
Q

What organ do they often take the temperature of when dead and why?

A

Often take a temperature stick and checks the liver temperature because it’s on the middle of the body