Chapter 5: Death Investigation Flashcards
What is an autopsy?
the examination of a body after death
What is the goal of an autopsy?
Determine cause of death and manner or death?
What’s the difference between the cause of death and the manner of death?
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)
What are the 5 manners of death?
- Homicide
- Suicide
- Accidental
- Natural
- Undetermined
What are evidence example that can come from an autopsy?
- Victim’s clothing
- Fingernail scrapings
- Combings from head and pubic hairs
- Buccal swab (for DNA typing purposes)
- Vaginal, anal, and oral swabs (in sex- related crimes)
- Recovered bullets from the body
- Hand swabs from shooting victims (for gunshot residue analysis)
- Swabs of body areas suspected of being in contact with DNA arising from touching or saliva
- Hand stubs or swabs for gunshot residue analysis
What does an external examination in an autopsy consist of?
- Examining condition of body
- Examining clothes
- Classifying injuries (types of wounds)
What does an internal examination consist of?
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.
What is an example of asphyxia?
- Hanging
- Suffocation
What’s the purpose of toxicological tests?
To see if there is a presence of drugs
What are the 3 mains ways to estimate time of death?
- Algor mortis
- Livor mortis
- Rigor mortis
What is algor mortis?
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).
what is livor mortis?
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.).
What is rigor mortis?
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.)
In what muscles does rigor mortis start in?
Small muscles (cheeks, face, etc)
Why do your muscles stuck in rigor mortis?
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.
