Part 5 - Homicide And Serious Crime Victims Flashcards
(25 cards)
O/C body must (full process)
- ensure death has been certified by a doctor or qualified paramedic
- Maintain security and continuity of the body, samples in exhibit, from the scene to commencement of post mortem examination
- Secure and guard the body, samples and any exhibits relating to the body
-Note observations relating to the body - Note details of medical staff for others who have attended the victim
- Record while actions have been taken by any party and respect of the body
-Establish if the body has been moved or disturbed - Ensure the body is photographed in situ and consider video
- on OC authorisation arrange transport to the mortuary
- sudden death procedures
- obtain medical records
- attend post-mortem
- ensure cultural responsibilities have been addressed
OC Investigation responsibilities if there has been a death:
- notify coroner early of the death
- arrange the post-mortem examination
- consult pathologist before the PM commences
Appreciation prior to body removal - factors to be considered:
- Notification to and in response from the Coroner
- views of pathologist, ESR & Crown
- requirement for any examination or action needed before removal
- Best method and route for body removal
- Supervision of body removal
- Chain of custody of the body from scene to the mortuary
- Safe custody of exhibits
- Family and/or cultural considerations
When the body has been disturbed. What must you do?
- Do not attempt to restore the scene to its original unchanged condition
- Make enquiries to enable the original unchanged scene to be subsequently reconstructed and photographed if required
Samples at the scene - what evidence could be uplifted that is at risk of being lost or contaminated?
- larvae and insects
- Potential fingerprint evidence from the skin on the body of the victim and/all items of clothing worn by the body
- dna swabs
- extraneous items such as loose hairs, fibres, glass, paint or other fragments
- Fire residue samples
OC investigation will decide after conferring with ESR, pathologists, fingerprints if samples will be taken at the scene.
Recording details and removing the body:
1) record the possession of the body by sketch plan and direct Police photographer to take photographs. Consider video record recording or other Imogene techniques.
2) in consultation with crime scene coordinator and/or OC consider marking and recording the possession of the body before moving it
3) record all details of the position of the body; position of limbs. Appearance of the body, wounds and clothing, direction of any trails of blood, lividity, extend of any rigorous mortis present.
4) consider what health risks may be presented by handling the body
5) cover the hands, feet and head with paper bags, secure with tape to prevent any trace evidence being lost when the body is moved. Wide tape should be used. Tape around the bag at a suitable anchoring point.. do not use rubber bands they will leave marks.
6) I’m sure clothing on the body is not contaminated by contact with foreign objects.
7) wrap the body in a plastic sheet and place it in a body bag.
8) carefully search underneath where the body lay
9) retain, as exhibit, or sheets, bags or other materials used to transport the body
10) obtain approval from OC investigation to remove the body from the scene.
11) when directed by IC investigation, arrange a contracted undertaker to move the body to the mortuary.
Appreciation prior to PM - what factors should be considered?
- identification of the body at the mortuary
- Authority from the coroner to conduct post-mortem
- Consultation with the pathologist
- Identifying who should attend the PM
- Requirement for any specific need for examination or sampling based on known -facts of the case
-Appropriate resources at the p.m., for packaging exhibits and taking photographs
-Family and a cultural considerations
-Any likely requirement for a second or subsequent p.m.
Purpose of a post mortem
- Determining where possible, the mode and time of death
- Establishing how injuries and/or events at the scene may have contributed towards the death of the victim
- Determining the nature and size of any weapon used
- Determining the approximate height and statue of the suspect
- Providing areas of interest for subsequent interviews of witnesses and/or suspects
- Negating possible defences
-Identifying the victim if ID has not been established
Who may attend the PM
- pathologist
- coroner
- doctor who treated the deceased
- Doctor, nurse or funeral director representing the deceased
- Doctor representing the interest of a suspect
- Police
- Any other person authorised by a coroner
Equipment required for PM (police)
- MEK
- Toxicology kit
- body label
- notebooks and pens
- scene exam schedule
- PPE
- Exhibit packaging
- Pol 265, Pol 265a - deceased certificate and deceased person ID
- Role of Brown paper
- FA residue kit
Māori Culture
Māori liaison officer to be engaged as early as possible for a Māori Victim.
Māori must be given the opportunity to bless the site of death before the body is moved.
Steps to take on arrival to the mortuary
1) ensure mortuary staff do not wash the body
2) ensure the body is labelled and secured and a secure mortuary fridge
3) retain any key used to secure the body, until it is required for post mortem
4) ensure the body remains in its present condition until the commencement of the post-mortem
5) arrange formal identification of the body
Methods of identification
- Fingerprints
- dna profiling
- Dental records
- Eye examination records
- medical examination record, including scars, birthmarks, implants or prosthetics amputations and tattoos
-Personal effects
-Facial reconstruction
When should identification ideally take place?
-It will take place only at the direction of the OC investigation and if possible before the post - mortem examination
However, this may not be possible due to a risk of contamination or because it will take place in a different geographic area to the one where the body was discovered .
Skeletal remains
A pathologist, with assistance of a forensic anthropologist can usually provide information such as:
- whether the remains are actually bones
- Whether the bones are human
- The age, height, gender, and race of the person
Briefing the pathologist - they must be supplied with the following:
- copy of Pol 47
- mek
- Toxicology kit
- Medical records of the deceased
- Comprehensive photographs and/or video recordings taken at the scene. This should include photographs of exhibits weapons in the body.
Taking notes
The OC body must not make any notes of discussions concerning the PM examination, and this specifically directed to buy the OC investigation and/or the pathologist
Stripping of the body
- oc body is responsible for secure and all exhibits taken from the body
-It will take place immediately before the PM
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Stripping the body - steps:
1) the body must only be stripped in the presence of the pathologist
2) remove the body from the secure mortuary fridge and assist mortuary staff to take the body into the PM examination room
3) remove the body from the body bag, causing minimal disturbance to the body
4) take position of the body bag and any sheets or wrapping is used to transport the body
5) if necessary, direct the police photographer to take additional photographs to ensure the appropriate and sufficient photographs of the body are taken
6) remove items of clothing from the body. Mortuary technicians may assist.
7) make an inventory of clothing and positions as each item is removed
8) label each item of clothing and each position
9) sale each item in a separate paper bag or container
10) and ensure exhibit to not cross contaminate each other by coming into contact with one another
11) maintain security and continuity of the body exhibit
12) in cases involving obvious hair trimmer, before blood and debris is washed from the body, particularly the head area, consider placing a fine sieve in mortuary table drain hole to collect evidence
Photography of the body - sufficient photographs of the following are required:
- The body before it was stripped
- The body after it was stripped
- Close up photographs of any wounds, marks, internal injuries and unusual features. These photographs must include a measuring scale placed in proximity to the feature.
Exhibits
The OC body is responsible for recording, labelling, packaging, sealing and securing all physical exhibits related to the body, including samples taken during the post-mortem. All exhibits must be packaged and sealed before leaving the mortuary, without exception and will be recorded and has scene exhibit schedule.
Action required after post-mortem, what must the OC body do?
- Take possession of all exhibits including samples and specialist kits
- wet damp exhibits must be unsealed and dried in a controlled environment
- The OC body must hand all exhibits to the OC exhibits, in order to maintain an unbroken chain of custody. They will also provide OC exhibits with the following:
- The postmortal scene exhibit schedule
-Notebook - Formal statement
OC body must prepare the one S file, the file must include:
-statement relating to victims formal ID
- Pol 47
- Copy of deceased person certificate
- Copy of deceased person identification
