Sudden and suspicious deaths

Question 1

Deaths

Answer 1

E + W = 600,000 deaths per year, 400,000 verified by doctor, 200,000 by HM coroner

Question 2

Medicolegal autopsies:

Answer 2

Non suspicious - 200,000 per year
Suspicious - 1500 per year usually by the police

Often obvious - witnessed (CCTV/in person), nature of injuries
Difficult - unwitnessed, decomposed, alcoholics, injuries

Question 3

Forensic procedure:

Answer 3

• History - med conditions, drug use etc
  
  • Scene - e.g. vomited blood looks like coffee grounds
  • Post mortem examination
  • Further investigation
  • report

Question 4

Pathologist and crime scene:

Answer 4

• Collection of samples
  
  • Time of death
  • Cause of death
  • Reconstruction of events
  • Initial assessment

Question 5

Post mortem objectives:

Answer 5

• Identification of deceased
  
  • Cause and time of death
  • Document injuries and disease
  • Obtain samples/photographs
  • Written report with interpretations

Question 6

Identifications:

Answer 6

• Facial
  
  • Clothing/possessions
  • General appearance
  • Individual charas: scars, tattoos, teeth
  • Blood group/DNA/finger prints

Question 7

Time of death:

Answer 7

• Temperature
  
  • Rigor mortis (muscles going stiff) - temperature (hotter enviro = more rapid),more muscle = stiffer, skinny ppl = easier to move, physical activity, breaking of rigor impacts it
  • Hypostasis (blood draining - pink colour of skin)
  • Chemical changes
  • Decomposition - temperature, some internal organs very resistant - heart, prostate, uterus
  • Very inaccurate

Question 8

Decomposition:

Answer 8

• Normal - putrefaction
  
  • Warm and dry - mummification
  • Cold and wet - adipocere - skeletalization

Question 9

Cause of death:

Answer 9

• Usually obvious
  
  • Can be open to interpretation: delayed death, sig natural disease, alcohol, minimal findings, lots of injuries

Question 10

Injury documentation and interpretation:

Answer 10

1. Blunt injuries: causation, age
   
   2. Sharp injuries: self inflicted, accidental, knife? blood contamination?

Question 11

Samples: important

Answer 11

• Continuity - get lost/ cannot prove it is to this person
  
  • Manner in which they were taken

Question 12

Report: of doctors

Answer 12

• Often poor documentation
  
  • Over interpretation - although not told to interpret
  • Going beyond expertise

Police: - agent of coroner, gathering and presenting evidence