Chapter 8

Death Investigations

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Introduction• Statistically, murder is the least significant of the violent

crimes• Receives extensive media attention• May appear as if this crime is occurring more

frequently, but it is actually declining• Males are most often the victims and the perpetrators

in homicides• Males are 10 times more likely to commit murder than

are females

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CATEGORIES OF DEATH• Natural• Accidental• Suicide• Homicide

Criminal Noncriminal

• Degrees of murder

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Classification of Deaths

OVERVIEW• Premeditation• Intent• Heat of passion• Culpable negligence or depravity• Negligence

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Elements of the Crime

ISSUES WITH HOMICIDE INVESTIGATIONS• Pressure by the media and the public• Difficulty in establishing it was a homicide • Identifying the victim • Establishing the cause and time of death

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Challenges in Investigation

INTERPRETATION• Homicide, suicide or accidental death• Sudden in-custody deaths (SICD)• Intentionally vague facts• Posing and staging

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Equivocal Death

OVERVIEW• Often presents as a homicide• Reason for an apparent suicide must be determined• Observable signs of depression• Preserve all evidence until the medical examiner rules

whether the death is a suicide

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Suicide

SUICIDE BY POLICE• Wants to die but does not want to pull trigger• The shooting officer may suffer emotionally

SUICIDE OF POLICE OFFICERS• About 97 percent involve their own duty weapon• Rate is higher than general population

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Suicide

DETERMINING THAT DEATH HAS OCCURRED• Heartbeat• Respiration• Brain activity

SECURING AND DOCUMENTING THE SCENE• Scene must be secured, photographed and sketched

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Preliminary Investigation of Homicide

COLLECTING AND MOVING THE BODY• Move the body carefully• Slide a sheet under the body to catch evidence

FOCUS OF THE HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION• Specificity• Element of surprise• Haste

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Preliminary Investigation of Homicide

DISCOVERING THE VICTIM• No body in some cases• Various technologies used

IDENTIFYING THE VICTIM• Spouse, parent, friendor relative• Fingerprints, DNA• Dental records

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The Homicide Victim

RECENT DEATH• Normally the easiest

determination to makeDEATH ONE-HALF HOUR

TO FOUR DAYS PRIOR• Body temperature• Rigor mortis• Postmortem lividity• Partial restriction of pupils• Preserve any vomit

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Estimating the Time of Death (TOD)

MANY DAYS AFTER DEATH• Decomposition• 30 isolated compounds

EFFECTS OF WATER• Dead body usually sinksin water• Unrestricted will rise to surface

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Estimating the Time of Death (TOD)

FACTORS SUGGESTING CHANGE IN ROUTINE• Check telephone calls• Check dates on mail• Expiration dates on food• Determine all facts to estimate TOD

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Estimating the Time of Death (TOD)

EXHUMING BODY FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATION• Strict legal procedures• Obtain permission• Photograph the area• Proper persons at opening• Identification• Examination

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The Medical Examination or Autopsy

CAUSES• Gunshot wounds• Stabbing wounds• Cutting wounds• Blows from blunt objects• Asphyxia• Autoerotic death

Continued

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Unnatural Causes of Death and Method Used

CAUSES• Poisoning• Burning• Explosions, electrocution and lightning• Drug-related deaths• Vehicular deaths

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Unnatural Causes of Death and Method Used (Continued)

INFORMATION SOURCES• Struggles often create noise• Attract the attention of neighbors or passersby• Neighborhood canvass• Homicide hotlines• Anonymous tips

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Witnesses

MASS MURDERERS• School and workplace similarities

Profiles Targets Means Motivation

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Suspects

SERIAL KILLERS• Killing of three or more separate victims• Often quite intelligent

LUST MURDERERS• Sex-related homicide• Organized and disorganized offenders

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Suspects

RESOLVING CASES• Aspects associated with likelihood of clearing a case• Actions affecting clearance• 10 most common errors in death investigations• Impact of unsolved homicides

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The Declining Clearance Rate

VOLUNTEER COLD CASE SQUADS• Retirees• Cold case cowboys

BENEFITS OF A COLD CASE UNIT• Clearance rates increase• Guilty brought to justice

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Cold Cases

OVERVIEW• Deliver with a two-person team• Wide range of emotional and physical reactions• Family members should be allowed to see the body• Viewing a body at the scene may compromise the

investigation

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Death Notification

CURRENT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM• Part of a larger problem• General problem of violence• Address proactively• Positive impacts• Intervention programs

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Strategies for Reducing Homicide

MOONBERRY POND MURDER• Lessons learned

Work as a team Avoid gender prejudice Stay attuned to subtle clues

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A Case Study

Summary• Homicide investigations are challenging and frequently

require all investigative techniques and skills• Classified as criminal (felonious) or noncriminal• Murder classified into three degrees• Manslaughter has two classifications• Medical examiner provides legal evidence• Determine a motive for the killing

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