This is not the normal course on homicide investigations, instead it is a course about death investigations that goes beyond examining homicide scenes to include suicides, accidental, natural, and those deaths in which the manner cannot be established. Actions taken during the initial response and initial actions upon arrival at the scene often make the difference in weather or not a case is solved. Also important to the investigation is scene management, the three major elements in death investigations, key death scene investigation practices, the importance of documentation, and the crime scene’s impact on case solvability factors.
Discussion includes interactions between the Coroner/Medical Examiner and law enforcement with emphasis on roles, responsibilities, and a teamwork approach leading to effective communication that is crucial to resolution of death investigations. An often-overlooked aspect of death investigations is proper photography of the scene with particular emphasis on documenting conditions, evidence, and in particular the victim and suspect. Not only are these photographs essential to good scene documentation, but they can be crucial to effective case presentation in court.
Recognizing and obtaining investigative clues/leads from early and late body tissue changes that occur after death, how they are influenced by environmental conditions, and their application to time since death determination can give critical information in the course of the investigation. Considerations when investigating deaths by suicide, asphyxia and child physical abuse are also discussed. This is a comprehensive course with instruction on the following subjects:
Course Instruction Topics:
- Initial Response
- 911 Calls
- Legal Considerations
- Working with the Media
- Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence/Examinations
- Establishing/Defining the Crime Scene
- Organized and Disorganized Offenders
- Secondary Crime Scenes
- Preliminary Investigation
- Canvass Interviews
- Working with the ME
- Autopsy
- Cause of Death v. Manner of Death
- Time of Death
- Changes After Death
- Death Notifications
- Wound Recognition
- Blunt Force, Gunshot and Sharpe Force Injuries
- MOM (Motive, Opportunity, Means)
- Victimology
- Interviews and Interrogations
- Admissions, Denials, Confessions and Alibis (Inconsistent Statements)
- Polygraph
- Suicide
- Asphyxia Deaths
- Accidental Death
- Victim Precipitated Death
- Autoerotic Misadventures
- Personal Cause/Group Cause/Criminal/Political
- Child Abuse Death/SUID
- Sexual Homicide
- Define/Categorize Homicides
- Motive, Intent, Ability (MIA)
- Risk Factors: Victimology
- Developing an Investigative Plan
- Subpoenas and Search Warrants
- ViCAP
- Criminal Investigative Analysis
- Staged Crime Scenes
- Offender Dichotomy
- Investigative Failures
- Working with Prosecutors