Chapter 8 : Death Investigations

Question 1

What are the 4 types of death?

Answer 1

Homicide, natural, suicide, and accidental

Question 2

What is homicide?

Answer 2

Homicide is the killing of one person by another.

Question 3

Name and explain the two different types of homicide: format: ( blank homicide - description)

Answer 3

Criminal Homicide - Murder and Manslaughter
Noncriminal Homicide - Excusable and Justifiable

Question 4

What are the three types of murder?

Answer 4

1st degree, 2nd degree, and 3rd degree

Question 5

Explain first degree murder:

Answer 5

requires premeditation and intent

Question 6

explain second degree murder :

Answer 6

requires intent only

Question 7

explain third degree murder:

Answer 7

No premeditation or intent - it is an act of imminent danger

Question 8

What are the two types of manslaughter?

Answer 8

Voluntary and involuntary

Question 9

Explain voluntary and involuntary manslaughter

Answer 9

Voluntary Manslaughter - the intentional causing of death, ‘in the heat of passion’
Involuntary Manslaughter - Accidental Homicide that results from negligence, an example would be leaving a gun around children

Question 10

What are the two types of homicide?

Answer 10

Excusable and Justifiable homicide

Question 11

Explain the two types of homicide

Answer 11

Excusable Homicide - Unintentional, a truly accidental killing of a person
Justifiable Homicide - Killing another person under authorization of the law –> aka self defense

Question 12

What is equivocal death??

Answer 12

Deaths where investigations are open to interpretation- peculiar cases like staged scenes in a murder, suicide( reg and by police), and SUIDS ( sudden unexplained infant deaths)

Question 13

Explain excited delirium

Answer 13

When a pre-existing condition affects someone when they are restrained

Question 14

What needs to happen in order to go through with a death investigation?

Answer 14

There needs to be 3 ceased vital functions ( heartbeats ) or signs of complete death/ no longer breathing for forever

Question 15

What are the main focuses of a homicide investigation?

Answer 15

Identify the victim, establish time of death, establish cause/method used, and develop a suspect

Question 16

Explain Algor Mortis:

Answer 16

the postmortem cooling process of a body - body temperature drops 2-3 degrees after ONE hours and then drops 1-1.5 degrees every hour until a full 18 hours

Question 17

Explain Rigor Mortis and Maximal Rigor Mortis:

Answer 17

‘stiffening of death’ ( occurs 10 min- 7 hours post mortem)
MRM: sets in after 12-24 hours, goes away after 36 hours

Question 18

Explain postmortem lividity:

Answer 18

A postmortem
pooling of blood in the body, is a redish purplish tint

Question 19

What is decompostion?

Answer 19

the postmortem breaking down of the body

Question 20

What and how effects decomp?

Answer 20

Water - can slow or speed up decomp., wash away evidence, move the body,
Animals/bugs/birds - speed up decomp. and destroy evidence/body

Question 21

Whats the higher/lower temperature rule for decomp?

Answer 21

higher - faster decomp
lower - slower decomp

Question 22

What is suicide?

Answer 22

The taking of ones own life
- sometimes by police if they do not wish to pull the trigger themselves

Question 23

What are the strangling identifiers?

Answer 23

Petechiae, bruising, bulging eyes, and bursting vessels

Question 24

What is mass murder?

Answer 24

multiple victims being killed in one incident- can be in multiple places but on the same day

Question 25

What is a serial killer?

Answer 25

Someone who kills others over an extended period of time with resting periods in between each person

Question 26

What are lust murders?

Answer 26

sadistic actions by killing another - killers “get off on it”