Chapter 9

Question 1

Which is the most accurate statistic regarding wrongful deaths in the United States?
A. Around one-third of murder victims are females, and two-thirds are males.
B. Ninety percent of all murders are committed with firearms.
C. In an estimated 85 percent of murders, the victim knew his or her assailant.
D. Half of all female victims in recent years were killed by husbands or boyfriends.

Answer 1

Answer: C

Question 2

Which one of the following is the most reliable means of diagnosing a drowning?
A. the circumstances of the death
B. symptoms such as hemorrhages and pulmonary edema
C. the Gettler Chloride Test
D. tests using the gravity of blood on the right and left atrias

Answer 2

Answer: A

Question 3

In the late spring of 1998, a high school student in Oregon killed his parents at their home and then drove to his school, where he killed two fellow students. Which best describes these wrongful deaths?
	A.	a serial murder
	B.	a spree murder
	C.	a mass murder
	D.	a crime of passion

Answer 3

Answer: B

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a common factor used to determine an estimated time of death?
A. initial body temperature
B. identification of insects during the black putrefaction stage
C. temperature of the environment
D. “washerwoman” appearance of the hands and feet

Answer 4

Answer: D

Question 5

What are tiny pinpoint hemorrhages resulting from the discharge of unburned powder being deposited into the skin called?
	A.	wadding
	B.	tattooing
	C.	gunshot residue
	D.	algor mortis

Answer 5

Answer: B

Question 6

Which aspect of homicide investigations is most prone to error?
	A.	preserving the crime scene
	B.	determining the cause of death
	C.	apprehending the perpetrator
	D.	locating reliable witnesses

Answer 6

Answer: A

Question 7

In which of the stages of decomposition does marbelization occur?
	A.	the fresh stage
	B.	the butyric fermentation stage 
	C.	the dry decay stage
	D.	the putrefaction stage

Answer 7

Answer: D

Question 8

Which of the following is the earliest indicator of the process of lividity in a deceased person?
A. a dark purplish color forming on the skin
B. a milky substance forming in the eyes
C. the rapid fall in body temperature
D. the extreme stiffness of the body

Answer 8

Answer: A

Question 9

Which of the following is indicative of an exit wound?
	A.	tattooing
	B.	retracted skin
	C.	abrasion ring
	D.	tissue protrusion

Answer 9

Answer: D

Question 10

What is ViCAP?
A. a suicide hotline in major urban areas
B. a program designed to prevent autoerotic deaths
C. a computer program designed to investigate serial crime
D. one of the categories of forensic autopsy

Answer 10

Answer: C

Question 11

Which category of death is associated with drowning, falling, automobile wrecks, and drug overdose?
	A.	suicide
	B.	murder
	C.	accidental death
	D.	natural death

Answer 11

Answer: C

Question 12

An autoerotic death most likely results from \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
	A.	murder
	B.	asphyxia
	C.	suicide
	D.	old age

Answer 12

Answer: B

Question 13

. Typically cold cases are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in nature.
	A.	autoerotic
	B.	suicidal
	C.	accidental
	D.	homicidal

Answer 13

Answer: D

Question 14

According to the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, which one of the following is essential to a successful homicide unit?
A. a minimum of two persons responding initially to the crime scene
B. a frequent rotation policy for homicide detectives
C. no more than ten cases per year as a primary for each detective
D. investigative tools, such as polygraph, bloodstain pattern analysis, criminal investigative analysis, and statement analysis

Answer 14

Answer: D

Question 15

After the preliminary duties have been performed at a homicide scene, the responding officer must immediately ________.
A. protect the crime scene
B. seize any evidence readily visible
C. begin the interview of possible suspects after reading Miranda warnings
D. identify the victim

Answer 15

Answer: A

Question 16

. A 17 year old is driving to school with her boyfriend in the rain. The roads are slippery. The driver loses control in a curve and the car crashes into a truck in a head-on collision. The truck driver suffered minor injuries. The 17 year old driver and her 18 year old boyfriend are both killed in the crash. 
Classify the death of the driver:
A. Accidental death. 
B. Natural death. 
C. Suicide.
D. Murder.

Answer 16

Answer: A

Question 17

A 17 year old is driving to school in the rain with her boyfriend. The driver is driving at or slightly below the speed limit. The roads are slippery. The driver loses control in a curve and the car crashes into a truck in a head-on collision. The truck driver suffered minor injuries. The 17 year old driver and her 18 year old boyfriend are both killed in the crash.
Classify the death of the 18 year old passenger:
A. Accidental death.
B. Natural death.
C. Suicide.
D. Homicide.

Answer 17

Answer: A

Question 18

A husband arrives at his home to find his wife in bed with another man. The husband then loses his temper and immediately shoots and kills the man.
What crime has the husband committed? 
A. Premeditated homicide. 
B. Voluntary manslaughter.
C. Involuntary manslaughter.
D. Justifiable manslaughter.

Answer 18

Answer: B

Question 19

A man is driving home from work and is speeding in a residential neighborhood. He is going 55 mph in a 25 mph posted zone, exceeding the speed limit by 30 miles per hour. He hits a child playing in the street. The child dies one week later in the hospital. 
What crime has the man committed? 
A. Premeditated homicide. 
B. Voluntary manslaughter.
C. Involuntary manslaughter.
D. 1st degree intentional homicide.

Answer 19

Answer: C

Question 20

. Mrs. Kline finds out that her husband is having an affair with her best friend. Mrs. Kline waits outside the woman’s home and after everyone has left for school and work, she knocks on the door. The woman answers the door and is surprised but seems happy to see Mrs. Kline. Mrs. Kline is invited in and once inside, she strangles the woman, killing her. 
What crime has Mrs. Kline committed? 
A. First degree murder. 
B. Second degree murder.
C. Involuntary manslaughter.
D. Voluntary manslaughter.

Answer 20

Answer: A

Question 21

An officer is sent on a call to investigate a report of “shots fired.” When he arrives at the scene, he sees a woman lying on her stomach in a large pool of blood. No one else is present at the scene.
What is the first officer’s principle concern at this time?
A. Determine if the victim is dead or alive.
B. Contact medical help for the victim if needed.
C. Apprehend the perpetrator if still present on the scene
D. All of the above are principle concerns for the first officer on the scene.

Answer 21

Answer: D

Question 22

A gun at a murder crime scene is discovered and this is what happened to the firearm:

1. Detective Jones collected the gun and placed it into a container, then gave it to forensics technician, Joe Lewis.
2. Forensics technician, Lewis, takes the firearm to the department’s lab and collects fingerprints and other evidence from the firearm. Lewis then gives the firearm and all evidence gathered from it to the department evidence clerk, Mike Anderson.
3. Anderson stores the evidence until it is needed, documenting everyone who has accessed the original evidence (the firearm, and original copies of the lifted fingerprints).

Assuming that this entire process was documented meticulously, what process was completed?
A. The evidence loop process. 
B. The chain of custody. 
C. The discovery of evidence chain.
D. The evidence discovery chain.

Answer 22

Answer: B

Question 23

. The chain of custody requires that from the moment the evidence is collected, every transfer of evidence from one person to another be documented.
What else does the chain of custody require?
A. That the evidence contains some value, purpose, and relevance to the case.
B. That the evidence has come from the defendant or in some way is connected to the defendant.
C. That the transfer always be witnessed by a disinterested third party or a judge.
D. That it be provable that nobody else could have accessed that evidence.

Answer 23

Answer: D

Question 24

An officer is sent to investigate a disturbance. At the home, he discovers a man in the garage with a severe, life-ending trauma to the head. An ambulance arrives shortly after. Both the officer and the EMTs agree that the victim is obviously deceased. The EMTs insist on transporting the body to the ER immediately.
What should the officer do in this situation?
A. The officer should not authorize the removal of the body until after the crime scene has been processed.
B. The officer should allow the transfer of the deceased but should accompany the body to maintain the chain of custody.
C. The officer should photograph the body first, then allow the EMTs to transport the deceased to the hospital.
D. The officer should cover the body first, then wrap the hands in bags, and only then allow the body to be transported.

Answer 24

Answer: A

Question 25

What is a dying declaration?
A. The coroner has officially determined the victim is deceased.
B. The victim has succumbed to wounds and the death certificate states that death is declared a homicide.
C. In cases where the victim eventually dies, while still alive, he tells police information regarding the events and the suspect.
D. The victim dies as a result of criminal means and the police announce the findings to the media during a press conference.

Answer 25

Answer: C

Question 26

What is the role of the medical examiner?
A. The role of the medical examiner is to determine the time of death.
B. The role of the medical examiner is to determine the exact cause of death.
C. The role of the medical examiner is conduct autopsies.
D. All of the above are duties and roles of the medical examiner.

Answer 26

Answer: D

Question 27

The human body decomposes differently depending on many factors including the environment. One guide on decomposition is given as Casper’s law (or ratio).
Based on Casper’s Law, if all other factors are equal, which body will decompose the fastest?
A. A body lying on the ground.
B. A body in a warm lake.
C. A body in a cool body of water.
D. A body buried in the ground in a shallow grave.

Answer 27

Answer: A

Question 28

. An investigator is investigating a reported suicide of a 44 year old married man. The wife reported the incident by calling 911. A suicide note was found on the victim’s computer. The death of the victim and the writing of the note seem to have occurred at about the same time. The .38 caliber handgun was found in the hand of the victim. The gunshot wound was in the forehead. A close examination of the wound indicated that no tattooing is present.
What does the lack of tattooing indicate?
A. The death was likely a suicide.
B. The death was likely a homicide.
C. That the gun was in fact a revolver.
D. Nothing of evidentiary value.

Answer 28

Answer: B

Question 29

. Police are investigating a homicide of a 22 year old female college student. The victim is nude and there are two knife wounds in the victim’s chest. It appears the victim was sexually assaulted. During an examination of the victim, multiple cuts are clearly visible on the hands, including the palms and fingers.
What do the wounds on the hands indicate?
A. The murderer mutilated the victim post-mortem.
B. The victim was struggling against her assailant.
C. The murderer was toying with the victim in a ritual.
D. The victim knew her assailant.

Answer 29

Answer: B

Question 30

A man murders his first victim in 1993, his second victim in 1995. Then in 2013, he murdered his third victim in March, another victim in April, and his fifth victim in August. None of the victims are related but all were male, between the ages of 16 and 24, and were either homeless or runaways. 
What type of murder is occurring? 
A. Serial murder. 
B. Mass murder. 
C. Sensational murder. 
D. Spree murder.

Answer 30

Answer: A

Question 31

Of the estimated 15,500 people murdered each year in the U.S., approximately 85 percent knew their assailant.

True or False

Answer 31

True

Question 32

In all homicide situations, the first officer on the scene has several principal concerns. However, the responding officer does not have to determine if the victim is dead or alive—that is for the investigator or medical examiner to determine.

True or False

Answer 32

False

Question 33

A victim’s dying declaration of a suspect’s identity is valid only if the victim does indeed die of the wounds inflicted.

True or False

Answer 33

True

Question 34

Rigor mortis usually sets in about nine hours after death occurs.

True or False

Answer 34

False

Question 35

All other factors remaining the same, bodies found in water generally decompose twice as quickly as do those exposed to air.

True or False

Answer 35

False

Question 36

Evidence of soot is present in contact wounds.

True or False

Answer 36

True

Question 37

Suicide can be defined as the accidental taking of one’s own life.

True or False

Answer 37

False

Question 38

Shotgun wadding can tell an investigator both the gauge used and the type of shot used.

True or False

Answer 38

True