Death scenes and body recovery Flashcards
Types of scenes
Unexplained
Accidental
Drug overdose
Suicide
Suspicious
Before you arrive
Inner and outer cordons
Scene log
Common approach path
Death confirmed
Risk assessment completed
Forensic strategies in place
Common personnel at death scenes
The deceased
Crime scene examiner and manager
Crime scene photographer
Pathologist
Senior investigating officer
The press
Specialists at death scenes
Fire scene expert
Archaeologist
Anthropologist
Ballistics expert
Forensic biologist
Forensic entomologist
Body recovery
Photography/ sketches
Visual search
Speculative trace evidence recovery
Taping of body
Placing of body into bag
Transportation to mortuary
Post-mortem examination
Photography of body
Include in general scene photos
Whole body in situ
Any injuries
Tattoos/ piercings
Holding items
Front and back during recovery
methods of recovery
Any pools of body fluids to scale
Identification
Identification o the deceased is crucial in all death inquiries
The family should be notified
Medical history, work, and social history can only be obtained after an identification.
Care must be taken to unsure that the identification is 100% correct
Body recovery plan
A separate part of the forensic strategy
Follow the STOP-Assess-Plan-Do-Review –
STOP approach
Consider the subject, the evidence types, the
processes, the health and safety and the intelligence
opportunities
All should be planned for before recovery commences
Any at scene recovery only conducted under
pathologist advice and guidance
Procedure of bagging head
Do not use a tiny bag
Secure but not too tightly
Do not allow tape to touch skin/clothes
Procedure of bagging hands
Secure but not too tightly
Do not allow tape to touch skin/clothes
Procure of bagging feet
Secure but not too tightly
Do not allow tape to touch skin/clothes
The above are if a pathologist isn’t available or body in a location
where sampling cannot be safely or correctly conducted
Bagging issues
Location of body
Tight spaces
Water hazards
Taping of body
Tape body for trace evidence
Anything dry should be tape lifted
1:1 lifting
Surface debris tapings on exposed
Surfaces of the body and clothing.
Each tape is catalogued
These tapings can then be mapped
Distribution map
Very time consuming
Zonal taping
Tapings are used in larger areas
Zoned areas such as left sleeve front
Right upper arm front
When to body tape?
When the body has been undisturbed
Left in situ
1:1 taping method
Adhere pieces of tape to the body and leave in place (do not re-lift)
Number the pieces of tape
Clearly sketch, photograph and note the locations of each tape.
Zonal taping method
Define ‘zones’ on the
body.
Use same tape within
the zone until full (if
necessary use more)
Clearly label which
zone the tape is from
Transportation of body to mortuary
Body bag sealed and seal
photographed and recorded
Contracted undertakers attend when requested.
Body is usually followed by
police personnel
Two types of forensic post mortem
Initial PM
Defence PM
Forensic post mortem
Will take place as soon as possible after the discovery of body
May not be immediate due to the need for ensuring
maximising forensic recovery at the scene
Some bodies are left in situ
The body could be in any state of decay, even skeletonized
which will affect the samples available for recovery
Other factors such as body having been in water or burnt
could affect sample recovery
Forensic post mortem personnel
Forensic pathologist
Anatomical pathology technician
Exhibits officer
CSM
Photographer
Wet CSI
Dry CSI
The faculty of forensic and legal medicine
The Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine (FFLM)
was founded in 2005 by the Royal College of
Physicians of London
The FFLM holds a number of exams for
professionals working in Forensic and Legal
Medicine.
It is recognised as the authoritative body for the
purpose of consultation in matters of educational or
public interest concerning forensic and legal
medicine.
Forensic pathologist
Independent practitioners
provide unbiased medico-legal opinions for police, lawyers and courts
Have to be registered by the Home Office Pathology Delivery Board
Perform medico-legal post mortem examinations on behalf of Coroners
They attend
scenes of suspicious death and assist in the collection of
forensic evidence at such scenes.
Are medically qualified doctors, registered by the General Medical Council (GMC)
Anatomical pathology technician
Assists the pathologist with technical aspects of the PM
Is a mortuary employee
Hands equipment such as scalpels and knives to the Pathologist
Assists with the preparation of the body and weighing the organs
Sews the body up and may undertake reconstruction
Careers guidance if you are interested in this role -career path with defined training
courses
Exhibits officer
Responsible for the cataloguing and continuity of exhibits in a
major enquiry
Ensure the exhibits are stored in the MIT storage system
At the end of the PM will take all packaged and labelled exhibits
from the pathologist via the clean CSI
All exhibits are logged onto HOLMES
Crime scene manager
Will brief the pathologist on the background of the case
Will create forensic strategy
Will usually provide scene photographs
Will discuss with the pathologist the required samples and seek advice where required
Will arrange staff and logistics from scientific support
Will feed back to MIT and the SIO results and findings
Dry CSI
Facilitates the pathologist by providing appropriate items for samples
being recovered
Must be aware of the item that the pathologist will require and have it
immediately available – can pay to be one step ahead
This can be dirty work
They pass these items into bags held by the clean CSI, so external packaging is not contaminated
Clean CSI
Scribe for pathologist
Records the exhibits list
Writes up all evidence bags for the pathologist to sign at the end
Ensures the correct exhibits from the dirty CSI are in the right bags and sealed/packaged
correctly
Ensures continuity from exhibits officer
Should provide storage advice
Must ensure copies of exhibit list are made for pathologist and CSM
Prevents contamination of external packaging
PPE
Wear PPE
Overshoes or mortuary wellies
Gloves
Masks
Forensic post mortem cons
Time consuming
Requires concentration, standing around waiting
and other tiring activities
Can be exhausting, smelly and dirty
Swabs and fingernails
Swabs may be taken from orifices including the
nostrils, mouth, vagina and anus
Fingernail scrapings or clippings may be taken
Hair samples
Hair samples and combings will be taken
Hair packaged in TE bag
Injuries on the body
The body will then be washed down to enable
clear view of injuries
Each visible injury will be measured, described,
recorded (by the pathologist) and photographed
Areas such as the eyes, mouth and
genital area checked for injuries
Samples
The genital areas will be dissected, and further
swabs may be taken
The neck and throat will be dissected
Samples will be taken for histology
Samples will be taken for DNA (blood) and
toxicology (blood and urine)
The dirty CSI will ensure the correct vials are used to decant the blood and urine samples into
Post mortem hypostasis
Skin discolouration resulting from the gravitational
pooling of blood in the veins and capillaries of the
dependent parts of the body
Body movement
If body is moved before the onset of rigor then
the joints will become fixed in the new position in
which the body is placed.
Factors affecting rigor
Environmental temp.
Degree of muscular activity before death
Rapid onset in children and the aged than in
muscular young adults.
Develops early and passes quickly in deaths from
infections or from wasting diseases.
Cadaveric spasm
Instantaneous Rigor (rigidity)
Muscular rigidity at the moment of death
Cause is unknown but associated with
violent deaths in intense emotions
Most commonly affects a group of muscles
only
Order of changes
Skin blisters
Gas formation begins
Purging of urine, faeces and
bloody fluids
Abdominal injuries
Blunt
Penetrating
Blast
Head injuries
Linear fracture
Pond fracture
Depressed fracture
Hinge fracture
