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Homicide Investigations > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Homicide

A

A person commits the act of criminal homicide if they intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, causes the death of another person

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2
Q

Criminal homicide

A

Murder, manslaughter, or criminally negligent homicide

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3
Q

A person commits the act of murder when

A
  • with intent to cause the death of another person, and causes the death of that person
  • when showing indifference to human life & recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another
    person to die
  • If arson is committed & a volunteer firefighter or other public safety officer(s) dies
  • Crimes due to sudden heat of passion do not fall under this category
  • Class A Felony
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4
Q

A person commits the act of manslaughter

A
  • If a person recklessly causes the death of another person, or Heat of passion murders
  • Class B Felony
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5
Q

Criminally negligent homicide is committed

A
  • If they cause the death of another person by criminal negligence
  • Class A Misdemeanor
    EXCEPT
  • Drivers in violation of code 32-5A-191 (DUI/DWI) — Class C Felony
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6
Q

The investigator

A

Who, what, when, where, & why did you receive the call?

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7
Q

First responder(s)

A
  • Arrest perpetrator(s)
  • Detain witnesses
  • Assess scene
  • Protect scene
  • Teamwork and/or note-taking
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8
Q

Dying declaration

A

To be admissible in court, a person must believe they are dying, be “competent and rational” aside from the trauma undergone, and the statement must regard what and who put them in their present condition, and they must die.

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9
Q

Identifying the victim

A
  • To establish a homicide charge, it must be shown that a certain person has died
  • Identification of the deceased is usually made at the scene by family members, friends, etc
  • In less populated areas (small towns/cities, rural counties) identifying the victim becomes less of a problem
  • Just because someone has identification on them doesn’t mean that’s who they really are
  • Until you have positive verification, a good investigator must assume everyone at the crime scene is lying
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10
Q

Identifying the victim & victim’s clothing

A
  • To back up identification of a victim and complete the totality of an investigation, photographing the victim and canvassing the neighborhood is vital
  • It’s up to you (investigator) to request additional photographs, fingerprints, etc. of the victim during postmortem examination
  • Collect clothing, jewelry, hats, etc. for lab analysis
  • Victim’s clothing can have trace evidence (blood, semen) & can help determine the victim’s socioeconomic status (old, new, expensive, inexpensive, etc.)
  • General, mid-range, and close-up shots are taken of/at the scene.
  • Canvassing of neighborhood is conducted by talking to neighbors in close proximity of the scene
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11
Q

General photographs

A

Overall scene

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12
Q

Mid-range photographs

A

Shows the relevance of the distance between a victim and a certain item.

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13
Q

Close-up photographs

A
  • Two pictures from both sides of the body
  • Shows full detail of the body
  • Defensive wounds, scars, marks, tattoos, etc.
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14
Q

What steps can be done if fingers are in the state of mummification, putrefaction, etc… in order to try and get workable prints from the victim?

A
  • There are ways of rehydrating the fingers in order to restore their original size, such as, inserting a needle & injecting them with water.
  • In cases where skin slippage has occurred, if the skin can be removed without disturbing the fingers, then the fingertips can be placed in individual test tubes filled with water, labeled, & sent to the F.B.I. for analysis.
  • Occasionally a latex glove can be worn & the victim’s fingertips can be slid over the glove, & then rolled onto a fingerprint card in the same way you would your own to get a viable print.
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15
Q

Forensic odontology

A

The scientific application of dentistry to legal matters. The studying of teeth/bones (mandible, maxilla, etc.) to help law enforcement in trying to identify an unidentified body.

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16
Q

Why is forensic odontology important?

A

Dental records kept (x-rays, fillings, caps.
root canals, molds, etc.) by forensic odontologists are able to assist in identification of victims & bitemark impressions.

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17
Q

Three classifications of facial shaping

A
  • Square
  • Ovoid
  • Tapered
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18
Q

Three anatomical positions of teeth

A
  • Normal (lower teeth touch inside of upper teeth)
  • Overbite (receding chin)
  • Prognathic (prominent chin)
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19
Q

Time of death should be estimated to be between how many hours?

A

Legally within 4 hours of the actual death occurring

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20
Q

What should the investigator do antemortem?

A
  • Start with a 24-hour, predetermined timeframe when retracing the victim’s steps.
  • Find out as much personal information about the victim as possible (friends, enemies, partner(s), employment, lifestyle, etc.)
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21
Q

What do you do if the victim has no identification/is not identified?

A
  • Televised appeal for help
  • Select most articulate photographs for presentation
  • “Clean” photographs, good/clear verbal descriptions
  • Emphasize points of identification—tattoos, dentures, eye glasses, scars, etc.
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22
Q

Contact wound

A
  • Causes irregular tearing of the skin due to the fact that since the barrel is pressed to the skin, gases emitted, and the bullet, go into the skin.
  • When the gases enter the subcutaneous layer of the skin and make contact with the skull, the force causes the skin to tear.
  • Greyish/black color around the entrance wounds and muzzle impressions can be noted
23
Q

Intermediate range (GSW)

A

Due to distance there is and should be marked “tattooing” from the gunpowder grains in and around the wound

24
Q

Exit wounds

A
  • Bullets can be pressed together while “traversing through the body.”
  • A good investigative measure to take is looking for the presence of “powder or soot” when observing a GSW.
  • At minimum, it can let you know it may not be an entrance wound if there is none, which should alert you to the fact there may be another wound.
25
Q

Gunshot Residue (GSR)

A
  • A bullet is loaded into a gun and the trigger is pulled, causing the firing pin to make contact with the primer in the center of the end of the bullet casing. Upon contact with the primer, a chemical reaction occurs inside rhetorical cartridge casing, which ignites the gunpowder.
  • Some of the powder may not become ignited, either way, all gunpowder is referred to as GSR.
  • Force & pressure created by the ignited gunpowder will emit gunpowder from the open end of the cartridge due to the separation of the cartridge and the projectile.
26
Q

Contact or intimate contact wound

A
  • 0”-3”
  • GSR will be located inside and in a very tight pattern around the entrance wound
27
Q

Close range wound

A

3”-12”

28
Q

Intermediate distance

A
  • 12”-36”
  • GSR generally not seen distances further than 36”
29
Q

In investigations where utmost violence has occurred (gunshot, blunt force trauma) there is a significant probability that blood will be forced from the contact site(s). These depictions of blood are referred to as

A

Blood stains and blood spatter

30
Q

Cast-off pattern

A

Bloodstain pattern created when blood is thrown/released from a blood-bearing object in motion.

31
Q

Analyzing bloodstain pattern can assist in:

A
  • Distance between the target surface and the origin of the blood at the time of bloodshed
  • Point(s) of origin(s) of the blood
  • Movement and direction of a person or object
  • Number of blows, shots, etc. causing the bloodshed and/or the dispersal of blood
  • Type and direction of the impact that produced the bloodshed
  • Position of the victim and/or object during bloodshed
  • Movement of the victim and/or object during bloodshed
  • Movement of the victim and/or object after bloodshed
32
Q

Low Velocity Bloodstain Pattern

A
  • Most diverse
  • Speed of harmful substance 5’ or less per second
  • Freefalling with little/no horizontal force
  • Commonly produces larger drops than other classifications
  • Greater than 4mm in diameter
33
Q

Medium Velocity Bloodstain Pattern

A
  • Usually 5’-25’ up to 100’ per second
  • Usually result of blunt force trauma or sharp objects
  • Results in bloodstains 1-4mm in diameter
34
Q

High Velocity Bloodstain Patterns

A
  • Result of an object traveling faster than 100’ per second and making contact with a blood source
  • Fine mist (generally doesn’t travel more than 3’-4’)
  • Commonly result of GSW
  • Stains no greater than 0.1mm in diameter
35
Q

Back spatter

A
  • Back towards point of origin (where bullet came from, towards perpetrator)
  • Usually close-range
36
Q

Forward spatter

A
  • Travels with path of the object (bullet)
  • Produces more bloodstain/spatter and comes from exit wounds, typically
37
Q

Blunt force trauma

A

Caused by anything that is not sharp such as baseball bat, pool sticks, 2x4s, metal rods/pipes, golf clubs, etc.

38
Q

3 types of abrasions:

A
  • Scrape or brush (grazes or sliding)
  • Impact (pressure)
  • Patterned
39
Q

Abrasion

A

Caused when the epithelial layer of the skin is impacted due to coming in contact with a rough surface, causing the top layer of skin to be abraded

40
Q

In areas of the body where skin is directly over bone you are more likely to see

A

scrape and impact abrasions

41
Q

Due to them being a direct result of contact (blunt force), the abrasion

A

identifies where the contact was made

42
Q

Coup injury

A
  • Following a blow to the head, the skull will bend inward and sometimes strike the brain, causing a contusion directly below the site of impact.
  • Usually when the head is still, however, uncommon occurrence
43
Q

Contra-coup injury

A
  • Usually the force of the impact will force the brain to shift and/or strike against the bony prominences on the opposite half of the skull, the falx cerebri, and tentorium.
  • Common with powerful blows to the head with the head also moving toward the object it comes in contact with
  • Results in confusion of the neocortical surface, particularly in the temporal and frontal lobes
44
Q

According to DiMaio & DiMaio (1993) is there a time interval chart to categorize contusions/bruises?

A

There is not a time interval chart to categorize the time and color relationship of contusions.

45
Q

Onset bruising coloration

A

Dark blue, purple, crimson

46
Q

Second stage bruising coloration

A

Violet

47
Q

Third stage bruising coloration

A

Green

48
Q

Fourth stage bruising coloration

A

Dark yellow

49
Q

Fifth stage bruising coloration

A

Pale yellow

50
Q

Final stage of bruising coloration

A

Disappears entirely

51
Q

Stab wounds

A
  • Administered by objects that are sharp and pointed, which are pressed into the body through the skin.
  • Internal length of the wound will exceed the width of the external wound.
  • Vital organs can be damaged due to this.
  • Edges of the skin wound are typically sharp, without abrasion or confusion.
52
Q

Incised wounds

A
  • Can be caused by any sharp edge/object or weapon.
  • Unlike stab wounds, the width of the external wound is greater than the depth.
  • Administered more horizontally and with a slashing motion, which doesn’t leave indicators of what weapon or how long the weapon itself is.
  • Usually not life-threatening
53
Q

Defensive wounds

A
  • Occur when a person is trying to keep an assailant with a knife from harming them
  • They can result in either or both stab or incised wounds
  • Typically administered to hands and arms
54
Q

Chopping wounds

A
  • Produced by a heavy bladed instrument moving toward the object/person.
  • Crush and sharp wounds appear together.
  • Crushing causes contusion.
  • If cutting edge of weapon is dull, tissues are contused and lacerated as well as incised.
  • No positive determination of the amount of internal injuries will be necessarily visible from external examination.

Homicide Investigations (1 decks)

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