Homicide and Serious Crime Victims Flashcards
Three key elements of Homicide
- Location
- Victim
- Suspect
OC Body Responsibilities - Medical
- Ensure death has been certified by a doctor or qualified paramedic
- Note details of medical staff or others who have attended the victim.
OC Body Responsibilities - Scene
(MAPS-N)
- Moved - establish if body has been moved or disturbed
- Action - record what actions have been taken by any party in relation to the body
- Photographed - ensure body is photographed in situ and consider video recording
- Secure and guard the body with dignity and respect
- Note and record observations relating to the body
O/C Body Responsibilities - Movement
- On authority of OC investigation arrange transport of body to mortuary
- Maintain security and continuity of the body, samples and exhibits from the scene to the start of the post mortem.
O/C Body Responsibilities - Key documents
- POL47
- Formal ID
- Historical medical records of the victim for the pathologist.
O/C Body Responsibilities - Post-mortem
(PREFAB)
- Photos - make sure police photographer takes at all stages of post-mortem
- Record, label and secure all samples and exhibits
- Evidence - preserve it from the body
- Fingerprints - arrange for these and palm prints as required
- Attend with the OC
- Briefing - attend for pathologist’s findings.
O/C Body Responsibilities - Debrief
- Attend debrief of pathologist and record findings, on direction of OC or pathologist
- Ensure cultural responsibilities have been addressed.
Briefing experts and interested parties - some key areas for consideration include:
(PIE-H)
- Photos/videos taken at the scene
- Identity of the body
- Environmental factors at the scene
- History of the body - medical history, drugs found at the scene etc
Appreciation prior to body removal
These factors should be considered in the appreciation
(SERV-NC)
- Supervision of the body removal
- Exhibits - safe custody
- Route for the body removal to minimise contamination
- Views of the pathologist etc attending the crime scene
- Notification to and response from, the Coroner
- Chain of custody of the body from the scene to the mortuary
Establishing if the body has been moved
Where the body has been disturbed:
- Do not attempt to restore the scene to its original unchanged condition
- Make enquiries to enable the original unchanged scene to be subsequently reconstructed and photographed, if required.
Samples at the scene - This is advisable where evidence would otherwise be lost or contaminated by moving the body, such as:
(LAFF)
- Larvae and insects
- DNA swabs
- Fingerprint evidence from the skin on the body of the victim and/or items of clothing worn by the body, e.g. fine woven fabrics
- Firearm residue samples
Recording details and removing the body
Record all details of the position of the body including:
(PAWDLE)
- Position of the limbs
- Appearance of the body
- Wounds and clothing
- Direction of any trails of blood present on the body
- Lividity, if present
- Extent of rigor mortis present
Appreciation prior to post mortem
These factors should be considered in the appreciation:
(ICAS)
- ID of the body at the mortuary
- Consultation with the pathologist
- Authority from the Coroner to conduct post-mortem
- Safe custody of exhibits
Primary role of the OC Body during a post-mortem
To observe, document and deal with exhibits associated with the body, in a structured, methodical manner.
Purpose of Post Mortem
(HANDI MN)
The primary reason for conducting a Post Mortem is to establish the cause of death.
Findings may also include:
- Height and stature of suspect
- Areas of interest for interviews
- Nature and size of weapon
- ID the victim
- Injuries or events at scene that may have contributed to the death
- Mode and time of death
- Negate defences
Duties at mortuary:
(LICK-W)
- Labelled - ensure body is Labelled and secured in fridge
- ID -arrange formal ID of the body.
- Condition - ensure body remains in present Condition until post mortem starts
- Key - retain the Key of fridge until it is required
- Wash - ensure mortuary staff do not Wash body
Stripping the Body - Body
(RARTES)
- Remove body from fridge and Assist mortuary staff to move to post mortem room
- Remove from body bag, causing minimal disturbance
- Take body bag, sheets and wrappings as Exhibits
- The body must only be Stripped in presence of pathologist
Of note
Stripping of the body will take place immediately before the post-mortem examination commences, but must only be undertaken on the specific direction of the OC Investigation, generally after a visual examination and collection of evidence from the clothed body has been completed.
Stripping the Body - Exhibits
(PRS-PLA)
- Photos taken before and after clothing removed
- Remove clothing, trying to avoid cutting clothes and search pockets
- Sieve - consider placing in the mortuary table drain hole to collect trace evidence
- Package and seal each item in a different bag or container
- Label each item of clothing and each possession
- Avoid cross contamination by ensuring exhibits do not come into contact with each other.
