Medico-legal investigation of Death to Death under Special Circumstances Flashcards
Stages of Medico-Legal Investigation
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Autopsy
It is the conduct of processes, more particularly, the recognition, handling, preservation and documentation of physical evidence to include the identification and interview of witnesses and the arrest of suspect’s at the crime scene, the manner the criminal act was executed, and such other things that may be useful in the prosecution of the case.
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
Place where the essential ingredients of the criminal act took place
CRIME SCENE
Methods of Conducting a Search
- Strip Method
- Double Strip or Grid Method
- Spiral Method
- Wheel/Ray Method
- Zone Method
The area is blocked out in the form of a rectangle. The searcher proceeds slowly at the same pace along the path parallel to one side of the rectangle.
STRIP METHOD
This search is a modification of the strip search method. The searchers will traverse first parallel to the base and then parallel to the side
DOUBLE STRIP OR GRID METHOD
The searchers follow each other in the path in the spiral manner beginning from the center towards the outside or vice versa.
SPIRAL METHOD
The searchers gather at the center and proceed outwards along radii or spokes.
WHEEL/RAY METHOD
Whole area is divided into subdivisions or quadrants and search is made in the individual quadrants
ZONE METHOD
A comprehensive study of a dead body, performed by a trained physician employing recognized dissection procedure and techniques. It includes removal of tissues for further examination.
AUTOPSY
Golden Rule in conducting criminal investigation
Do not touch, alter, move or transfer any objects at the crime scene unless it is properly marked, measure, schetch or protograph
Purpose of Golden Rule in conducting criminal investigation
Avoid alteration, contamination of physical evidence found at the crime scene
It indicates that in addition to an external examination the body is open and internal examination is conducted.
AUTOPSY
it refers to an external examination of a dead body without incision being made, although blood and other body fluids may be collected for examination
POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION
Kinds of Autopsy
a. Hospital or Non-official Autopsy
b. Medico-legal or Official Autopsy
Requested by hospital doctors to provide more information about illness, cause of death or further medical research purposes
HOSPITAL or NON-OFFICIAL AUTOPSY
The judicial officer request for responsible for the investigating of death in certain situations
MEDICO-LEGAL or OFFICIAL AUTOPSY
After all efforts, including gross and microscopic studies and toxicological analyses, fail to reveal a cause of death. It is an autopsy which after a meticulous examination with the aid of other examinations does not yield any definite cause of death
NEGATIVE AUTOPSY
An autopsy wherein no cause of death is found on account of imprudence, negligence, lack of skill or lack of foresigla of the examiner.
NEGLIGENT AUTOPSY
Animal bites, injection marks, electrical necrosis may be overlooked in a hasty external examination
Failure to make a thorough external examination
Condition of the organs, presence of air in pneumothorax or bubbles of air in the circulatory system may remain unnoticed by the pathologist
Inadequate or improper internal examinations
Tissue blocks may not be taken in the proper areas, poor preparation of
the microscopic slides and improper lighting during the process of examination may lead to an erroneous interpretation
Improper histological examination
A qualitative and quantitative determination of toxic materials or its metabolites must be shown. Sometimes difficulty is encountered by the forensic chemist because of the lapse of time and rapid elimination of the drug
Lack of toxicological or other laboratory aids.
The examiner must have had vast experience in autopsy investigation and must have the capacity to distinguish pathological changes in the body tissues.
Pathologist incompetence
It is the injury, disease or the combinazion of both injury and disease responsible for initiating the the trend or physiological disturbance, brief or prolonged, which produce the fatal termination. It may be immediate or proximate
CAUSE OF DEATH
The explanation as to how the cause of death came into being or how the cause of death arose
MANNER OF DEATH
This applies to cases when trauma disease kill quickly that there is no opportunity for sequelae or complications to develop
IMMEDIATE (PRIMARY) CAUSE OF DEATH
The injury or disease was survived a sufficiently prolonged interval which permitted the development. of serious sequelae which actually caused the death
THE PROXIMATE (SECONDARY) CAUSE OF DEATH
Medico-legal classification of the cause of death
a. Natural Death
b. Violent Death
This is death caused by a natural disease condition in the body. The disease may develop spontaneously, or it might have been a consequence of physical injury inflicted prior to its development. If a natural disease developed without the intervention of the felonious acts of another person, no one can be held responsible for the death
NATURAL DEATH
Death are those due to injuries inflicted in the body hy some forms of outside force. The physical injury must be the proximate cause of death
VIOLENT DEATH
Penal classification of Violent Death
- Accidental Death
- Negligent Death
- Suicidal Death
- Parricidal Death
- Infanticide death
- Murder
- Homicidal Death
Death due to misadventure or accident. An accident something that happens outside the sway of our will, and although it comes about through some act of will, ties beyond bounds of human foreseeable consequences
ACCIDENTAL DEATH
Death due to reckless imprudence, negligence, lack of skill of lack of foresight
NEGLIGENT DEATH
The act of intentionally causing one’s own death.
SUICIDAL DEATH
Any person who shall kill his father, mother, or child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, or any of his ascendants or descendants, or his spouse
PARRICIDE
The killing of a child less than 3 days old
INFANTICIDE
Any person who, not falling within the provisions of Article 246 shall kill another, shall be guilty of murder and shall be punished by reclusion temporal in its maximum period to death
MURDER
when the offender commits any of the crimes against person, employing means, or form in its execution thereof which tend directly or specially to insure its execution, without risk to himself arising from the defense which the offended party may make
Treachery
Any person who, not falling within the provisions of article 246 shall kill another without the attendance uf any of the circumstances enumerated in the provision of Art. 248 or Revised Penal Code
HOMICIDE
Death under special circumstances
- Death caused in a Tumultuous Affray ( Art. 251, RPC)
- Death or Physical injuries under exceptional circumstances (Art. 247, RPC)
Other term of Crime scene investigation
LOCUS CRIMINIS
