Midterm 2

Question 1

What is a pathologist and their role?

Answer 1

A medical doctor who’s role is to determine the cause of death. They examine deaths that are considered sudden, unexpected or violent. They frequently communicate with police in order to reconstruct postmortem events. They also interpret injury patterns/patterned injury

Question 2

What do pathologists use in order to determine cause of death?

Answer 2

Body fluids, cell samples, tissue samples and autopsy

Question 3

Who are apart of a investigative team (medico legal death)

Answer 3

Investigators and police, pathologist, coroner and any other forensic experts

Question 4

Scientific ways of identifying a victim

Answer 4

DNA, fingerprint, autopsy, dental, radiographs, skeletal

Question 5

Presumptive ways of identifying a victim

Answer 5

Clothing, visual, effects, circumstances, skeletal and autopsy

Question 6

Time of death estimation

Answer 6

Estimate:
Time of injury to time of death
Time of death to time of discovery

Question 7

Survival interval

Answer 7

Medical question based on either gross injuries or microscopic findings ( not exact)

Question 8

Types of postmortem changes used to determine time of death

Answer 8

Livor mortis, rigor mortis, algor mortis, gastric contents, postmortem biochemistry and insects

Question 9

Livor mortis

Answer 9

Blood settling. It’s onset is 1/2-4 hours after death and it’s max time is 8-12 hours after death. It disappears with decomposition

Question 10

Rigor mortis

Answer 10

Stiffening of body. Onset: 2-4 hours after death. Maximum time: 8-36 hours. It disappears after 36 hours

Question 11

Cause of death

Answer 11

Injury or disease which produces physiologic derangement (mechanism) resulting in death

Question 12

Types of cause of death

Answer 12

Hanging, stab wound, head trauma and drug toxicity

Question 13

Types of mechanisms of death

Answer 13

Cardio respiratory arrest, asphyxia and hemorrhage

Question 14

Types of manner of death

Answer 14

Natural, undetermined, accident, suicide, homicide

Question 15

Reasons to do the complete autopsy

Answer 15

Sudden and good health, unattended by MD, SIDS <5 years, violent or unnatural, suspicious, malpractice

Question 16

Step 1 of complete autopsy

Answer 16

Info from coroner/police:

Demographics, background preceding death, scene, medical history, medications/drugs and any evidence needed

Question 17

Step 2 of complete autopsy

Answer 17

External exam:

Blunt trauma injuries: injury pattern, nonspecific, distribution predictable

Question 18

Step 3 of complete autopsy

Answer 18

Internal exam

Question 19

Step 4 of complete autopsy

Answer 19

Tests

Question 20

Impression evidence

Answer 20

Objects or materials which have retained the characteristics of other objects or materials which have been impressed against them

Question 21

Value of impression evidence

Answer 21

Minimum # of suspects, sex of offender, age of offender, type of shoe, foot size of offender, where suspects came from, what they did at the crime scene, where they went after they left the scene, eliminate suspects, corroborate/ refute witness/suspect statements

Question 22

Steps to locate visible footwear impressions

Answer 22

Route to scene, point of entry, disturbed area and points of exit

Question 23

Locating latent impressions

Answer 23

Oblique light is required

Question 24

Path of contamination

Answer 24

Route responders create to avoid disturbing evidence at a scene

Question 25

Documentation of footwear impressions

Answer 25

Analysis of impression,description of recovered impressions, FW #, description/sketch of outsole