Part 5 - OC Body Flashcards
Responsibilities of the OC Body
- ensure death has been certified using Deceased Person Certificate (POL265)
- maintain security and continuity of the body, samples and exhibits
- secure and guard the body, body samples and any exhibits with dignity and respect
- note and record observations to the body
- note details of medical staff who have attended the victim
-record what actions have been taken in respect of the body - establish if body has been moved or disturbed
- ensure body is photographed in situ
- arrange transportation to mortuary on authority of OC Investigation
- complete sudden death procedures
- arrange formal id of body on POL265A on authority of OC Investigation
- obtain historical medical records of victim
- attend post-mortem exam with OC Investigation, and attend the briefing of the pathologist, ensure Police photographer takes photsos, preserve evidence from the body, record, label and secure all samples and exhibits, and arrange for fingerprints and palm prints to be taken if required
- attend the debrief of the pathologist and record the findings
- ensure all cultural responsibilities have been addressed
Responsibility of the OC Investigation
- notify the Coroner early of the death
- arrange the PM examination in consultation with the Coroner
- consult the Pathologist before the PM commences, regarding the relevance and benefit of conducting X-ray or CT/CAT scans
Crime Scene attendance
The OC Investigation will determine whether the pahtologist and/or Crown Solicitor will attend the scene to view the body ‘in situ’, to gain an understanding and interpretation of the injuries.
Appreciation prior to body removal
OC Investigation, Crime Scene Coordinator (or OC Scene) and OC Body must make an appreciation in respect of the removal. Factors considered:
- notification to and response from the Coroner
- views of the pathologist, ESR forensic scientist and Crown Solicitor attending the scene
- consultation with other relevant experts
- requirement for any examination or action before removal
- best method and route for the body removal to minimise contamination
- supervision of the body removal
- chain of custody of the body from scene to mortuary
- safe custody of exhibits
- family and/or cultural considerations
- appreciation should record the Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) for what and how PPE must be used in relation to the scene and body. Unless a specific reason exists to retain them, PPE should be placed in a bag and destroyed. SOP for PPE at a scene should be recorded once and thereafter scene staff may refer to SOP rather than recording every use or change of PPE
Samples at the scene
Specimens should not be taken from body unless consultation has occurred between ESR staff, the pathologist, OC Investigation, Crime Scene Coordinator (or OC Scene) and Fingerprint Officer. OC Investigation will decide whether samples are taken. Advisable where evidence would otherwise be lost or contaminated by moving, such as:
- larvae and insects
- potential fingerprint evidence from the skin on body and/or items of clothing e.g. fine woven fabrics
- DNA swabs
- extraneous items such as loose hairs, fibres, glass, paint, or other fragments
- firearm residue samples
Recording details and removing the body
1 Record the position of the body by sketch and direct Police photographer to take photos. Consider video recording or other imaging techniques.
2 In consultation with Crime Scene Coordinator and/or OC Scene, consider marking and recording the position of the body before moving, e.g. by measuring distance from at least two nearby fixed features.
3 Record all details of the position including:
- position of the limbs
- appearance of the body
- wounds and clothing
- direction of any blood trails on body
- lividity if present (colouration of skin due to gravitational movement of blood)
- extent of rigor mortis
4 IMPORTANT: consider what health risks may present by handling body.
5 Cover the hands, feet and head with paper bags secured with tape to prevent trace evidence being lost when body is moved. Wide tape should be used, taped around the bag at a suitable anchoring point that will secure the bag to the limb and prevent the bag from slipping off. Tape should not be so tight as to create new marks on the body and must not be applied directly to the skin. Rubber bands or other tight fasteners must not be used as may leave marks i.e. false ligature marks.
If paper bag use is not appropriate (limb is wet) then plastic bag may be used to protect potential forensic material. Decision made in consultation with Crime Scene Coordinator/OC Scene and OC Investigation.
Whilst being transported, open wounds may shed blood into the bag over the head and obscure details of blood splatter/direction. Liaise with scene experts to determine and prioritise appropriate actions to record and preserve.
6 Ensure clothing is not contaminated by contact with foreign objects.
7 Wrap body in plastic sheet and place in body bag
8 Carefully search underneath where the body lay
9 Retain all sheets, bags, other transport materials as exhibits
10 Obtain approval from OC Investigation to remove body. OC Investigation responsible for ensuring continuity of all aspects of investigation and body must not be moved until authority given.
11 When directed by OC Investigation arrange undertaker to move to mortuary. Ensure able to account for security and continuity of body as exhbit until pathologist commences PM. Ensure undertaker uses sterile bag.
Appreciation prior to PM
- ID of body at mortuary
- Authority from Coroner to conduct PM
- Consultation with pathologists
- Safe custody of exhibits
- Identifying who should attend the PM
- Requirement for any specific need for exam or sampling based on known facts
- Appropriate resources at PM for packaging exhibits and photos
- Family and/or cultural considerations from PM
- LIkely requirement for second or subsequent PM
Post-mortem exam
Primary role of OC Body - observe, document, and deal with exhibits associated with the body in a structured, methodical manner
OC Investigation must actively manage all aspects of how body, samples, and exhibits are treated and give directions to ensure required procedures are followed and that pace of exam does not exceed OC Body’s abilities
OC Body should pay close attention during PM and with OC Investigation consider each piece of information carefully to identify what deductions can be made and what significance it has. “So what? What does this mean?”
OC Body must remain until exam is concluded. Following exam pathologist will debrief.
Purpose of PM
Primary reason for PM is to establish cause of death. Pathologist’s findings will provide further in to drive the investigation:
- determining the mode and time of death
- establishing how injuries and/or events at scene may have contributed to death
- determining the nature and size of any weapons
- determining the approximate height and stature of suspect
- providing areas of interest for subsequent interviews (witnesses/suspects)
- negating possible defences
- ID victim (if ID not established)
Attendance at PM
Coroners Act 2006 Section 38 who may attend PM:
- the pathologist
- the Coroner
- any other pathologist assisting (authorised by Coroner)
- doctor who treated the deceased
- doctor, nurse, or funeral director represending decased (authorised by Coroner)
- doctor representing the interests of a suspect (authorised by Coroner)
- any other doctor or trainee doctor (authorised by Coroner)
- Police
- any other person authorised by Coroner
Any doctor, nurse, or funeral director (other than authorised pathologist) may not assist with PM and must only observe.
Police attendance:
- OC Investigation
- OB Body
- member specifically designated as exhibits officer for PM (if required)
- Police photographer
- SOCO or fingerprint officer
Use of internal and external experts should be discussed with Crown Solicitor, Pathologist and Coroner, particular consideration be given for:
- ESR forensic scientist
- Crown Solicitor
The legal representative of any suspect aho has or may be charged must be informed of the time, date and place of PM and advised they require authority from Coroner for doctor to attend on their behalf.
Equipment
- MEK
- toxicology kit
- body label
- notebook and pens solely for PM
- Scene Exhibit Schedule form
- copy of POL47
- POL265 Deceased Person Certificate
- POL265A Deceased Person ID
- exhibit packaging supplies (envelopes, tape, labels, paper sacks of various sizes)
- PPE
- photos from scene showing body in situ
- range of available exhibit numbers for PM from OC Exhibits
- pre-printed exhibit labels bearing allocated exhibit numbers (if available)
- roll of brown paper for placing layers betweel folds of bloodstained clothing
- firearms residue kit (if relevant)
Arrival at mortuary
1 Ensure mortuary staff do not wash body
2 Ensure body is labelled and secured in secure fridge
3 Retain any key used to secure body until required for PM
4 Ensure body remains in present condition until PM
5 Arrange formal ID
Methods of ID
- fingerprints
- DNA (3-4 weeks or 48 hours for urgent)
- dental records through the Region Forensic Dentistry Advisor
- eye examination records
- medical exam records, including scars, birth marks, implants or prosthetics, x-ray, surgical wounds, amputations and tattoos
- personal effects
- facial reconstruction
Skeletal Remains
A pathologist, with the assistance of a forensic anthropologist, can usually provide:
- whether the remains are actually bones
- whether the bones are human
- the age, gender, height, and race of the person
Stripping the Body
1 Body must only be stripped in [resence of pathologist
2 Remove body from secure fridge and assist mortuary staff to take into PM exam room
3 Remove body from body bag, causing minimal disturbance
4 Body bag and sheets or wrappings -> exhibits
5 Ensure appropriate and sufficient photos are taken by Police photographer of body before and after clothing removed
6 Remove clothing, mortuary technicians may assist only under supervision and direction of OC Body. Cutting clothing should be avoided but in some cases necessary, only cut in areas least likely to have evidence, and search pockets and make inventory
7 Make inventory of clothing and possessions as each item is removed
8 Label each item of clothing and each possession
9 Seal each item in a separate bag or container
10 Ensure exhibits do not cross-contaminate though contact
11 Maintain security and continuity of body and exhibits until PM commences
12 In cases involving obvious head trauma, consider placing fine sieve in mortuary table drain hole to collect trace evidence transferred from weapon before blood and debris is washed, for later comparison
