Terms S-Z Flashcards
Serial killer
A person who murders several people, usually complete strangers over a period of time
Seatbelt injury
Blunt force injury that commonly occurs to people who have been in a car accident
Shaken baby syndrome
Homicide in which a young child dies as a result of being violently shaking but frustrated or angry parent or caregiver
Smothering
Mechanical obstruction of the upper airway by an object such as a pillow or duct tape covering the mouth and nose
Spree killer
A person who killed several people, usually complete strangers, at different locations within a relatively short period of time
Stage
To arrange the setting where a death has occurred to make it appear that the cause of death was different from what it actually was
Steering wheel injury
Blunt force injury that common occurs to the driver in a car accident
Strangulation
Constriction of the outside of the neck by the hand or an object
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Unexplained death that occurs without warning and infants in which autopsy results are invariably negative
Subdural hemorrhage
Bleeding within the membranes that cover the brain
Trajectory
The path taken by a bullet or another object
Veterinary pathologist
A frenzy pathologist who performs autopsies on animals, usually in cases where the animal has attacked a person, to determine whether the animal care his rabies or other potentially dangerous diseases
Wet floater
A decomposed body found in water and exposed to an aqueous environment
Weapons of opportunity
Common objects used as the instruments of violence or murder in the heat of the moment
