I this episode I have a conversation with Dr. Suzan Entwistle, DO, C-MDI about how she has combined her education and experience as a trauma surgeon and death investigation to help families get answers about how their loved one died.
Many times families are left with more questions than answers and the “system” in many states are resistant to the idea of open communication with families of a deceased.
Dr. Entwistle and her team provide many answers to families and attorneys as described below.
For attorneys and other professionals, Plan B Forensics will provide a comprehensive picture of what happened to the victim. For families, we are you. We’ve been where you’ve been. The way we have processed our tragedies is to understand as much as possible what happened to our loved ones. We cannot change the outcome, we cannot undo what was done. But we are a collective voice for the victim and an advocate for the survivors. In memoriam. For closure, for peace. For all of us.
We put the whole story together for you to gain an accurate
picture of how things went wrong and a life ended. We don’t guess, make
assumptions or chase theories. We’re not on anyone’s side but the victim
and truth. We start with the most important evidence and the best witness,
the body. If a scenario does not match the injuries the victim sustained, then
it’s wrong, so we start at the source and work our way out in an enlarging
spiral. Dr. Entwistle’s extensive background and training in trauma surgery
make it likely that she’s seen these injuries before a fatality occurred and
understands the mechanism required both before and after death — a more
comprehensive picture than a pathologist can give you. She was the real deal,
“lifey-deathy” surgeon, for military and civilians, and will review medical
records with the precision required in the operating room. Her certification as
a medicolegal death investigator enables her to evaluate not just postmortem
injuries but the process by which the death investigation was done. Ms. Turpen,
a DNA Scientist and Evidence Analyst, will look at all the evidence collected
and see avenues for further exploration.
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Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
Medicolegal Death Investigation Scene Kit
This exclusive first of its kind Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) kit contains all the items you need to document and collect evidence from the most important piece of evidence at any death scene – The Body. Designed for Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, and anyone responsible to investigate and process a death.
This kit is equipped to collect fragile evidence such as DNA and fibers, take post-mortem temperatures, document the scene through photography and sketching, as well as properly collect transport, and store material evidence.
This MLDI Kit can be used in large agencies for multiple MDI’s or one single kit for smaller agencies. Packaged in a sturdy Pelican carry case with custom dividers and a pocketed pouch system. Built strong to withstand the demands from scene to scene.
The Death Investigation Training Academy was founded to play an integral role in the death investigation community. The need for quality accredited training is in short supply and high demand. Using a combination of classroom training, live on site scenario exercises, and web-based training, the Death Investigation Training Academy is filling the need of 21st-century investigators.
Looking to add an authentic edge to your crime fiction? Ride along with a real-life sergeant to give your story the accuracy your readers crave.
Looking to add an authentic edge to your crime fiction? Ride along with me, a real-life sergeant to give your story the accuracy your readers crave.
My name is Patrick O’Donnell, and I’ve been with a large metropolitan police department for the last twenty-four years, seventeen of those as a street sergeant. That means I’ve been a supervisor on the street for the bulk of my career. The city I work in has a population of about 600,000 people who are policed by about 1,800 sworn members, give or take a few hundred.
I’m also an author of fiction and non-fiction books. I do understand the unique author point of view and can see through your writer’s eyes.
Ride along with me, Sergeant O’Donnell for the law enforcement details that will give your story street cred.
Are you a civilian crime writer who wants to use picture-perfect law enforcement details? Do you worry that your mystery novel or screenplay lacks credibility? Fiction and nonfiction author Sergeant Patrick O’Donnell has seen it all in his 24 years working for one of the largest police departments in the country. Now he’s here to help your writing honor the men and women who risk their lives in the line of duty.
Cops and Writers: From the Academy to the Street is your in-depth field guide for navigating the path from new recruit to seasoned patrol officer. Through O’Donnell’s accounts, you’ll get up close and personal with day-to-day challenges and out-of-the-ordinary emergencies including homicides, hostage situations, and bomb threats. Armed with this invaluable resource for decoding police jargon, tactics, and standard-issue gear, you’ll be well equipped to breathe new life into your stories.In Cops and Writers, you’ll discover: Stories from O’Donnell’s years on the force to help give your book credibility How the academy and field training shapes rookies so you can mold convincing characters Patrol officers’ daily routines and working conditions to infuse your fiction with added depth Different techniques for arresting and defending against criminal threats to bring readers even closer to the action Different patrol units such as SWAT, K-9, Air Support, and Bomb Squad to add another layer of realism, and much, much more!
Cops and Writers is your all-in-one reference guide for giving your novel or screenplay much-needed street cred. If you like candid stories told with cop humor, technical details, and peering into the minds of those who serve and protect, then you’ll love Sergeant Patrick O’Donnell’s must-have handbook for crime fiction writers.
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Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
Medicolegal Death Investigation Scene Kit
This exclusive first of its kind Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) kit contains all the items you need to document and collect evidence from the most important piece of evidence at any death scene – The Body. Designed for Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, and anyone responsible to investigate and process a death.
This kit is equipped to collect fragile evidence such as DNA and fibers, take post-mortem temperatures, document the scene through photography and sketching, as well as properly collect transport, and store material evidence.
This MLDI Kit can be used in large agencies for multiple MDI’s or one single kit for smaller agencies. Packaged in a sturdy Pelican carry case with custom dividers and a pocketed pouch system. Built strong to withstand the demands from scene to scene.
The Death Investigation Training Academy was founded to play an integral role in the death investigation community. The need for quality accredited training is in short supply and high demand. Using a combination of classroom training, live on site scenario exercises, and web-based training, the Death Investigation Training Academy is filling the need of 21st-century investigators.
The term “burnout” is a relatively new term, first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, in his book, Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement. He originally defined burnout as, “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.”
Burnout is a reaction to prolonged or chronic job stress and is characterized by three main dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism (less identification with the job), and feelings of reduced professional ability.
More simply put, if you feel exhausted, start to hate your job, and begin to feel less capable at work, you are showing signs of burnout.
Signs and Symptoms
While burnout isn’t a diagnosable psychological disorder, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Here are some of the most common signs of burnout:
Alienation from work-related activities: Individuals experiencing burnout view their jobs as increasingly stressful and frustrating. They may grow cynical about their working conditions and the people they work with. They may also emotionally distance themselves and begin to feel numb about their work.
Physical symptoms: Chronic stress may lead to physical symptoms, like headaches and stomachaches or intestinal issues.
Emotional exhaustion: Burnout causes people to feel drained, unable to cope, and tired. They often lack energy to get their work done.
Reduced performance: Burnout mainly affects everyday tasks at work—or in the home when someone’s main job involves caring for family members. Individuals with burnout feel negative about tasks. They have difficulty concentrating and often lack creativity.
It shares some similar symptoms of mental health conditions, such as depression. Individuals with depression experience negative feelings and thoughts about all aspects of life, not just at work. Depression symptoms may also include a loss of interest in things, feelings of hopelessness, cognitive and physical symptoms as well as thoughts of suicide.
Individuals experiencing burnout may be at a higher risk of developing depression.
Risk Factors
A high-stress job doesn’t always lead to burnout. If stress is managed well, there may not be any ill-effects.
But some individuals (and those in certain occupations) are at a higher risk than others.
Their heavy workloads place individuals with certain personality characteristics and lifestyle features at a higher risk of burnout.
Of course, it’s not just physicians who are burning out. Workers in every industry at every level are at potential risk. According to a 2018 report by Gallup, employee burnout has five main causes:
Unreasonable time pressure. Employees who say they have enough time to do their work are 70 percent less likely to experience high burnout. Individuals who are not able to gain more time, such as paramedics and firefighters, are at a higher risk of burnout.
Lack of communication and support from a manager. Manager support offers a psychological buffer against stress. Employees who feel strongly supported by their manager are 70 percent less likely to experience burnout on a regular basis.
Lack of role clarity. Only 60 percent of workers know what is expected of them. When expectations are like moving targets, employees may become exhausted simply by trying to figure out what they are supposed to be doing.
Unmanageable workload. When a workload feels unmanageable, even the most optimistic employees will feel hopeless. Feeling overwhelmed can quickly lead to burnout.
Unfair treatment. Employees who feel they are treated unfairly at work are 2.3 times more likely to experience a high level of burnout. Unfair treatment may include things such as favoritism, unfair compensation, and mistreatment from a co-worker.
Prevention and Treatment
Although the term “burnout” suggests it may be a permanent condition, it’s reversible. An individual who is feeling burned out may need to make some changes to their work environment.
Approaching the human resource department about problems in the workplace or talking to a supervisor about the issues could be helpful if they are invested in creating a healthier work environment.
In some cases, a change in position or a new job altogether may be necessary to put an end to burnout.
It can also be helpful to develop clear strategies that help you manage your stress. Self-care strategies, like eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercises, and engaging in healthy sleep habits may help reduce some of the effects of a high-stress job.
A vacation may offer you some temporary relief too, but a week away from the office won’t be enough to help you beat burnout. Regularly scheduled breaks from work, along with daily renewal exercises, can be key to helping you combat burnout.
If you are experiencing burnout and you’re having difficulty finding your way out, or you suspect that you may also have a mental health condition such as depression, seek professional treatment.
If you aren’t familiar with EFT Tapping, it stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and is part of Energy Psychology. It’s highly successful in freeing stored emotions and rewiring the brain!
By tapping on Chinese Meridian Points and saying phrases it’s possible to eliminate fears, phobias, and traumas. Research has shown that by doing EFT Tapping, it calms the part of the brain that signals stress hormones to be released in the body. I’ve been using tapping since I learned about it over 20 years ago when it was being perfected for mental health professionals. I personally knew the pioneer of tapping, Dr. Roger Callahan.
Mindset Shift for the Next Generation of Law Enforcement Leaders
Tactical Reload offers a road map for police and MDI professionals eager to succeed as America transitions from unrest to a new age of social enlightenment.
Through honest personal stories and interviews with top police chiefs and thought leaders, Wilson thoroughly explores the present crisis of law enforcement and foreshadow a safer future.
Embrace “Embarrassment School” as an important rite of passage
Respect people who commit crimes as a humane strategy for building trust
Reject Millennial entitlement and impatience or jeopardize rank promotions
Win department and community accolades by behaving well in or out of uniform
Discover why authentic cops don’t need to prove they are tough, but they had better heed mental fitness advice from a retired Navy Seal
Learn how mandatory psychological tests for cops could remove the shame of vulnerability and decrease suicides
Build character and improve advancement by blending new academic credentials with street smarts
Show Guest:
Adam Wilson is a highly decorated 14-year law enforcement veteran. He was recognized in 2018 by the National Association of Police Organizations that sponsors the annual TOP COP awards for his handling of a human trafficking investigation in North Carolina.
Sgt. Wilson has served as a SWAT senior operator and is trained to carry out specialized, military-style tactics in confrontations with violent criminals. He also collaborated with federal authorities in cases involving public corruption, sexual exploitation of minors and corrupt organizations. Concurrently, he served in a street crime unit that safeguarded against illegal guns, Gangs, and drugs.
Adam has received five commendations for outstanding service and is a two-time winner of an Exceptional Service award. He earned his master’s in Criminal Justice, is an E.A. Morris Fellow for Emerging Leaders in North Carolina and was appointed to the state Human Relations Commission by former Governor Pat McCrory.
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Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
Medicolegal Death Investigation Scene Kit
This exclusive first of its kind Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) kit contains all the items you need to document and collect evidence from the most important piece of evidence at any death scene – The Body. Designed for Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, and anyone responsible to investigate and process a death.
This kit is equipped to collect fragile evidence such as DNA and fibers, take post-mortem temperatures, document the scene through photography and sketching, as well as properly collect transport, and store material evidence.
This MLDI Kit can be used in large agencies for multiple MDI’s or one single kit for smaller agencies. Packaged in a sturdy Pelican carry case with custom dividers and a pocketed pouch system. Built strong to withstand the demands from scene to scene.
The Death Investigation Training Academy was founded to play an integral role in the death investigation community. The need for quality accredited training is in short supply and high demand. Using a combination of classroom training, live on site scenario exercises, and web-based training, the Death Investigation Training Academy is filling the need of 21st-century investigators.
Amanda Beasler was a hard-working emergency management
professional employed by the state of Wisconsin. Her dream was to be a Medicolegal
Death Investigator and like many others could not get her foot in the
door. Although there is a loose
connection between her “day job” and her dream job, she was not a boots on the ground
investigators, or really anything to do with the Medicolegal Investigative process.
Amanda applied for an internship with her local Medical
Examiner and was turned down, she applied for a part-time position and was also
turned down. The reason given in each case was she did not have any experience or
education in death investigation.
Amanda understood the reason but did not expect it as the final
decision. Through her persistence and determination, she started doing research
on how to get the training and/or experience she would need. She reached out to
connections on LinkedIn and started intense Google searches. She knew she could not return to college for
a degree and was that even necessary?
Through advice from peers and information found in her
searches, she found the Death Investigation Training Academy. After deeper research and a few phone calls
to clarify some questions, she knew she had found the training she needed and
enrolled in the next online Academy session.
In this episode of the podcast I speak to Amanda who tells
her story in more detail and breaks down how the Online Academy course and
subsequent Certification exam gave her the training and proof of knowledge she
needed to land her part-time investigator position with her local Medical
Examiner.
We will talk about what’s good with the course and what she
feels could use some improvement. We
talk very candidly and unscripted about the course, the process, and the
exam.
If you are looking to enter the field of death investigation or need to have some good refreshers this course is what you are looking for. Learn more at the Academy web site.
Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
Medicolegal Death Investigation Scene Kit
This exclusive first of its kind Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) kit contains all the items you need to document and collect evidence from the most important piece of evidence at any death scene – The Body. Designed for Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, and anyone responsible to investigate and process a death.
This kit is equipped to collect fragile evidence such as DNA and fibers, take post-mortem temperatures, document the scene through photography and sketching, as well as properly collect transport, and store material evidence.
This MLDI Kit can be used in large agencies for multiple MDI’s or one single kit for smaller agencies. Packaged in a sturdy Pelican carry case with custom dividers and a pocketed pouch system. Built strong to withstand the demands from scene to scene.
The Death Investigation Training Academy was founded to play an integral role in the death investigation community. The need for quality accredited training is in short supply and high demand. Using a combination of classroom training, live on site scenario exercises, and web-based training, the Death Investigation Training Academy is filling the need of 21st-century investigators.
Due to the very nature of sudden and/or violent deaths, many
things can and do go wrong in the first few hours after discovery. Death scenes have a way of bringing together
many individuals with various responsibilities and experience. This unique group can consist of uniformed
officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic experts, coroner
investigators, medical examiner investigators, as well as prosecutors and
police administrative staff.
These scenes may also have fire and EMS staff or other
agencies trying to do their jobs, not to mention families and onlookers. Because of this often chaotic scene, errors
can happen. Let’s look at the ten most common mistakes of a death
investigation.
1. Improper Response and Arrival to the Scene
First, responding officers may not correctly respond to and
secure the scene and the immediate surrounding area. Uniformed officers may not stop or detain
people leaving or milling around the scene. Further, while waiting for
investigation and CSI teams to arrive, it’s not uncommon for first responding
officers to gather to close to, or directly in the crime scene, inadvertently
contaminating evidence.
Here are a few other examples of errors from first
responding officers. Failure to notify investigators soon enough, or at all;
assuming the cause of death is a suicide or is natural, eliminating the need to
treat the scene as a crime scene; failure to detain all persons present at the
scene, which might include the suspect; or they may fail to separate possible
witnesses and obtain initial statements.
Also, failing to make an initial determination of the scene boundaries
leads to an insufficient area of protection.
2. Failing to protect the Crime Scene
In all death investigations, but even more so in a homicide
investigation, crime scene contamination can be and is a significant
problem. No other aspect of these
investigations is more open to mistakes than the preservation and protection of
the scene and subsequent evidence.
Paramount to any investigation is ensuring by the first
officers on the scene to isolate, protect and maintain scene integrity as the
investigation follows its standard path.
This includes the monitoring of paramedics and EMS personnel in the
scene as well as identifying them for a future interview. Officers must also watch family members or
others in the area to ensure they are not contaminating the scene. After a perimeter is established and is
locked down, officers should start a log of everyone entering and leaving the
vicinity and the reason why they are there.
Also, officers should be observing and taking notes of activities occurring
in and around the scene.
3. Not Handling Suspicious Deaths and Homicides
All unattended death should be looked at and treated as
suspicious, and an experienced officer/investigator should go to the
scene. These deaths should be treated as
homicides and crime scenes until the facts prove otherwise. Too many departments allow untrained patrol
officers to conduct basic death investigation with the assumption of suicide or
natural death and with the idea that it is unlikely to be a homicide. Without training, officers could likely
miss-interpret a staged or altered scene.
If the scene is not handled correctly from the beginning and
is later found to be a homicide, valuable evidence can be lost, and the
integrity of the scene is compromised at best and at worst, non-existent.
4. Responding with a Preconceived Notion
It is imperative that investigators not allow themselves to
respond to a death scene with any preconceived conclusion about the case. It’s
common for investigators to get sent to a scene and given information based on
the initial call. If the call came in as
a suicide and the initial officer who responds arrives with the mindset of
suicide, it is common to treat the death as a suicide and thus shortcut any
other investigation. It looks like a
suicide, so it must be a suicide, and no other investigation is conducted.
This type of preconceived investigation results in fewer
photographs being taken, witness statements not being completed, evidence not
being searched for or collected, and the integrity of the scene is destroyed.
It’s not only suicide this can happen on, but reported
natural deaths and accidents can also inadvertently be short cut if responding
officers conclude their investigation based upon the initial reported
call. If then, at a later time, the death
becomes suspicious, the officer’s reports and any investigative documentation
will be lacking valuable information needed for future investigations. The tendency is for the uniformed officer to
write the final report and collect the evidence necessary to fit the narrative
given to him by the initial call.
5. Failing to Take Sufficient Photographs
In today’s world of digital photography, photos are cheap
and easy to obtain. Back when I started in this business, we used Polaroid™
instant photography and 35mm film cameras.
These were expensive, and some departments wanted to limit
“unnecessary” photographs in an attempt to stretch the budget. That’s
not the case today since hundreds of photographs can be taken and stored nearly
free of charge.
Photos are a way to document the scene and to freeze that
scene in time. They are used in court when necessary and may prove or disprove
a fact in question. Therefore, it is
vital that photographs be taken of the entire scene, area, and location where
the crime took place, including any sites connected to the original crime.
Remember, you only get one chance at your first chance to document a scene.
6. Failing to Manage the Crime Scene Process
The investigator in charge should oversee the investigation
and scene documentation. He or she should ensure proper chain of custody and
documentation of evidence. They are in charge of maintaining scene integrity.
Never allow officers to use the restroom within the residence, or take food or
drink from the kitchen. Never allow smoking in the investigative area, never
bring food or drink into the scene from an outside source, and always keep
non-essential personnel out of the scene area. Designate an area for them to
congregate if needed, but it should never be inside your primary scene area.
Lead investigators must also direct crime scene personnel on
where and what they are to collect. Many CSI staff are well trained and have a
good idea of what needs to be done. However, since each scene is unique, the
investigator in charge must ensure evidence is adequately searched for and
collected.
The victim’s body should always be inspected and searched
for trace evidence prior to being moved or taken from the scene. Not doing so
can result in loss of valuable evidence and leave many unanswered
questions.
Also, and I cannot stress this enough, do not allow anyone
to cover the body with anything found at or near the scene! I’ve arrived on death scenes to find victims
covered with blankets officers found on beds, sheets from nearby laundry
baskets or coats covering victims’ faces to preserve their dignity. If the body is found outdoors, barriers
should be used. Using anything to
“add” to and subsequently alter the initial crime scene is always
harmful to the investigation. Don’t do it and don’t allow it.
Always stop and look around the scene; look up as much as
around. See what is missing or what isn’t.
What looks right about the scene, and what looks wrong? Is what you are seeing matching what you are
being told? Never leave a scene until
you are confident every answer to any question you may have has been answered
or documented. Remember, this is your only first chance.
7. Failing to Evaluate Victimology
Victimology is the collection and assessment of any
significant information as it pertains to the victim and his or her lifestyle.
It is imperative that investigators know the victim and that they complete a
victimology study. You cannot properly investigate a death without
victimology. Failing to have a complete
picture of the victim will preclude you from developing motives, suspects, and
risk factors unique to the victim. These risk factors are usually regarded as
high, moderate, or low and based on lifestyle, living conditions, job skills,
neighborhood, or anything specific to the victim.
This information
includes areas such as personality, employment, education, friends, habits,
hobbies, marital status, relationships, dating history, sexuality, reputation,
criminal record, drug and/or alcohol use, and physical condition as well as
facts about the area they grew up in and if different, the one they resided in
at the time of their death.
Ultimately you need to find out, in great detail, who the
victim was and what was going on at the time of their death. The best source of
information will be friends, family, employers, and neighbors. Your goal is to
get to know the victim even better than they knew themselves.
8. Failing to Conduct and Efficient Area Canvass Properly
First,
understand the terms “area canvass” and “neighborhood
canvass” may be used interchangeably.
They are interviews conducted in the field, as opposed to statements
taken on the scene or in the station. I will admit that conducting an area
canvass can be tedious and very time-consuming. Sometimes, hundreds of contacts can be made without unveiling one
shred of usable information. However, it is that one exhilarating jewel that is
occasionally discovered that makes the process so rewarding.
There are right and wrong
ways to conduct an area canvass that will yield better results for the efforts
put out.
Ideally, patrol personnel
and plainclothes detectives should perform separate canvasses. Some individuals respond more readily to an
authority figure in a uniform, while others prefer the anonymity of the
detective’s plain clothes. Since it is
impossible to know who will respond more willingly to either approach, both
should be employed. This technique will
give the investigator the greatest chance of getting vital information.
The canvass may
be conducted
in an area near the crime scene or, conceivably, hundreds of miles away from
it. In the aftermath of a bank robbery, for example, the getaway
vehicle may be located several counties, or even states, away. Two
canvasses should, therefore, be undertaken: one at the original crime scene
(the bank) and one at the secondary scene (the vehicle). If a suspect is
developed, it may be advisable to perform an additional area canvass in the
neighborhood where that person resides to learn about his/her reputation and
habits. A complex case may require that a number of area canvasses
are completed at various locations.
The primary
goal of a neighborhood canvass is, of course, to locate a witness to the crime.
It is this promise of the elusive witness that motivates the investigator.
However, it is not only the “eye” witness you seek. On occasion, it
may be just as significant to discover an “ear witness.” Someone who
may have heard a threatening remark heard gunshots or even heard how and in
which direction the perpetrator fled.
This information can point the case in the right
direction. A witness who hears a homicide subject flee in a vehicle
with a loud muffler, for example, could be furnishing a valuable
lead. Likewise, intimidating or threatening statements the witness
may have overheard could refute a subsequent claim of self-defense. In an officer-involved shooting incident, a
witness who hears the officer yell “stop, police!” or “drop the
gun!” is invaluable to the investigation.
Just as crucial as the eye-witness or the ear-witness is the “witness-who-knows-a-witness.” Even though this person may not have first-hand
knowledge of the crime, he or she can direct investigators to a person who does
and is, therefore, of great value.
9. Failing to Work Together as a Team
As with any crime scene, cooperation is critical among differing
agencies. But with a death scene, this cooperation is ever more important and
ever more strained. Due to the increased
severity of the scene, the spotlight, and egos, these scenes can become a
disaster quickly. Therefore teamwork is vital, and it is the lead investigators
role to set a tone of cooperation and teamwork.
One of the most significant issues in a major case is the failure
to communicate information to those working the case. Some agencies seem to
want to keep what they know to themselves. This primarily occurs from egos and
“turf wars,” which will compromise an effective outcome. Everyone involved in the investigation has
information gathered from the jobs they were assigned and a lack of
communication or an unwillingness to share information discovered for evaluation
can prevent the entire team from finding the truth and bringing the case to a
conclusion. It’s imperative to remember
that the cases you work aren’t about you, but are for the victim, the family
and, at times the protection of society.
A baseball game is won when everyone playing does his or her job
and supports every other player in getting their job done. Imagine the
bottom of the 9th, the game is tied and the next ball’s hit to the pitcher who
misses but scoops it up, sits down, and refuses to throw or let anyone else
take the baseball from them. The pitcher
did their job and pitched, but the refusal to share the “scoop” with
their teammates resulted in a complete failure for everyone.
10. Command and Administrative Staff Interfering
One of the most frustrating mistakes at a death scene
investigation is when command staff show up on the scene with their own agendas
which have nothing to do with the actual investigation. Sometimes it’s for
political appearance or simple curiosity. But unless they are an actual part of
the investigative team, they should not insert themselves into the
investigation.
In many instances, because they’re at the scene, command ranking
personnel feel the need to direct the investigation. Consequently, they will
have investigators running in different directions which have nothing to do
with the primary investigation. The result is the loss of cohesive and central
command and major miscommunication. Many times, in these situations no one is
willing to step up, make decisions and take control for fear of making the boss
mad. The chaos continues and the investigation is compromised, and when the
outcome is delayed or not favorable, the command personnel directly responsible
for the chaos will not see that they were the cause, but rather, the blame may
fall on the lead investigator.
Conclusion
Death investigations are not always simple step by step cutouts.
They require real attention and specific actions to protect the investigation
integrity. Many of the mistakes mentioned here are from shortcutting and not
taking seriously the gravity of the scene you are working. Our job as death investigators, regardless of
what function that is, is to get the truth for the victim and bring justice to
anyone responsible for their death, if in fact, anyone is responsible. Developing and following strict procedures at
every death scene will ensure that investigations are worked properly, and
evidence is not missed.
Reference: Vernon J. Geberth,
Practical Homicide Investigation Fifth Edition, (CRC Press 2015)
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Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
Medicolegal Death Investigation Scene Kit
This exclusive first of its kind Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) kit contains all the items you need to document and collect evidence from the most important piece of evidence at any death scene – The Body. Designed for Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, and anyone responsible to investigate and process a death.
This kit is equipped to collect fragile evidence such as DNA and fibers, take post-mortem temperatures, document the scene through photography and sketching, as well as properly collect transport, and store material evidence.
This MLDI Kit can be used in large agencies for multiple MDI’s or one single kit for smaller agencies. Packaged in a sturdy Pelican carry case with custom dividers and a pocketed pouch system. Built strong to withstand the demands from scene to scene.
The Death Investigation Training Academy was founded to play an integral role in the death investigation community. The need for quality accredited training is in short supply and high demand. Using a combination of classroom training, live on site scenario exercises, and web-based training, the Death Investigation Training Academy is filling the need of 21st-century investigators.
Postmortem fingerprint collection is a routine part of many forensic death investigations. Although the production of postmortem prints is usually straight forward, several obstacles and scenarios can make the collection difficult. A common challenge occurs when finger pads are mummified. Several current techniques allow for softening and rehydration of mummified finger pads; however, despite the employment of such techniques, the production of adequate postmortem fingerprints can remain difficult.
The Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner has earned national recognition for breakthrough work with fingerprinting unidentified bodies of people, including border crossers, who have died in the desert.
In arid conditions such as Southern Arizona’s desert, it doesn’t take long to run out of water. This, as well as sickness, injuries and other accidents, can lead to fatalities and the dehydration process doesn’t stop after death. Many of the bodies brought to the PCOME’s well lit, tiled hallways have begun to mummify.
When nobody knows who the person was, mummification makes identification an even greater challenge.
It’s possible to rehydrate the tissue using sodium hydroxide. The process can take up to 72 hours and requires a mixture of attention and patience.
If printing is attempted too soon, the prints are still distorted — but waiting too long can mean permanently losing the fingerprints.
“The risk again is always you can dissolve the tissue if your solution’s the wrong concentration or you leave the tissue in the solution for too long and that kind of thing,” Hess said. “So we have a fairly rigid process.”
It was a process that Hernandez began helping to develop after he started working at the PCOME in 2000.
This article was an excerpt from a full article by the Tucson Sentinel January 2014, read the full article HERE
To hear the full story with Gene Hernandez with Pima County Arizona on how this process works listen to this episode.
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Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
Medicolegal Death Investigation Scene Kit
This exclusive first of its kind Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) kit contains all the items you need to document and collect evidence from the most important piece of evidence at any death scene – The Body. Designed for Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, and anyone responsible to investigate and process a death.
This kit is equipped to collect fragile evidence such as DNA and fibers, take post-mortem temperatures, document the scene through photography and sketching, as well as properly collect transport, and store material evidence.
This MLDI Kit can be used in large agencies for multiple MDI’s or one single kit for smaller agencies. Packaged in a sturdy Pelican carry case with custom dividers and a pocketed pouch system. Built strong to withstand the demands from scene to scene.
The Death Investigation Training Academy was founded to play an integral role in the death investigation community. The need for quality accredited training is in short supply and high demand. Using a combination of classroom training, live on site scenario exercises, and web-based training, the Death Investigation Training Academy is filling the need of 21st-century investigators.
On December 29, 1999, high school friends Lauria Jaylene Bible and Ashley Renae Freeman spent the evening together celebrating Freeman’s sixteenth birthday. Bible received permission from her parents to spend the night at Freeman’s home. Earlier that day, the girls had spent time at a local pizza restaurant with Kathy Freeman.
At approximately 5:30 am on December 30, 1999, a passerby called 911 reporting that the Freeman home was engulfed in flames. Law enforcement determined the fire had been an arson. Inside the home, the charred remains of Kathy Freeman were discovered lying on the floor of her bedroom; she had been shot in the head. Initially, no other remains were relocated, leading local law enforcement to believe Dan Freeman had killed his wife and fled with both teenage girls. Lauria’s parked car was in the driveway of the home with the keys in the ignition.
On December 31, Lauria’s parents Lorene and Jay Bible returned to the scene, hoping to find additional clues law enforcement may have missed. While walking through the rubble, they discovered what appeared to be another body, and called police. The second body was determined to be that of Dan Freeman, Ashley’s father; like his wife, he had also been shot in the head. After this discovery, the scene was reexamined, but no sign of Lauria Bible or Ashley Freeman was found. In 2010, the Freeman family initiated court proceedings to have Ashley declared legally dead
Suspects and confessions
In the decade following the disappearance of Bible of Freeman, two convicted killer—Tommy Lynn Sells and Jeremy Jones—confessed to murdering them, but subsequently recanted their admissions. Jones had claimed that he murdered Dan and Kathy Freeman as a favor for a friend over drug debt, then took the girls to Kansas, where he sot them and threw their bodies into an abandoned mine. Searches of the mine Jones identified proved unfruitful, however, and Jones subsequently admitted he had fabricated the story in order to get better food and additional phone privileges in prison
In a 2001 profile on Unsolved Mysteries, it was mentioned that rumors had circulated among locals that the Craig County Police Department had been feuding with the Freemans at the time over the death of their son, Shane, who was shot by a deputy after stealing a car. While his death was ruled justifiable, the Freemans had threatened to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Dan Freeman’s brother, Dwayne, claimed that Dan had confided that deputies had tried to intimidate him.
In this episode, I talk with Jax Miller and Sarah Cailean as to their involvement in this ongoing investigation and how Jax, as a true crime writer, and Sarah, as a police investigator, team up to uncover new clues and sparked the attention of Law Enforcement which moves this case forward.
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Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
Medicolegal Death Investigation Scene Kit
This exclusive first of its kind Medicolegal Death Investigation (MLDI) kit contains all the items you need to document and collect evidence from the most important piece of evidence at any death scene – The Body. Designed for Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, and anyone responsible to investigate and process a death.
This kit is equipped to collect fragile evidence such as DNA and fibers, take post-mortem temperatures, document the scene through photography and sketching, as well as properly collect transport, and store material evidence.
This MLDI Kit can be used in large agencies for multiple MDI’s or one single kit for smaller agencies. Packaged in a sturdy Pelican carry case with custom dividers and a pocketed pouch system. Built strong to withstand the demands from scene to scene.
The Death Investigation Training Academy was founded to play an integral role in the death investigation community. The need for quality accredited training is in short supply and high demand. Using a combination of classroom training, live on site scenario exercises, and web-based training, the Death Investigation Training Academy is filling the need of 21st-century investigators.
The term every scene every time is certainly not new and is
not unique to me. This term is credited to Steven C. Clark, Ph.D. of Occupational
Research and Assessment, Inc. The term was first used in a 1999 NIJ research
study setting out guidelines for death scene investigation and has since been
updated to a 2011 revision.
However, regardless of who first said it, the term is reelevate today as any time and needs to be explored regularly. Many agencies have checklist and guidelines to help investigators properly complete an investigation and some are very detailed in their approach. The NIJ guidelines are a bit broader and are meant to establish investigative tasks that should be performed at every death. The direct quote from the publication is:
The
principal purpose of the study, initiated in June 1996, was to identify,
delineate, and assemble a set of investigative tasks that should and could be
performed at every death scene. These tasks would serve as the foundation of
the guide for death scene investigators……..
In this podcast, I break down the areas outlined by the NIJ publication. Each section has several points and will establish a path of investigation for every death scene. With these basic foundations, an investigator can insert their local policies and ensure a complete and appropriate investigation every time.
Every crime scene presents unique obstacles for the investigator, but in a death investigation, three elements will always exist to some degree. These three elements make up the investigative triangle.
Although independent in nature – they are interdependent in the investigation. A complete and accurate investigation cannot be accomplished without weaving these three elements together.
These elements are
The Scene
The Body
The History
The Scene
The scene of every death contains facts of the story. Regardless of the amount of actual physical evidence, the scene does tell a portion of the story; every scene must be worked slowly and methodically. It is our responsibility to listen to that story and let the evidence and subsequent facts, complete the story. The scene may be one location, or many. Evidence can be overwhelming in scope, or minimal at best.
Cooperation between police investigators and the Coroner/ ME offices is critical. Each agencies has a major, and no less important, function in the overall investigation of any death scene. Agencies should have an attitude of cooperation and communicate each other’s roles clearly prior to any scene presenting itself. Neither agency can properly perform their function without the information and cooperation of the other.
The Body
The body is the most important piece of evidence of any death scene. Without a body, you have do not a death scene, (even if the body is presumed dead and ordered so by the courts) . Information from the body is what directs the investigation. First, there must be a body. Then a determination of cause and manner will direct further investigation. Evidence such as recovered bullets, wound patterns, DNA, wound type and trajectory, are just the basic information located within the body. In most states, the Coroner/ME investigators have complete control of the body and everything associated with it. Although it is part of the scene, it is a scene within itself. Here again is where prior communication and complete cooperation is a must between agencies. Questions such as collecting evidence, initial photographs, movement of the body, and access for time of death determination needs to have an attitude of cooperation.
History
Decedent history is the third element of the investigative triangle and an equally important aspect of every death investigation. Anti-mortem activity should be known of every decedent to establish the activities immediately prior to death; although that time frame can be minutes or hours. An effort must be made to obtain medical history, psychological history, as well as social and sexual history, any and all of these can yield information necessary to establish cause and manner, as well as establish a suspect.
In this episode:
This episode is a panel discussion of the three elements of the investigative triangle and how best to approach each one. I have included two experts from different parts of the United States as well as differing primary roles of investigation as well as myself; to discuss at length this investigative triangle approach to death investigation.
Everette Baxter Jr.
Supervising Crime Scene Investigator with the Oklahoma City, OK Police Department
Coroners, Medical Examiner Investigators, Police, and Forensic students. This hybrid course looks at death investigation from a combined perspective of law enforcement and medicolegal death investigations.
MLDI online Academy is a Nationally Accredited online training designed to teach all aspects of death investigation and scene management. Unlike any other coroner training today, this course offers a blended learning style combining online self-paced video training, along with opportunities for live interaction with instructors several times throughout the program, and a unique private Facebook group open only to students of Coroner School™ where everyone can interact and ask questions.
MLDI online Academy is a six-week guided course with certified instructors. However, at the end of the six weeks, you still have access to all videos, downloadable material, and the private Facebook group. You can return to the online school anytime to finish up the courses or as a refresher in certain topic areas.
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