As investigators and “public servants” you are living in a glass fish bowl; everyone is watching us. This may not be a popular statement but its true, its not just your job performance but your personal life as well. It’s often said that no other profession demands a higher ethical standards than that of law…
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Your investigation is only as good as the report that supports it. The coroner’s report focuses on a medical examination or autopsy of the body at a morgue and on the scene, to determine the cause of death. But investigators with the coroner’s office also frequently gather other information, such as interviewing family members, acquaintances of the…
Read MoreAn external body examination of a decedent is essential at two stages in the forensic science process. The first time an external examination is carried out is upon discovery of a corpse. At this point the body should be checked for visible signs of injury and those injuries that are most likely to have caused subsequent…
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The use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumbler and Instagram in a Coroner’s office is often looked at as taboo at best and forbidden by most. But lets look at another side of the proverbial coin and see where social media can play a valuable role in the operation and community engagement…
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What is a Medicolegal Death Investigator? The role of the medicolegal death investigator is to investigate any death that falls under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner, including all suspicious, violent, unexplained and unexpected deaths. The medicolegal death investigator is responsible for the dead person, whereas the local law enforcement jurisdiction is responsible…
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Compassion v. Security. Police officers have the unique job of showing compassion to family and friends at the scene of a death while maintaining good scene security. This can be a slippery slope if not approached correctly. So what is your number one goal; compassion or security – and can you be successful in both?…
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Forensic anthropology is the analysis of skeletal, badly decomposed, or otherwise unidentified human remains, and is important in both legal and humanitarian contexts. Forensic anthropologists apply standard scientific techniques developed in physical anthropology to analyze human remains, and to aid in the detection of crime. In addition to assisting in locating and recovering human skeletal remains, forensic anthropologists…
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Ethnography is the study of cultures through close observation, reading, and interpretation. Ethnographic researchers work “in the field,” in the culture which they are studying. The activities they conduct are also often called fieldwork. Ethnographers define the word “culture” in broader terms, as a patterned behavior or way of life of a group of people….
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In most cases it’s as much, or more, about the technique than the equipment when it comes to crime scene videography. Forensic video production is valuable for showing an overview of the crime scene and should be considered in major cases. While video cannot replace still photographs due to its lower resolution, video does provide an…
Read MoreCertain routine steps are taken in investigating fatal injury inflicted by a firearm either as a result of foul play or accident.’ A fatal gunshot case presents many challenging medicolegal problems which involve cooperation among the forensic pathologist, firearms identification expert, laboratory technician and the police. The belief that an “expert” can view the body and without…
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