Forensics Photography Crime scene photography, also called forensic photography, has been around almost as long as the camera itself. Investigators quickly realized that such technology could freeze time — creating a supposedly incontestable record of a crime scene, a piece of evidence or even a body. Today, forensic photographs are essential for investigating and prosecuting…
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Midweek training episodes are short-focused training to help you become a better investigator and human. These short tips are a production of the Coroner Talk podcast and the Death Investigation Training Academy. Training tips are given each week by an Academy instructor or industry peer.
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Hoarding is a psychological condition that results in a person accumulating an enormous amount of trash and things of little-to-no value, or worse, more animals than can be properly cared for. Hoarding of any kind can pose several dangers to the occupant and neighbors, and certainly to animals if they are involved. These hazards can be deadly, and…
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In this episode Darren has a conversation with a student about spontaneous suicide. They discuss what it is and does it really exist. Referred to sometimes as Acute Suicide or Impulsive Suicide, the debate is whether there are suicide deaths by people who just decide for no apparent reason to end their life and no…
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After having to identify her husband by his severed head, Jan Canty started a life journey of discovering what being a survivor of violent crime is like. In this episode we discuss the crime that changed her life forever and what she has done to survive this journey. One accomplishment is her new book What Now…
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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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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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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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