Autoerotic deaths are accidental deaths that occur during solitary sexual activity in which some type of apparatus that was used to enhance the sexual stimulation of the deceased caused the unintentional death. These deaths are accidental, they are not suicides as some have thought. The practitioner does not intend to die as a result of…
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This first hand true account of one of the most horrific murders in Canadian history gives us an insight rarely gained into the mind of a murderer and the forensics and documentation that goes into the prosecution of a murder of this caliber. Dan Zupanksy was a prime witness in this case because of his…
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Defining Time of Death There are several times of death. Let me repeat that—there are several times of death. Time of death seems to be a simple and straightforward term that obviously means the exact time that the victim drew his last breath. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. There are actually three different times…
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Stephanie Payne, author of The Sandbox Wars, talks about the battles that can occur when end of life planning is not completed. As Coroners, Medical Examiners, and death investigators we can be faced with families unprepared for a death of a loved one. You may also be faced with the “long lost” family member that…
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Critical Role of Managers and Administrators in a Medical Examiner/Coroner Office Paul R. Parker III, B.S., D-ABMDI Overview There is no greater honor than writing the last chapter of someone’s life story. As medicolegal death investigators, that is what we do and, for the most part, we do it well. With seemingly innumerable courses, electronic…
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The scene of an autoerotic death can hold a wide variety of problems and issues for the investigator. Filled with deceiving information and abnormal behavior, these scenes offer challenges to even the most seasoned investigator. However, it is vital that you get these scenes worked correctly. First and foremost, it is your job to get…
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Predicting the postmortem interval of a decedent is a major task of law enforcement. Most methods implemented by death investigators rely on qualitative information (i.e. rigor mortis, livor mortis). Microbes represent 99% of somatic cells in and on a human body. No data are available on the use of these organisms to predict the time…
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Forensic entomology is the study of insects for medico-legal purposes. There are many ways insects can be used to help solve a crime, but the primary purpose of forensic entomology is estimating time since death. Once a person dies his or her body starts to decompose. The decomposition of a dead body starts with the action…
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