Pathology - Forensic Science - Lecture Slides, Slides of Forensics

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 CORPUS DELICTI“ Body of the Crime”

 You must prove: › that a crime occurred › that the person charged with the crime was responsible for the crime

 Top Reasons for Committing a Crime › Money › Revenge › Sex › Emotion--love, hate, anger

 Source of Evidence › Body › Primary and/or Secondary Crime Scene › Suspect(s)

 1st Degree Murder--premeditated

 2nd Degree Murder--killed intentionally, but not thought out as much ahead of time

 Voluntary Manslaughter--usually involves sudden passion (fear, rage, anger, terror)

 Involuntary Manslaughter (criminally negligent homicide)--killed someone, but unintentionally

 Class--common to a group of objects or persons › ABO Blood Typing

 Individual--can be identified with a particular person or source. › Blood DNA Typing

 No easy definition

 Cessation of heartbeat vs no brain activity

 Questionable Death-as determined

by the coroner

 Homicide

 Drowning

 Auto Accidents

 Death of a child

 Yes

 A medical examiner is a forensic pathologist (MD)who conducts autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death. (Occasionally, they also examine injured victims that are still living)

 Coroners are elected officials usually without a medical degree. They usually rely on someone trained in pathology

 Medical examiners determine both the cause and the manner of death.

 Cause---refers to the actual medical or forensic reason that the individual died

 Manner---how the death was accomplished

 If a person was strangled to death

› Cause—asphyxiation › Manner---homicide

 Which is the most common manner of death?

 Underlying cause

 If someone develops cancer after having been exposed to large amounts of radiation. › COD---Cancer › Proximate COD ---radiation exposure

 After death a body goes through a series of changes

 Algor Mortis

 Rigor Mortis

 Livor Mortis

 Stomach contents

 Insect activity

 Vitreous Humor testing

 If the body continues undiscovered for days it will enter a “bloated” state.

 Bacteria release gases inside the body in a process called putrefaction.

 The body becomes very hot during this time (up t0 127 degrees)

 Eventually the body will crack and release the gases. The temperature will then return to normal

 The stiffening of the body in response to a lack of oxygen being pumped to muscle cells

 Helps to establish TOD

 Begins about 2 hours after death and is completely set within 12 hours of death.

 Begins in the eyelids and lower jaw and spreads down the body.

 Disappears about 36 hours post mortem