Death Scene Investigation

Procedural Guide, Second Edition

Michael S. Maloney

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781138381780
• eBook ISBN: 9781351606585
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Criminal Law
• Index: Law

Those tasked with investigating death scenes come from a variety of backgrounds and varying levels of experience. Whether a homicide detective, crime scene investigator, medico-legal death investigator, coroner or medical examiner, Death Scene Investigation: Procedural Guide, Second Edition provides the investigator best-practice techniques and procedures for almost any death scene imaginable, including for deaths occurring even under the most unusual of circumstances.

This Second Edition is fully updated to include new coverage on shallow graves, human remains at crime scenes, poisonings, expanded coverage of projectile weapons, videography, touch DNA, death notifications, and a newly added chapter dedicated to sexual deaths. In addition, the book serves as an on-scene ready reference which includes instructions on procedure including the initial notification of a death, processing the scene and body, the investigator's role at autopsy, and analyzing the scene indicators to place evidence into context.

Topics discussed include:

• Initial response and scene evaluation
• Death scene management including documentation, sketching, photography, videography, observations, and search procedures
• A special death investigation matrix that walks the investigator though a decision tree to help in ambiguous deaths
• Contains discussion of all manners of death, including accident, suicide, natural and homicide
• Coverage of recovery of human remains from open field, aquatic, and buried sites including estimating the time of death.
• Wound dynamics and mechanisms of injury that covers asphyxiation, sharp and blunt force trauma, chopping injuries; handgun, rifle, and shotgun wounds, electrical injuries, and more

The bulleted format and spiral binding allows for easy use and reference in the field with sections that are self-contained and cross-referenced for quick searches. With its thorough and detailed approach, Death Scene Investigation, Second Edition will be a must-have addition to any crime scene and death investigator's tool kit.

Index

A

Abdominal injuries, 240

Absorption of drugs, 220

Accidental deaths, 10, 25–38, 80

death notifications, 37–38

death scene interviews, 36

death scene processing, 27–34

definition of, 25

evidence commonly associated with, 35

examination of body, 34

initial scene response, 26–27

legal determination of death, 29

outdoor death scenes, 34–35

plan development, 29

poisoning, 214–215

related searches, 35

review of operator training and certification, 35

scene considerations, 27

staged, 236–237

team briefing, 29

worksheets and documentation, 25–26, 33

Acquaintance rape, 264–265

Adipocere development, 150

Adolescents, missing, 247–248

Aerial search, for human remains, 138

Algor mortis, 8, 149–150

Alibi sample, 388–389

Alternate light source (ALS), 267, 380

Amido Black, 402–403

Ancillary scenes, identification of, 9, 279–280

Angled contact wounds, 185–187

Aquatic recovery, of human remains, 137–145

body processing, 145

drift and, 140

general principles, 137

locating remains, 138–143

marine predators and, 145

scene processing, 143–145

worksheets and documentation, 137–138

Arrival, at deat...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Foreword, 1st Edition
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Author
• Section I: Death SCENE Investigation
• Section II: The Medicolegal Death Investigation
• Section III: Recovery of Human Remains
• Section IV: Wound Dynamics and Mechanism of Injury
• Section V: Special Death Investigations
• Section VI: Death Scene Management: Tasks and Responsibilities
• Section VII: Death Scene Evidence Processing
• Section VIII: Death Investigation Checklist and Worksheets
• Appendix A: Universal Precautions for Bloodborne Pathogens
• Appendix B: Bloodstain Pattern Decision Tree
• Appendix C: Druggist Fold
• Death Scene Investigation Decision Tree
• Index