Honors Forensic Science. I. Forensic Pathology A. Pathology = branch of medicine associated with...
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![Page 1: Honors Forensic Science. I. Forensic Pathology A. Pathology = branch of medicine associated with the study of structural changes caused by disease or.](https://reader034.fdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051115/56649e105503460f94afabfd/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
FORENSIC PATHOLOGYHonors Forensic Science
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I. Forensic Pathology
A. Pathology = branch of medicine associated with the study of structural changes caused by disease or injury
B. Pathologist = medical doctor who specializes in determining how disease affects the body
C. Forensic just adds the legal aspect to field
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II. Coroner vs. Medical Examiner
A. Coroner i. Usually elected official Ii. Does not have to be a doctor
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b. Medical Examiner
i. Often have both law enforcement and quasi-judicial powers
Ii. Operate out of centralized offices Iii. Usually attends crime scenes
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Iv. Duties 1. find evidence 2. preserve evidence 3. report accurately 4. also decides who gets autopsied
A. Traumatic B. Unusual C. Sudden D. unexpected
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II. Autopsy
A. Purpose – observe and make a permanent legal record as soon as possible of the gross and minute anatomical peculiarities of recently deceased body
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b. Goals
i. Determine identity of decedent Ii. Determine cause of death – direct
agent that leads to death (ex. Bullet, poison)
Iii. Determine manner of death 1. Accident 2. Suicide 3. Murder 4. natural
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Iv. Determine mechanism/mode of death – what happened to body as a result of its run-in with the cause (ex. Bullet tears hole in aorta and blood fills chest cavity)
V. Determine time of death
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C. ME/Pathologist protocol in approaching body for autopsy
i. Visual inspection Ii. Injury inspection Iii. Internal exam Iv. Presentation to other experts V. Reconciliation of exhibits Vi. Presentation of findings (autopsy
reports)
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d. Visual Inspection
i. Prior to this blood sample taken, x-rays, weight and measurements are done
Ii. Begins with clothed or nude body depending on circumstances at time of death
Iii. Body is photographed with attention to unusual details
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Iv. Trace evidence is collected
V. Clothing is removed and each piece is air-dried and packaged separately for processing with descriptions
Vi. Head hair combed
Vii. Rape kit may be done
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Viii. Body openings examined
Ix. Hands (should have been bagged at scene) examined – ex. Damaged nails, nail scrapings, GSR
X. Fingerprint/footprint cards
Xi. Entomological samples collected
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Xii. Notes of injuries and photos
Xiii. Overall conditions of body noted
Xiv. May use special lights to see bruises etc.
Xv. Body mark documentation – tattoos, scars
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e. Injury Inspection – commonly seen injuries and causes of death i. Asphyxia
1. insufficient amounts of oxygen reach the brain or other organs
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2. Natural causes
A. Disease that cause the respiratory system to shut down i. Ex. Emphysema Ii. Pneumonia Iii. Flu Iv. Asthma V. Larynx disorders
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3. Criminal means of asphyxia A. Strangulation
i. Homicide – manually or by ligature – marks on neck are more horizontal than in suicide
Ii. Suicide – generally see marks on neck that curve upwards
Iii. Accidental - rare
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Iv. Characterized by 1. intensive heart congestion – enlarged
heart
2. venous engorgement
3. cyanosis – blue discoloration of lips and fingertips
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b. drowning
i. Results from inhalation of water which causes choking and rapid formation of mucus in throat and windpipe
Ii. Mucus inhibits respiration
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Iii. Characterized by
1. foam cone covering mouth and nose
2. fluids in lungs
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iv. 5 stages of drowning
1. surprise – person is stunned and inhales water
2. holding breath – person tries to hold breath while struggling
3. pink foam – person inhales deeply and pink foam is expelled
4. respiratory arrest – thoracic movement and pupils dilate
5. final struggle – 3-4 quick attempts to breathe and find air
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c. Smothering
i. Occurs when airways are closed by obstructing object
Ii. If soft object – usually no visible sign of trauma expect for small lacerations on lips
Iii. Cyanosis may or may not be present
Iv. Petechial hemorrhage – pin-point blotches or red spots on face, typically around eyes
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ii. Wounds –can often reconstruct what happened from types of wounds 1. Penetrating
A. Bullet wounds i. follow principles of physics Ii. Velocity is most important factor, not
size of bullet Iii. fragmenting ammunition designed to
spread out and hit vital organs
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Iv. High powered rifles more deadly than handguns or shotguns
V. Entry and exit wounds are important
Vi. Entry wound generally smaller than exit
Vii. Often able to identify caliber of weapon from entry wound
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Viii. Often see powder burns 1. held at distance – no other surface
information than wound 2. held on skin – “rim burns” 3. held a few inches away – soot on
wound but no burn – hair may be scorched
4. held a few inches to a few feet away – “stippling”
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b. Stab Wounds
i. Slash wounds 1. look like bullet wounds that graze the
skin 2. hesitation marks – often seen in
suicide cases 3. typically rectangular in shape
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Ii. Incision wounds
1. lengths greater than depth 2. greater amount of sub-surface tissue
exposed in almost oval fashion
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Iii. Puncture Wounds
1. almost no geometric shape, except perhaps circular
2. most distinguishable from clean –cut edges
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Iv. Pre-mortem wounds gape and bleed profusely
V. Post – mortem wounds do not bleed profusely
Vi. If attacker stuck victim and twisted object, more damage is caused and death more likely
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2. Non-penetrating
A. Results from clubbing, kicking, or hitting victims
B. Has a crushing effect on body resulting in contusions, abrasions, lacerations, fractures, or rupture of vital organs
C. Red-blue contusions (bruises) almost always present
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D. Brain contusions
i. Difficult to analyze Ii. Trauma most severe on opposite side
of impact
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E. Wounds to body area take longer to cause death
i. Due to process of subdural hematoma (blood clot) that travels to brain
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iii. Miscellaneous
1. Rape Wounds A. Examination of genital area for signs
of tearing, scratching, or bruising B. Existence of venereal disease and/or
pregnancy C. Foreign pubic hair, blood stains,
seminal stains collected D. Sometimes able to collect DNA
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2. Poisioning/Drugs
A. Usually determinable by looking at discolorations of body i. Cherry-red lividity is sign of carbon
monoxide Ii. Other toxins give off unusual odors Iii,. Needlemarks between fingers and/or
toes suggest drug use Iv. Diagnosis requires toxicological
confirmation
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3. Burn Wounds
A. Caused by heat, a chemical or electricity
B. Often found in “pugilistic” position with clenched fist
C. Heat generally causes the protein in body to contract
D. Electrical burns – occur in pairs; one from point of contact, other from grounding point where current passes out of body
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4. Traffic Fatalities
A. Analyzed to determine if victim was driver, passenger or pedestrian
B. Motorcycle injuries more severe C. Automobile drivers often have
circular impression in chest area D. Passengers normally have
extensive knee and spinal injuries
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E. Pedestrian injuries i. Extensive lower body injuries –
“bumper fractures” Ii. The lower on the leg the “bumper
fracture”, the more likely it is the driver attempted to slow down
Iii. Run-over injuries are distinguishable by amount of compression tissue damage
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f. Internal Exam
i. “Y” incision Ii. Organs removed and examined
for injury and disease and then weighed
Iii. Stomach contents examined – may help determine time of death and tie victim to certain places
Iv. Blood for toxicological screens
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V. Bladder – fluid removed for drug analysis
Vi. Reproductive organs tested for pregnancy
Vii. Generally, organs are replaced unless something is amiss
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Viii. Head 1. eyes/eyelids – sample vitreous fluids 2. hemorrhages may indicate hanging
or strangulation 3. cut off face to examine skull 4. skull opened and brain examined
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IV. Special case autopsy
A. Fetal Death i. A fetus of less than 500 g is
“miscarried” – expelled from mother’s body through natural or traumatic means 1. no autopsy is done and no death
certificate is issued
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Ii. A fetus of more than 500 g is born dead – a still birth
1. in absence of violence or suspicion, a special fetal death certificate is issued with cause of death “non-viability” of fetus
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Iii. A fetus of more than 500 g is born alive and then dies
1. standard death certificate 2. autopsy usually done
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b. exhumations
i. Order to exhume body must be obtained from the court
2. problems – embalmed bodies have had blood drained and replaced with formaldehyde compounds; remains may have skeletonized
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c. Partial bodies/amputations
i. Difficult to establish cause of death if entire body is not present
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V. Autopsy Reports
A. Pathological diagnosis B. Cause of death C. Contributing cause of death –
usually a pre-existing illness or condition
1. ex. Pneumonia or asthma
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D. Mechanism of death i. Usually anything expressible only in
medical jargon Ii. Ex. Lung sacs became obstructed
and could no longer transport oxygen
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E. Immediate cause of death
i. Usually gets at cause of death Ii. Expressed in medical jargon or in
laymans terms Iii. Ex. Asphyxia or wound
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F. Manner of death –
Usually is mechanism plus immediate cause; suicide, homicide, accidental, natural or unknown