The Role of the Pathologist at the Scene of the Crime

Usher, Alan

doi:10.1016/s0015-7368(70)70611-7

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Den retsmedicinske findestedsundersøgelse kan bidrage til hurtigt at afklare, om et mistaenkeligt dødsfald er et drab (Usher, 1970). Det er vigtigt, både for politiets ressourceprioritering og fordi en hurtig efterforskning af drab fører til en højere opklaringsprocent (Carter and Carter, 2016).…”

Section: Diskussionunclassified

Retsmedicinske findestedsundersøgelser

Mygind Leth,

Hovvang,

Hedegård Thomsen

2023

NTfK

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During the years 2000 to 2020 the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of Southern Denmark performed 293 medical crime scene investigations in Southern Denmark involving 320 deceased (200 men). The medical examiner was called out in homicides (24%), suspicious cases (58%), fire related deaths (15%) and bone findings (2%). The medical examiner was responsible for the medical examination of corpses in cooperation with the crime scene technicians. The goal was to determine the cause of death, the manner and mechanism of death, and the time of death. Most were autopsied after the crime scene investigation. The scene was considered suspicious if displacedor broken furniture, or bloodstains, were found. Actions by alcohol or drug intoxicated individuals may resemble a crime scene. Blood stains can arise from natural causes. Suicide by stabbing or shooting may give rise to a suspicious scene, as may deaths during autoerotic procedures and deaths due to hypothermia. Most crime scenes were indoors, but a quarter occurred outside. The deceased included a high proportion of individuals with chronic alcoholism (36%) and many suffered from psychiatric disease (23%). Based on autopsy, manner of death was determined to have been homicide (30%), accident (27%), suicide (18%), natural death (14%) and unknown causes (6%). 5% was not autopsied.The pattern of lesions are important in determining the mechanism of death, but must always be viewed in relation to findings at the scene and the deceased’s history. Medical crime scene investigation underwent improvements during the period, most notably the introduction of DNA-trace analysis. Photo and video documentation also improved.Photogrammetry and the use of drones are being introduced.

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Section: Diskussionunclassified

Retsmedicinske findestedsundersøgelser

Mygind Leth,

Hovvang,

Hedegård Thomsen

2023

NTfK

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“…Because reconstruction takes place some time after the occurrence of the initial events, significant amounts of data gathered by all the intervening parties are available for evaluation (Price, 1967;Usher, 1970). Successful reconstruction leads to an understanding of the actual course of events that took place.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

3. The Reconstruction: a Useful Tool in Forensic Sciences

Brandt-Casadevall¹,

Krompecher²,

Mangin³

2001

Med Sci Law

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The intervention of a forensic pathologist may be required at any stage of a judicial investigation. Clearly, he or she plays an important role at a crime scene and later on during the examination of the body. But the forensic pathologist's contribution is equally important during reconstruction, which is most frequently called for in cases of violent deaths, homicides in particular. However, reconstruction may also be very useful in cases of less importance in terms of criminal law. It requires little investment and can provide precious evidence. In the two cases presented here we were able to exclude, respectively, the presumption of the adulteration of a blood sample taken for alcohol dosage and the accidental origin of an attempted murder. In fact, reconstruction may be a valuable procedure in any event requiring the participation of a forensic expert.

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Scene of Death

Toit-Prinsloo¹,

Irvine²

2023

Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences, Third Edition

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The Role of the Pathologist at the Scene of the Crime

Cited by 4 publications

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Retsmedicinske findestedsundersøgelser

Retsmedicinske findestedsundersøgelser

3. The Reconstruction: a Useful Tool in Forensic Sciences

Scene of Death

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