Download FORENSICS

FORENSICS

RELATING TO OR USED IN LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS OR
ARGUMENTATION
What does “FORENSIC” mean?

Comes from Latin forens
Which comes from forum

Forum—ancient Roman gathering
place for legal and public business

MEDICAL EXAMINER

All sudden or unexpected deaths and all
deaths that may be due entirely, or in
part, to any factor other than natural
disease must be reported to the ME for
evaluation
AUTOPSY

CAUSE OF DEATH





NATURAL
HOMICIDE
SUICIDE
ACCIDENT
UNDETERMINED
TOXICOLOGY

STUDY OF
POISONS
RIGOR MORTIS

MANIFESTS WITHIN THE FIRST 24
HOURS

DISAPPEARS WITHIN 36 HOURS

MUSCLES BECOME RIGID
LIVOR MORTIS

BLOOD SETTLES IN PARTS OF THE
BODY CLOSEST TO THE GROUND

APPEAR DARK BLUE OR PURPLE
ALGOR MORTIS

COOLING OF THE BODY

INFLUENCED BY FACTORS OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
BLOOD STAIN PATTERN
ANALYSIS
A DROP OF BLOOD WILL FORM A
PERFECT CIRCLE UNTIL SOMETHING
HAPPENS TO IT
 INTRODUCE AN ANGLE AND IT
BECOMES A TEAR DROP SHAPE

WHAT CAN IT TELL YOU?
Position of victim/suspect
 Evidence of a struggle
 Areas where blood isn’t
 Sequence of events—body moved?
 How many impacts and from what
direction
 Was scene altered?

Whether stains or patterns are consistent
with statements
 May determine other information that
eliminates other avenues of investigation


DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

TARGET SURFACE
SURFACE CAN CHANGE BLOOD
SPATTERING
 LOW VELOCITY SPATTER—WOUND
ON ARM DRIPPING
 MEDIUM VELOCITY SPATTER—
BLUNT TRAUMA
 HIGH VELOCITY SPATTER-GUNSHOT

FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

IDENTIFICATION OF THE HUMAN
SKELETAL REMAINS
WHAT CAN BE DETERMINED?

AGE AT DEATH

SEX OF SKELETON

RACE AND STATURE
FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGY

STUDY OF INSECTS

90 species of blow-flys will find a body
with minutes

Entomologists understand bugs life cycle
and calculate the time required to get to
those stages to determine time of death
FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE LAW
FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY

TEETH ARE COMPOSED OF ENAMAL,
THE HARDEST SUBSTANCE IN THE
BODY
HOW MANY TEETH DO WE
HAVE??


ADULT-------32

CHILD-------20
ANATOMY OF A TOOTH

CROWN

NECK

ROOT
FORENSIC ENGINEERING

FAILURE ANALYSIS, ACCIDENT
RECONSTRUCTION, CAUSES OF
FIRES OR EXPLOSIONS

“YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO
DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, SO
YOU’D BETTER DO IT RIGHT. IN
SHORT, IF YOU THINK OF IT—DO
IT—OR HAVE A GOOD REASON WHY
YOU DIDN’T. BECAUSE IF YOU
DON’T, SOMEONE—WHO GETS PAID
CONSIDERABLEY MORE THAN YOU
AND BY THE HOUR—WILL ASK WHY

YOU DIDN’T. AND A JURY WILL BE
WATCHING”