Forensic Pathology for Police - Brainshare Public Online Library

Duties of Death Investigators 55
history, drug use history, psychiatric history, employment status, recent activities
and state of mind, relationship issues, etc. should also be obtained. Other items of
importance include the time that the death was officially pronounced, where the
person died, whether or not an injury occurred, the position of body, the condition
of the body, evidence of postmortem changes, environmental information, and
when and where the person was last known to be alive. In order to obtain many of
these items of information, investigators must interview family members, healthcare
providers, witnesses and first responders. Obtaining copies of medical records,
including Emergency Medical Service documents, is necessary (Disc Image 4.1). If
possible, a scene investigation should be performed.
Scene Investigation
If resources are sufficient and the circumstances of death so dictate, it is ideal for
death investigators to perform a scene investigation (Figs. 4.1, 4.2). This is particularly
relevant if the body remains at the scene of death, and has not been transported
to the hospital during attempts at resuscitation; however, a scene investigation can be
vitally important and provide valuable information even if the body has been transported
to the hospital. If a body is pronounced dead at the scene (as opposed to after
transport to the hospital), many death investigation systems require a scene investigation.
Others have various protocols as to which case types absolutely require a
scene investigation (whether or not the body is present at the scene). Case types that
should always have a scene investigation include all confirmed or suspected homicides,
suicides, accidents, child deaths, traffic-related deaths, in-custody deaths, and
workplace-related deaths.
Fig. 4.1 A very important part of the initial investigation of a death is the scene investigation. In
this scene photograph, the exact location of the decedent’s body is documented prior to moving
the body