Death Investigation: A Guide for the Scene Investigator - National ...

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Section E: Establishing and Recording Decedent Profile Information .......................................................... 39 1. Document the Discovery History .............................................. 39 2. Determine Terminal Episode History ....................................... 40 3. Document Decedent Medical History ....................................... 41 4. Document Decedent Mental Health History ............................. 42 5. Document Social History .......................................................... 43 Section F: Completing the Scene Investigation ...................................... 45 1. Maintain Jurisdiction Over the Body ........................................ 45 2. Release Jurisdiction of the Body............................................... 46 3. Perform Exit Procedures ........................................................... 47 4. Assist the Family ....................................................................... 48 xi
Foreword: Commentaries on the Need for Guidelines for Death Investigation Commentary Jeanne M. Adkins Representative State Legislature, Colorado Few things in our democracy are as important as ensuring that citizens have confidence in their institutions in a crisis. For many individuals the death of a loved one is just such a crisis. Ensuring that the proper steps and procedures are taken at the scene of that death to reassure family members that the death was a natural one, a suicide, or a homicide is a key element in maintaining citizen confidence in local officials. How local death investigators do their job is crucial to family members who are mourning a loss today and who may be seeking justice tomorrow. Most of us cringe at the idea of death investigations where important steps were omitted that might have led to arrests and ultimately convictions in those deaths. Justice denied breeds contempt for the institutions created to ensure that justice is done. It is with such thoughts in mind that I encourage State legislators to focus some attention on this issue and look at adopting model legislation that establishes death investigation procedures and encourages all local jurisdictions to spend some resources training those on the front lines to follow those procedures. Success in this national effort depends on the initiative of State legislators to take the first steps by making this a priority. xiii
Page 1 and 2: U.S. Department of Justice Office o
Page 3 and 4: National Guidelines A Guide for for
Page 5 and 6: Message From the Attorney General T
Page 7 and 8: vi International Association of Cor
Page 9 and 10: viii The Director of NIJ, the Honor
Page 11: x Introduction ....................
Page 15 and 16: the tremendous importance of medico
Page 17 and 18: With many of the deaths today havin
Page 19 and 20: The creation of guidelines for medi
Page 21 and 22: Commentary Mary Lou Kearns, R.N., M
Page 23 and 24: I would encourage the adoption and
Page 25 and 26: Commentary Thomas J. O’Loughlin C
Page 27 and 28: Introduction “Is it [death invest
Page 29 and 30: The following groups were formed fo
Page 31 and 32: The educational backgrounds of the
Page 33 and 34: defense needs, the technique is use
Page 35 and 36: Training Guidelines The purpose of
Page 37 and 38: Medicolegal Death Investigation Gui
Page 39 and 40: 14 29. Pocketknife. 30. Shoe-covers
Page 41 and 42: 16 1. Introduce and Identify Self a
Page 43 and 44: 18 3. Confirm or Pronounce Death Su
Page 45 and 46: 20 6. Establish Chain of Custody Pr
Page 47 and 48: Documenting and Evaluating the Scen
Page 49 and 50: C. Describe scene environments incl
Page 51 and 52: Procedure: After personal property
Page 53 and 54: Documenting and Evaluating the Body
Page 55 and 56: C. Document the decedent’s positi
Page 57 and 58: 4. Establish Decedent Identificatio
Page 59 and 60: 6. Participate in Scene Debriefing
Page 61 and 62: 8. Ensure Security of Remains Princ
Page 63 and 64:
Establishing and Recording Decedent
Page 65 and 66:
3. Document Decedent Medical Histor
Page 67 and 68:
5. Document Social History Principl
Page 69 and 70:
46 2. Release Jurisdiction of the B
Page 71 and 72:
48 4. Assist the Family Principle:
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