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

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8 In May 1997, the executive board met for a 2 1 /2-day working session in New Orleans to begin the guideline development process. The consensus of the board was to establish 29 guidelines based on the national reviewer network data and present them to NMRP for review. Each guideline would have the following content: ◆ A statement of principle, citing the rationale for performing the guideline. ◆ A statement of authorization, citing specific policy empowering the investigator. ◆ A statement of policy to the investigator regarding guideline performance. ◆ The procedure for performing the guideline. ◆ A statement of summary, citing justification for performing the procedures. In June and July 1997, NMRP met for two 1 1 /2-day working sessions in St. Louis and Chicago to review the draft guidelines developed by the executive board and offer recommendations and changes based on jurisdictional variances and organizational responsibilities. Those sessions resulted in the final draft of the 29 guidelines for conducting death investigations. The 29 guidelines are presented in the next main section. Guideline Status Currently, NMRP members are presenting the guidelines to their respective organizations’ leadership (or appropriate internal committees) for review. This researcher is collecting anecdotal comments for future modification of the existing guidelines during the validation procedures.
Training Guidelines The purpose of the second part of the national death investigator guidelines research was to identify training criteria for each of the 29 guidelines. This research is now completed. For each of the guidelines presented in this report, “minimum levels of performance” will be developed and verified by the members of the various TWGs. These “training guidelines” will provide both individuals and educational organizations the material needed to establish and maintain valid exit outcomes for each investigative trainee. Guideline Validation In this initial research, 29 investigative tasks were identified. Each task was developed into a guideline for investigators to follow while conducting a death investigation. Although each TWG believed in the validity of each guideline, no attempt was made to validate actual significance (e.g., if guideline C1 is trained and implemented, a [%] decrease in poor scene photographs should occur). The researcher is currently developing a national validation strategy for the implementation and validation of each guideline. Notes 1. “It is important to note that even the use of the word ‘system’ to describe a process that encompasses more than 3,000 individual jurisdictions is a misnomer.” Hansen, M., “Body of Evidence,” American Bar Association Journal (June 1995). 2. Jentzen, J.M., S.C. Clark, and M.F. Ernst, “Medicolegal Death Investigator Pre-Employment Test Development,” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 17 (1996):112–16. 3. Hanzlick, R., “Coroner Training Needs: A Numeric and Geographic Analysis,” Journal of the American Medical Association 276 (1996):1775–1778. 9
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 and 12: x Introduction ....................
Page 13 and 14: Foreword: Commentaries on the Need
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: defense needs, the technique is use
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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