Criminalistics Chapter 5

Forensic Pathologist

investigate the cause, manner, and time of death of a victim in a crime
performs autopsy

stippling

marks left from a gun shot and its residue

pulmonary edema

fluid in the lungs, frequently found in victims of chronic amphetamine and cocaine abuse

blood retrieval for testing

best to get in areas of less contamination; ideally directly from the inferior vena cava

postmortem redistribution

drugs may redistribute or reenter the blood after death

cause of death

what initiates the series of event ending in death

blunt force injury

a non-sharpened object that can abrade or scrape the tissue. can cause lacerations or crushed tissue and bruising

laceration

skin splitting and tearing

sharp force injury

from weapons with sharp edges such as a knife

cut

an injury that is longer than it is deep

stab

injury that is deeper than its length

defensive wounds

found on forearms or legs and indicate a struggle between attacker and victim

asphyxia

the interference of the intake of oxygen

high levels of carbon monoxide

can cause death

low levels of carbon monoxide

can cause disorientations and loss of consciousness

carbon monoxide levels can indicate...

whether a fire victim was alive before or during the fire

petechiae

pinpoint hemorrhaging often in the whites of the victims eyes, result of capillaries bursting

petechiae is more common in___

strangulation deaths

hyoid bone is___

not broken in the cases of hanging

manner of death

the circumstances that led to the fatal result and is the culmination

5 manners of death

homicide, suicide, accidental, natural causes, and undetermined

algor mortis

body temperature continually cools until is reaches ambient temperature

liver mortis

the settling of blood in the areas of the body closest to the ground

rigor mortis

the stiffening of the muscle mass within 24hrs after death and leaves within 36hrs after death