Criminalistics final - Strimlan Pitt

A forensic pathologist can determine

Manner of death (5 categories)

The broadest definition of forensic science

Application of science to law

The smaller the size of blood spatters

The higher the velocity of force produced them (ex: gunshots)

Newton's Law of Cooling states that

The rate of heat loss of a body is directly proportional to the difference of temperature of body and environment

Humans have a medullary index of

Less than 1/3

Rohypnol has physiological effects similar to

Valium (diazepam); date rape drug

Manners of death (5)

Suicide, homicide, accidental, undetermined, natural

Types of blunt force trauma

Contusions, abrasions, lacerations, bone fractures

Blunt force trauma

Injury caused by a nonsharpened object; most common type of trauma; lethal/nonlethal

Objects with a sharp or pointed edge can

Be used as a weapon to impair the skin

Mass disaster

Any incident greater than the resources of the region where it occurs

The most important bone to be recovered

Hyoid

A common loose contact gunshot wound would show

No powder around the wound; no muzzle imprint on skin

Muzzle imprint

Impression of the muzzle onto skin from hard contact

A typical shotgun wound characteristics

skin defect, rim abrasion, surrounding residues, discoloration

Blood

carries nutrients and oxygen to the body cells and metabolic waste away from cells

Distant gunshot wound

No powder tattooing; exit wound larger than entry wound

Typical exit wound

Any shape, no ring of abrasion, no surrounding residue, no skin defect

Low-velocity impact blood splatter

4+ millimeters in diameter; produced by gravity alone or minimal force; speed less than 5 ft/sec

Angle of impact

Angle of impact = opp side/hypotenuse (True)

Fingerprint template

The name of a file in a fingerprint database

Cross-section of a man-made fiber

Bi/double refraction; uniform and symmetrical

Chemical tests available to detect blood

Peroxidases

Sequence of events for processing the crime scene

Secure scene, record, search for evidence, collect and package, maintain chain of custody

Fibers found in the barrels of a gun

Can lead to pseudo tattooing/pseudo soot

In Allegheny county, natural cause of death is determined by

Police officer, medic, or physician

Algor mortis is effected by

Clothing, weight, age, temperature, humidity, and immersion in water or other organic substance

Post Mortem Interval

The time that has elapsed since a person has died

Rectal temperature

Most accurate way to take a body temperature

A pathologist can estimate time of death by looking at

How far the food in the stomach has moved (gives a range)

When estimating time of death

The longer the interval of time between death and the examination of the body, the wider the limits of probability

Blood in most corpses starts to become permanently incoagulable after

20-30 minutes of death (True)

Lividity (Livor mortis)

Color change due to settling of the blood by gravity; starts at 4 hours and ends 6-10 hours

Survival time

The period between the incident and death; the longer the survival time, the harder it is to determine time of death

The blanching of post mortem

White blood discoloration in early stages of lividity; at points of contact with hard objects will cause the skin to turn white

Blood weights \______ than water.

More

Stab wound

Penetration of the body by a sharp or pointed instrument; wound is deeper than it is long

Clear yellowish mark is due to

Plasma in the blood

Pathologist can determine about a gunshot wound

enter/exit, not caliber; type of firearm, distance of gun to victim, track of projectile

Distance gunshot entrance would show

No powder stippling and usually exhibit a hole roughly the caliber of the projectile fired (False)

Baby's life count be in danger if

Mother is Rh- and baby is Rh+

Vitals to help estimate time of death

Temperature (algor mortis), decomposition, food digestion, stiffness (rigor mortis), settling of blood (liver mortis), circumstantial evidence, potassium

When considering time of death with algor mortis

Temperature raises 1-2 degrees during first hour; loses 1.5-2 degrees/hour after death until reaches ambient temperature

Type O blood can only be made when

Both parents give up an O gene (recessive to A and B)

50/50

Approximate chance that third child will be a boy

Bloodstains and scenes can show

Origin of stain, position of victim at time of blows, number, direction of deposit, manner of disposition, direction of travel after injury

when it comes to blood spatter, law enforcement agents rely on

Number of hits, weapon used, angle, body position, direction, serology

Drugs are natural or synthetic substances that

Alter emotional state, perception, body function, or behavior

window of death

last time a person was seen alive

a single hair may show

removal (cut vs pulled); race, color, species, drug history (pot, coke, opiates, meth, PCP)

cardiopulmonary arrest (COD tells why they died)

which of the following is not a cause of death

forensic odontology

the identification of a victim/suspect using dental records/analysis

collect evidence, keep separate, divide tasks, secure scene

when processing a crime scene you need to

viewing hair/fiber (samples)

the ordinary compound microscope is used for

THC

active ingredient in marijuana

true

t/f: if the coroner's office refuses to do an autopsy, the family may get a private autopsy

true (carbs)

Beer decreases the speed of the absorption of alcohol (why)

liver

most alcohol is oxidized in the

any licensed physician (of that state)

who can sign a natural death death certificate?

only the ME/coroner from the county where the death occurred

who can sign a death certificate for anything other than a natural death?

natural, homicide, suicide, pending, undetermined

Legal manners of death (5)

unaltered state

the most important prerequisite for photographing the crime scene

expert witness

one who is trained/educated in their field; can give opinions

all club drugs (Rohpynol, GHB, Ketamine) are

psychoactive drugs (depressants with hallucinogenic properties)

name stimulants (6)

caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, coke, ecstasy, (MDMA/molly), Adderall (Rx drugs)

cocaine has been found

on much of currency (hydrochloride binds closely to ink in paper currency) to block reabsorption of dopamine

heroin is

not a natural product/more potent than morphine with a stronger euphoric effect

heroin \--- \--- 100x faster than morphine

penetrates blood

heroin use:

melted from crystalline form with heat; different stamps (purity/dosage); frothing, drowsiness, slow cardiac functions, slow breathing, acts on diaphragm

withdrawal from heroin

not fatal

the DA's office is mandated by law to hold a trial into any death

ruled homicide

cocaine is (3)

natural (coca plant); stimulant; illegal

the original freebase cocaine is (4)

cocaine without water solubility; more pure than crack-cocaine; smoked, glamorized by celebs

Cocaine is psychologically

(altering? blocks pain sensation and stimulates CNS); addictive

non-natural

all coroners in PA are allowed to sign death certificates on

used to induce weight gain, incr. muscle mass, testosterone, reduce inflammatory chemical production (minimize tissue damage); reduce immune system activity

anabolic steroids

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is (8)

depressant, colorless, odorless (mixes well with alcohol), touted as sleep-aid, anti-aging, anti-depressant, weight loss product, common date rape drug

Ketamine has similar effects to (used as an \---)

PCP (anesthetic)

all jail deaths must be

reported to the ME

the coroner must determine (7)

who, what (PCP, meds), where (scene), when (how long), why (why did they die), determine COD, MOD (surrounding circumstances)

if a scene is photographed by a forensic photographer, the detective's rough sketch is

used to show an overview of the crime scene and where objects are in relation to other objects

the crime scene should be secured by the

first responding officer

common types of physical evidence found at the scene would include (6)

glass, hair, fiber, paint, soil, gunshot res

evidence sent in for hair and fiber should entail

collecting entire item with fiber

hair is composed of

keratin

increase surface area for faster sweat evaporation

one function of hair is to

hair can provide indications of

drug use

hair is composed of which distinct layers (from middle --\> out)

medulla, cortex, cuticle

catagen

the transition period between hair phases

less change over time (in re to head hair)

pubic hairs are subject to

50-70 strands

pubic hair samples should contain

melanin

hair color is provided by

less than 1/3

humans have a medullary index of

false

t/f: sex cannot be determined from a forcibly removed hair

production of inflammatory chemicals, activity of immune system

steroids also reduce

drugs

substances of natural/synthetic origins which can alter emotional state, perception, body functioning, and behavior

The broadest definition of forensic science

Application of science to law

The smaller the size of blood spatters

The higher the velocity of force produced them (ex: gunshots)

Mass disaster

Any incident greater than the resources of the region where it occurs

The most important bone to be recovered

Hyoid