The Forensic Autopsy

What is an Autopsy? “See for yourself” A post mortem examination preformed to determine the cause of death.

Why is a Forensic Autopsy preformed? Cause of death deemed suspicious, or involves criminal action.

Classification In a forensic autopsy, a medical examiner or coroner declares the death to be: Natural Accident Homicide Suicide or Unknown

Natural Death Caused by a known disease: cancer, heart disease, stroke, genetic disorders, etc. Often just simply “old age”

Accidental Death Caused by mistake or freak occurrence. Death not planned, but can be explained by circumstances.

Homicidal Death Killing another person. Close to you? Infanticide, Fratricide, Sororicide, Parricide, Patricide, Matricide, Mariticide, Uxoricide InfanticideFratricideSororicideParricidePatricide MatricideMariticideUxoricide Lots of people… Genocide – Killing a national, ethnic, racial or religious group Genocide Homicide is the most investigated death, therefore the most autopsied.

Suicidal Death Killing of self. Often the easiest to identify wrt cause. Can be elaborated further in the report… Toxic, firearm, blunt force trauma, asphyxiation, etc.

Unknown Death Deaths in absentia At sea Badly decayed bodies

Experts Who Perform Forensic Autopsies Forensic Pathologist, aka a Medical Examiner 4 years Undergrad 4 years Medical School 4 years Pathology “Residency”

Protocol for Performing A Forensic Autopsy? Corpse brought to M.E. In a new body bag/clean sheets Avoids cross-transfer of evidence Placed on dissection table

Physical Examination 2 Parts: External Physical outer layer – for injuries / cause of death Internal Internal organs & tissue - evidence of disease, trauma, toxic substances, organ failure

External Examination Steps: 1. Photographed 2. Samples taken: hair, nails 3. Undressed, examined for wounds -- Lacerations, abrasions, bruises 4. Measured, weighed, cleaned

Internal Examination Steps of an internal examination. 1. Incisions “Y”… Behind each ear, down the neck, meet mid-sternum, continue to the groin. For suspected strangulation – 50% no ext. signs Show fractured HYOID bone “T” … From each shoulder, meet top of sternum, continue to the groin. Better looking finished product

Internal Examination (cont’d) 2. Cuts Chest cavity cut open w/shears or saw. 3. Removal 1. Letulle’s “En Masse” method – All organs at once 2. Ghon’s “En Bloc” method – Organs removed in sections 4. Organs weighed, examined

5. Brain examination 1. Incision: from a point behind one ear, over top of head, to point behind the opposite ear. 2. Scalp pulled away from the skull, forward and back. Front flap over the face, rear flap over the neck. 3. Skull cut with electric saw…creates a “bowl” 4. Brain cut from spinal cord, lifted out of the skull for further examination. Internal Examination (cont’d)

In addition…Major Systems looked at Cardio-Vascular (Heart & Lungs) Central Nervous System (CNS) Internal Examination (cont’d)

Vitreous Humor Not much? = Dead longer… More Potassium? = Dead longer… Broken blood vessels? = likely strangulation go to TOX LAB

Livor Mortis Meaning…‘Color of Death’. Coloration of the skin. Death = the heart stops = blood stops cycling. Red blood cells, plasma gather on the bottom part of the body, closest to the floor. A line forms after 8 hours if the body hasn’t been moved. If moved, a new line forms. The thicker the line, the longer the body held that position.

Algor Mortis Defined as ‘Coolness of Death’. Temperature of body. In a controlled environment, stating at 98.6 degrees, the body will drop one degree per hour. This happens because at death, the respiratory system stops working, the body stops functioning, it is no longer moving. When taking the temperature of a corpse, you can’t take it in the mouth because the muscles will be relaxed and the tongue wont stay on top of the thermometer. Thinner people cool faster then fat people.

Rigor Mortis Defined as ‘Stiffness of Death’. Flexibility of the body. Shows up 2 hours after death Peaks 12 hours after death. Takes hours for entire rigor mortis effect to take place. At approximately 0 hours after death, the body is at its stiffest. The eyelids are affected first, the the jaw, face, trunk, arms, legs. Ends after hours.

Pallor Mortis Defined as ‘Paleness of Death’. Tone of the body. Happens minutes after death. Happens due to lack of capillary circulation in the body. Can not be used to determine time of death except if body is found still with color.