Understanding Autopsies: Investigating Suspicious Deaths

"An autopsy is an examination of the body after death" (Cohen, n.d., The Autopsy, What is an autopsy?). During this examination, both the inside and the outside of the corpse are analyzed. Possible causes of death, abnormalities, and distinguishing features (e.g., tattoos and scars) are noted. And in the end, the person conducting the autopsy must weigh all the clues within and outside of the body to determine how he or she believes the individual died (Cohen, n.d.).

The Autopsy & Homicide Investigations

The autopsy, logically, is extremely important to a homicide investigation. When detectives arrive to investigate a person's death, often the death may seem suspicious in many ways (e.g., abnormal positioning of the body or evidence of a break-in). They may suspect that the individual was killed; however, this is only a hunch based on circumstantial evidence and must be verified through facts gathered during an autopsy. For example, a body may be in an unnatural position because a loved one, overwhelmed by the person's death, repositioned the body or moved it to a completely different location. Therefore, the scene may seem like the location of a possible murder, when in fact, the individual only died of a heart attack or stroke. Also, if the person was actually murdered, the autopsy will be able to provide some valuable clues into how this individual was killed, including when he or she might have been killed and what injuries he or she sustained (Cohen, n.d.).

Medical Examiners vs. Coroners

In many jurisdictions in the United States, it is the role of the Medical Examiner to conduct autopsies to investigate cause of death. Medical examiners are very similar to coroners; however, the former officials are usually appointed and physicians that specialize in investigating cause of death. The latter officials normally are elected and may not be as likely to conduct the autopsies themselves, relying on other physicians to give them the information they need to conduct their investigation. In the end, the medical examiner (or coroner) is usually in charge of deciding which bodies require a complete autopsy and which ones do not warrant any more than a quick external examination, in addition to giving the final opinion as to the person's cause and manner of death, which will appear on that individual's death certificate (Cohen, n.d.; Forensic Medical, 2005).

The Importance of Time of Death

The victim's time of death is particularly crucial to a homicide investigation. Obviously, it would be very challenging to link suspects to the crime scene at the time of the murder if there is not an approximate time when the death occurred. They could insist that they were at that location before the crime happened or that they stumbled onto the scene an hour or so after the victim was murdered. However, if a time of death is known, investigators have a much easier time proving this link, especially if the suspect does not have a solid alibi for the time of the murder. Ultimately, time of death can be determined through any number of things, including witnesses, the state of blood at the crime scene, and changes to the corpse (e.g., body temperature, settling of blood, and flexibility of the body) (Cohen, n.d.).

References:

Cohen, J. I. (n.d.). Forensic pathology information: General information for individuals. Retrieved November 5, 2007, from http://www.forensiconline.com/generallink.htm

Forensic Medical. (2005). F.A.Q.: About forensic pathology. Retrieved November 5, 2007, from http://www.forensicmed.com/faq_forensicpath.htm