Ramsland+29-48-CMP

=Ramsland Reading Notes 29-48=

Death Investigator: medical examiner or coroner
 * Must be certified by the American Board of Forensic Pathology


 * Manners of Death:**
 * 1) Natural- died in an environment not considered hostile
 * 2) Accidental- fell victim to a hostile environment
 * 3) Suicide- the person caused his/her own death
 * 4) Homicide- someone else caused the death
 * 5) Undetermined


 * Characteristics of a Body:**
 * 1) Body temperature (algor mortis): after death, bodies cannot maintain 98.6 degree temperatures
 * 2) Discoloration (livor mortis): postmortem lividity or hypostasis, the dark purple color of the body near the ground
 * 3) Rigor mortis: the body goes limp after death, between 15 minutes and 15 hours, waste products stiffen the muscles
 * 4) Ocular indicators: thin films form on the eyes after death (if opened)
 * 5) Food digestion: body metabolizes food at a predictable rate
 * 6) Personal factors: environmental factors (missed appointments show the victim wasn't where he/she was expected to be)
 * 7) Decay/decomposition rates: depend on environment, such as air temperature, placement of body (water or earth), exposure to sunlight...

Once victims are found, they are transported to the morgue and frozen in order to preserve the state in which they were discovered. An autopsy is used to determine the cause of death of the victim (natural, unnatural, homicide, suicide...) Types of Autopsy: partial, selective, or complete. Before autopsies are performed, photographs are taken as evidence.
 * Autopsies:**
 * Most autopsies are partial, because only a part of the body needs to be examined to determine the cause of death.


 * Injuries:**
 * 1) Blunt-force Trauma
 * 2) Gunshot
 * 3) Sharp-force Trauma