Coroner Talk | Death Investigation Training | Police And Law Enforcement

In this episode, I give my opinion on the Derek Chauvin Trial and I talk about truth in journalism and podcasting in particular.  With permission, I play a portion of a podcast from my good friend Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting Podcast about media bias and how podcasting can help correct mistruth.   The school of podcasting can be found at: https://schoolofpodcasting.com/   I also introduce a new survey being conducted by RTI International that addresses work-related stress in MDI jobs.  This is a topic I have spent years discussing and I am so glad that it is starting to gain needed attention. Link to MDI work-related stress survey: https://forensicrti.org/understanding-work-related-stress-mdi-professionals/?fbclid=IwAR05eTElTSE7xNrL128nJBjdeKXd57kESN0vBBK6LoD2jSFooi6uC7obXnY

Several methods exist to properly identify a deceased person. It is critical that positive and accurate identification is made. This podcast is a portion of an online course about the identification of the deceased. This episode will give you several methods of identification and will warn you of pitfalls and mistakes to avoid in wrongful identification. If you would like to check out the full course you can follow the link below to learn more. https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/deceased-identification

In this episode, I read and give my answers to several questions that students in the MDI Academy or listeners have submitted relating to death investigation and scene management topics. Questions with several topics such as Dry Drowning, Next-of-Kin Notification, Evidence, Purge Fluid, Scene cooperation, and many more topics. Submit your Question If you have a question that you would like answered and possibly shared on the show simply click on the contact link and send us your question. I will answer your question directly by email and it may be shared on a future show. I will be careful not to reveal your name if shared on air.

Abusive head trauma (AHT), which includes shaken baby syndrome, is a preventable and severe form of physical child abuse that results in an injury to the brain of a child. AHT often happens when a parent or caregiver becomes angry or frustrated because of a child’s crying. It is caused by violent shaking and/or with blunt impact. The resulting injury can cause bleeding around the brain or on the inside back layer of the eyes. Data shows: AHT is a leading cause of physical child abuse deaths in children under 5 in the United States. Babies less than one-year-old are at greatest risk of injury from AHT. AHT accounts for about one-third of all child maltreatment deaths. Crying, including long periods of inconsolable crying, is a normal behavior in infants. Shaking, throwing, or hitting a baby is never the right response to crying. Todays Guest Jim Twardesky https://twardeskyconsulting.weebly.com/ Jim has worked in law enforcement since 1999, serving as a cadet, patrol officer, field training officer, defen

Understanding the Problem About 4,300 US infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year. We often refer to these deaths as sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID). Although the causes of death in many of these children can’t be explained, most occur while the infant is sleeping in an unsafe sleeping environment. Researchers can’t be sure how often these deaths happen because of accidental suffocation from soft bedding or overlay (another person rolling on top of or against the infant while sleeping). Often, no one sees these deaths, and there are no tests to tell sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) apart from suffocation. To complicate matters, people who investigate SUIDs may report the cause of death in different ways and may not include enough information about the circumstances of the event from the death scene.

In this episode, I read and give my answers to several questions that students in the MDI Academy or listeners have submitted relating to death investigation and scene management topics. Questions with several topics such as Dry Drowning, Next-of-Kin Notification, Evidence, Purge Fluid, Scene cooperation, and many more topics. Submit your Question If you have a question that you would like answered and possibly shared on the show simply click on the contact link and send us your question. I will answer your question directly by email and it may be shared on a future show. I will be careful not to reveal your name if shared on air.

In this episode, I highlight a conversation I had with a student of the MDI Academy where we discuss the training, finding internship programs, and general topics about the Medicolegal Field. This recording was made during a live office hours session where students can log in and ask questions or discuss topics they need help with. This recording is used at the permission of the student.

In this episode, I talk about the new MDI course as well as rant about some bad reviews. However, the meat of the show is about interviewing witnesses and how to get the information you want.  To learn more about the new MDI course go to ditacademy.org/mldi Please consider leaving a rating and review for the show.     

Is your loved one missing?   Turn to Missouri Missing to help you navigate this path.  Each path is different in the unknown but they have walked in your shoes.  They can help you navigate the system.  They can create a flyer for you and reach out to the media to bring awareness to your case.  They are here to answer your questions. Theyare here to walk beside you from the missing phase until your answer comes in and beyond.   From those that know.   - National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) - National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)  ​ ​- Missouri State Highway Patrol Missing Persons Clearinghouse  - Kansas Bureau of Investigation Missing Persons Clearinghouse   Missouri Missing approved resources.   Missouri Missing is highly trained and experienced in the world of the missing. Most of our board members have or have had a loved one missing. Please contact us at info@mis

The International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners (IACME) has over 85 years of experience in the presentation of educational seminars for the purpose of assisting Coroners and Medical Examiners and other forensic specialists in the performance of their duties. This commitment is enshrined in the Association’s mission statement, “Dedicated to the promotion of excellence in medicolegal death investigation through collaboration, education, and accreditation." In This Episode In this episode, I talk with John Fudenberg, Executive Director of IACME. We talk about the importance of being a member of IACME and how to have an accredited office, and why this is important. Contact IACME You can learn more about the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners at: https://theiacme.com/

Genetic or forensic genealogy combines direct-to-consumer DNA tests — like those purchased through 23andMe or Ancestry.com — with the age-old hobby of tracing a family tree with public records, such as birth certificates and land deeds. The technique relies on the simple principle that, if you go back far enough in history, everyone is related, and therefore has thousands of relatives. Assuming that an average family has 2 to 3 kids, then a typical person would — statistically speaking — have nearly 200 third cousins, 950 fourth cousins and 4,700 fifth cousins. If a genealogist can find a cousin of an unknown suspect who has left behind DNA at a crime scene, then they can use old school family trees — sometimes literally drawn on paper or whiteboards — to track down the perp. That’s how the Golden State Killer and about 70 other suspects behind brutal cold cases — rapes, murders, and assaults — have been caught since April 2018 AdvanceDNA Services Learn more and contact AdvanceDNA at the link below: https

In this episode, I talk with Adam Kinakin of the ILET Network. Adam and I discuss the current state of law enforcement and public service professionals training, and what the future of training looks like. We go in-depth as to what we should all be expected when it comes to training going forward in the post CoVid world. ILET Mission Our goal is to create a collaborative network of instructors, trainers, organizations, businesses, and agencies around the world.   Everything we do is to benefit our Men and Women of the Law Enforcement, Emergency Response, and Military Community.  It's time to change the narrative about training. It's time to cut out the red tape and get the most practical, actionable training and knowledge out to the people who need it.  Contact for ILET Network To contact the ILET Network or anyone on their team visit the web site at: https://www.ilet.network/  

Many of us have one--a place where we store mementos that remind us of an earlier period in our lives--either happy or sad. Those ties to our past are commonly found in a similar place, hidden in a shoebox buried at the back of a closet shelf. It's called The Shoebox Effect--where you "forget", intentionally or unintentionally, about the contents of the box and what they represent. Marcie Keithley's shoebox contained a secret, one she kept for decades, one released when her shoebox was unexpectedly revealed in a moment of grief. A flood of memories and emotions were unleashed when the lid was knocked off. No longer able to deny what she had sequestered away in her closet and in her spirit, the revelation created challenges for Marcie, but it also did something positively unexpected. Releasing the truth began a cascade that resulted in a freedom Marcie did not know was possible. The dramatic story of this long-kept secret, which has been reported globally on major networks and in newspapers across America

In this episode, I discuss my current top five books I recommend every investigator should own or have access to. That list can be found below. I also talk at length about whether C/ME investigators should carry firearms. I make the case for why they should and address some known objections to the contrary. Top Five Recommended Books to Own Top five books click here

In this growing attack on law enforcement by the far left and the mass media is it any wonder that police officers are suffering more mental health issues than ever before.  Since the Michael Brown incident of 2014 in Ferguson Missouri, and the systematic destruction and division of the public trust toward police by then-President Obama and his staff, there has been a steady and growing attack on law enforcement by mass media. Truth is not necessary to the media companies when their goal is to destroy and divide a nation.  The best place to start is race-baiting and making the very men and women who protect society the enemy.   Combine the two along with a strong bend toward a socialist society and they have all the tools they need to start the fire. Law enforcement and other related role are suffering attacks both physical and mental at a rate never seen before. This buildup of hate and threats as well as actual harm is causing many officers to quit or at least back off from the front lines knowing they are

The role of the medicolegal death investigator is to investigate any death that falls under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner, including all suspicious, violent, unexplained and unexpected deaths. A death investigation is a process whereby a coroner or forensic pathologist seeks to understand how and why a person died. A coroner or forensic pathologist must answer five questions when investigating a death: Who (identity of the deceased) When (date of death) Where (location of death) How (medical cause of death) By what means (natural causes, accident, homicide, suicide or undetermined) Information may be obtained from several sources including, but not limited to family, co-workers, neighbors, doctors, hospital records, police and other emergency service workers. Contact with family is vital as they often have important information that can aid the investigation. In This Episode - Medicolegal Death Investigations In this episode, I talk with Dr. Mary Dudley about the field of Medicolegal D

Nearly 40,000 people are killed in car crashes each year. In each of these crashes, there is evidence on the body in the form of injuries.  It is important for investigators to understand vehicle crash dynamics and how impact and movement cause injury to a human body. Knowledge of the dynamics of these injuries and how they are inflicted will help the investigator come to some conclusions as to injury cause, seating position, and the crash type.