Coroner Talk | Death Investigation Training | Police And Law Enforcement

On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside of a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. The sole suspect, James Eagan Holmes, was arrested outside the cinema minutes later. It was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. The shooting occurred in theater 9 at the Century 16 multiplex (operated by Cinemark), located at the Town Center at Aurora shopping mall at 14300 E. Alameda Avenue. Police said the shooter bought a ticket, entered the theater, and sat in the front row; about 20 minutes into the film, he left the building through an emergency exit door, which he propped open with a plastic tablecloth holder. He allegedly then went to his car, which was parked near the exit door, changed into protective clothing, and retrieved his guns

We have all heard about the science of Botany, but have you ever considered just how important it can be in solving your case? For instance;  how plant cells from stomach contents can discredit an alibi, or how one seed in the shoelace of a suspect can bring an unknown serial murderer to justice, or just exactly what plant DNA can tell us about our victims last location. Using plants in criminal investigations is an underused forensic science , this may be that there are few forensic botanist in the United States, but it is certainly a science we all need to be reintroduced to. Forensic Botany Forensic botany applies the knowledge and techniques of plant science to legal matters. Here, the term macroscopic plant remains is given to those plant materials not included within forensic palynology or microbiology. Research centered on spores, pollen, and certain microorganisms is well developed and will not be discussed here. For decades, these materials have been used successfully by archaeologists, geologists, a

Filicide is the deliberate act of a parent killing their own child. The word filicide derives from the Latin words filius meaning "son" or filia meaning daughter, and the suffix -cide meaning to kill, murder, or cause death. "Filicide" may refer both to the parent who killed his or her child, as well as to the criminal act that the parent committed. Episode In this episode, I share a conversation I had with  Ron Martinelli Ph.D on his radio show A Thread of Evidence. In the conversation, I detail three cases where mothers killed their children and how the investigation was conducted and the truth was revealed. Ron Martinelli, Ph.D., CMI-V, BCFT, CFA America’s Forensic Expert “Dr. Ron Martinelli is a nationally renowned forensic criminologist who is the only police expert in the country who is also a Certified Medical Investigator at the physician’s level. Dr. Martinelli directs the nation’s only multidisciplinary Forensic Death Investigations & Independent Review Team and specializes in

Hoarding is a psychological condition that results in a person accumulating an enormous amount of trash and things of little-to-no value, or worse, more animals than can be properly cared for. Hoarding of any kind can pose several dangers to the occupant and neighbors, and certainly to animals if they are involved. These hazards can be deadly, and all the more reason people with hoarding disorder should have professional help to restore them to healthy living conditions. If children and animals are in the home, exposed to these perilous dangers, hoarding is also a crime.   Dangers of Hoarding Structural Integrity The weight of debris and hoarded items are often more than the floors are able to withhold. The sheer volume of debris in a room can push up against walls, not only damaging their integrity, but also putting the ceiling and roof at risk of collapse. Likewise, the collapse of walls, floors or ceilings can cause gas lines and water pipes to break, resulting in fire and flood damage. Fire Large am

Evidence collection in and around a death scene is conducted in much the same manner as any crime scene. We are going to look at some scene search methods, evidence collection techniques, and scene interpretation.  There is a difference in personal property and evidence. Let's look at the definitions of each. Personal Property Is property on or near the body that belongs to the body (or decedent) and can be returned to next-of-kin. Evidence Is any material that may contribute to the cause and manner of death and is considered important in supporting facts of the case. What is determined evidence depends on the type and manner of death being investigated.

Crime scene investigation is an indispensable part of our work, which will have a direct impact on the success of the criminal investigation.  With technological progress and changes in social situations, scene investigation work is facing unprecedented challenges. The standardization of the crime scene investigation should be the goal of all police agencies. Therefore, promoting the standardization of the crime scene investigation is necessary. As a criminal justice system, the crime scene investigation also has the basic rules and characteristics of the system. So the system can be applied in the field of the standardization of the crime scene investigation. Scientific investigation means applying the knowledge, methods and technology which is caused by the development of science and technology to the criminal investigation. Crime scene investigation is the work conducted on the physical evidence at the scene. An investigation is a traditional method, in addition to which, many other measures can be

Females in the United States accounts for 12% - 15% of ALL murders. Interestingly, women account for roughly the same percentage of serial murders. Most kill for gain - wives, Boarding-Home owners, etc, Caretaker killers - nurses and childcare workers. Family Annihilators - protecting their children Lust murder - extremely rare, usually at the  urging  of a man      Female serial murderers generally do not stalk or torture their victims and usually use poison to kill. They generally kill close to home or workplace rather than showing mobility found in many male killers. The median age at arrest is 37.9 years, with a range of 40 years  (19-59). The average age when kills begin is 32.9 years. (18-53) Everyday Murder Revenge Murder Revenge is defined as the act of committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived.  It is used to punish a wrong by going outside the law. •Victim did something to the suspect or his family

It is important for death investigators to have a working knowledge of all death scenarios. You should have a basic understanding of the characteristics and/or non-characteristic of what makes a serial killer, as opposed to a mass or spree kill. In this way, you can identify the need for more expert involvement or discern if you may have a death committed by a serial killer in your area or one that has passed through. Read more on the Coroner Talk web site HERE

Subsequent to the original murder case Cain vs. Abel, there has always been a small percentage of murders that were unsolved for a variety of case-specific reasons. There have also always been detectives who’d occasionally look back at “the one that got away,” but the idea of dedicating a group of professionals to work solely on clearing these cases didn’t originate until the 1980’s. The Beginnings – Cold Case Investigation  The first cold case investigation unit is widely credited to detectives within the Miami-Dade police in the 1980’s. In 1995, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) used the Miami-Dade cold case protocols to staff and investigate the death of a U.S. Navy crew member in a two-year-old homicide in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. A task force of six NCIS Special Agents, five local detectives and a Deputy U.S. Marshal worked around the clock on this unresolved murder and 27 days later, the killer was taken into custody. Following this success, NCIS initiated a full-t

Due to the very nature of sudden and/or violent deaths, many things can and do go wrong in the first few hours after discovery.  Death scenes have a way of bringing together many individuals with various responsibilities and experiences.  This unique group can consist of uniformed officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic experts, coroner investigators, medical examiner investigators, as well as prosecutors and police administrative staff.   These scenes may also have fire and EMS staff or other agencies trying to do their jobs, not to mention families and onlookers.  Because of this often chaotic scene, errors can happen. Let's look at the ten most common mistakes of a death investigation. 1. Improper Response and Arrival to the Scene First, responding officers may not correctly respond to and secure the scene and the immediate surrounding area.  Uniformed officers may not stop or detain people leaving or milling around the scene. Further, while waiting for investigation and CSI teams

Suicides account for over 40,000 deaths in the United States annually, ranked the 10th leading cause of deaths in America. This number has been on a steady increase since the turn of the 21st century. By far the most significant manner of death a patrol or investigating officer will be involved in The definition of suicide is; the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and a sound mind. Accidents are not suicides regardless of the level of danger or risk involved in the act. The need for continued advanced training in the area of suicide is the risk of becoming complacent in these investigations. Suicide deaths must be worked as a sudden, suspicious death until the facts and evidence available tell the investigator differently.   Your investigation and case report must support a ruling of suicide.  You should NEVER rule a death suicide unless your investigation proves it. Suicide is a ruling of exclusion of all other m

The scene of an autoerotic death can hold a wide variety of problems and issues for the investigator. Filled with deceiving information and abnormal behavior, these scenes offer challenges to even the most seasoned investigator. However, it is vital that you get these scenes worked correctly. First and foremost, it is your job to get the correct answers for the family, the victim, and any insurance companies needing the information. The stigma attached to suicide and the autoerotic can have devastating effects on survivors, proper determination can only be achieved through good scene work and investigation. Proper Scene Work As in any investigation, you should never rely solely on what you see. Without doing a complete investigation you will never find the truth. DO NOT go in with preconceived ideas or basis. If you can not properly work a sexually charged scene then remove yourself and let someone else take lead. The investigator must consider all aspects of the triangle of forensic investigation. The

The assisted suicide movement is, if anything, indefatigable. Not only is it undeterred by its failures, but it is now more energized than any other time in recent years. By the end of March of 2015, bills were introduced in twenty-five state legislatures to legalize assisted suicide. Defining the Subject Many people remain confused about the exact nature of assisted suicide advocacy, sometimes confusing it with other medical issues involving end-of-life care. Thus, to fully understand the subject, we must distinguish between ethical choices at the end of life that may lead to death and the poison of euthanasia/assisted suicide. 1.      Refusing unwanted medical treatment is not assisted suicide: Fear of being “hooked up to machines” when one wishes to die at home has traditionally been a driving force behind the assisted suicide movement. But we all have the right to refuse medical interventions—even if the choice is likely to lead to death. Thus, a cancer patient can reject chemotherapy and a patient

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects data about mortality in the U.S., including deaths by suicide. In 2017 (the most recent year for which full data are available), 47,173 suicides were reported, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. On average, someone in the country dies by suicide every 12 minutes.   With those totals, we are all bound to be involved in investigating suicides.  Suicides can be acute, meaning short term or spur of the moment final decision, or a well planned and risk assessed action.  In this episode of Coroner Talk™ we are going to look at the pros if there be any, and the cons of a planned suicide. Featured in this week's show is a PBS production of  Frontline that deals with the topic of a well-planned suicide and the legal and moral implication that accompany such a decision.  Regardless of where you stand on the topic, this episode will start you thinking of the other side. The Assisted Suicide Debate Since Oregon legalized physi

Serial killers hold the fascination of the public, whether in true crime news accounts of individuals such as Ted Bundy or fictional depictions such as the television shows Dexter and Criminal Minds or popular movies such as the “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” or “Silence of the Lambs.” Serial killers seem so purely predatory and unremorseful that our society cannot help but display a macabre interest in them. Although they account for no more than 1% of the approximately 15,000 homicides in the U.S. annually, serial killers receive a disproportionate amount of media attention due to the incomprehensible savagery of their deeds. Significantly, serial killers differ from mass murderers or spree murderers. Mass murder can be defined as the killing of multiple people at a single location where the victims may be either randomly selected or targeted. A mass murderer is often killed at the scene of the crime; sometimes by his/her own hand.  A spree murder is the killing of multiple people at different locations o

Would you kill for love? True-crime master Ron Franscell tells the grisly story of a loving couple who killed at least four and lived happily ever after--while cops desperately tried for decades to piece together a petrifying tale of murder and secrets. The appalling details are made even more vivid by the author's familiarity with the Wyoming times and places that formed the backdrop of his national bestseller The Darkest Night. After Alice, a desperate young mother in a gritty Wyoming boomtown kills her husband in 1974 and dumps his body where it will never be found, she slips away and starts a new life with a new love. But when her new love's ex-wife and two kids start demanding more of him, Alice delivers an ultimatum: Fix the problem or lose her forever. With Alice's help, he "fixes" the problem in an extraordinarily ghastly way ... and they live happily ever after. That is, until 2013, almost forty years later, when somebody finds a dead man's skeleton in a place where Alice thought he'd never be fou

“MY MOMMY IS GOING TO DIE,” SHAINA SOBBED INTO THE PHONE. When Piper Streyle failed to show up for work, a coworker called her home. Piper’s three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Shaina, answered and said, “A mean man carried Mommy away.” Then the line went dead. In the tranquil region of southeast South Dakota, word of the young mother who was brazenly abducted from her home in broad daylight shocked residents. Piper was the second woman to vanish, following the startling incident of a young woman who narrowly escaped abduction by fighting for her life on a dark and secluded highway. An intensive search by an elite team of investigators uncovered a secret crime location, but the discovery of a nightshirt cut in half, a burnt candle, and a homemade bondage board revealed the chilling truth behind the missing women. With the help of a quick-witted and streetwise maximum-security prison inmate, prosecutor Larry Long and his team were able to piece together the sinister facts of the diabolical crimes. Bestsel

Tom and Jackie Hawks loved their life in retirement, sailing on their yacht, the Well Deserved. But when the birth of a new grandson called them back to Arizona, they put the boat up for sale. Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer showed up as prospective buyers, with their baby in a stroller, and the Hawkses thought they had a deal. Soon after a sea trial and an alleged purchase, however, the older couple disappeared and the Deleons promptly tried to access the Hawkses’ bank accounts. As police investigated the case, they not only found a third homicide victim with ties to Skylar, they also uncovered an unexpected and unusual motive: Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years. By killing the Hawkses with a motley crew of assailants and plundering the couple’s assets, the Deleons had planned to clear their $100,000 in debts and still have money for the surgery, which Skylar had already scheduled. Now, in this up-to-the-minute updated edition, which includes extensive new material, New Y

In this bonus episode, I talk with Anita Brooks about the emotional toll CoVid-19 is having on Coroners, MDI’s, Law Enforcement, and First Responders in general.  Anita shares some real comments she has received from front line investigators and we talk about how we can guard our mental health and still protect the ones we serve as well as our families.  You can find the resources and free courses we talked about on the show at www.coronertalk.com