Midweek training tips are short focused training to help you become a better investigator, and human.  These short tips are a production of the Coroner Talk podcast and the Death Investigation Training Academy.  Training tips are given each week by an Academy instructor  or industry peer.   

A paperless office is a workplace that has minimal paper-based processes and relies on digitized documents and storage instead. This includes on scene notes and document scanning from a mobile device rather than taking the actual papers. Some Coroner offices still use pen and paper rather than a simply reporting database created for death investigations. While still other use a self-made option combining a text document and a data base software like excel or numbers. The use of digital fingerprint scanners, document scanners, e-signatures, and cloud storage has made many offices work smarter and more efficiently. This combined with a full cloud backup reduces the amount of actual paper files stored. This works for many, and yet still many others resist the change. In this episode Darren talks to other investigators about technology and going to a paperless office option.             Medicolegal Death Investigator Course https://ditacademy.org/mldi/ This hybrid course is developed for the police detective, patrol officer, medicolegal and coroner investigator. Taught by skilled, accredited instructors working in the field of death investigation, this course will provide intermediate-level training in the skills required to properly work a death investigation. The format will develop confidence in the investigator and hone valuable skills. After completing this course, the investigator will have the ability to better; understand the legal restriction of search and seizure, document a scene, locate and collect evidence, properly distinguish differing manners of death, better understand wound and injury interpretation, understand the dynamics of child death, conduct witness interviews, and properly complete reports and prepare for courtroom testimony. This course will include several post-mortem examination photographs and video segments – as well as injury, death, and homicide scenes through photos and video of actual cases. This course is very graphic and intense.

Midweek training episodes are short-focused training to help you become a better investigator and human.  These short tips are a production of the Coroner Talk podcast and the Death Investigation Training Academy.  Training tips are given each week by an Academy instructor or industry peer.   

Midweek training tips are short focused training to help you become a better investigator, and human.  These short tips are a production of the Coroner Talk podcast and the Death Investigation Training Academy.  Training tips are given each week by an Academy instructor  or industry peer.   

A few years ago, the third Monday in January was labeled Blue Monday by many experts in the mental health field. But no matter what day of the week it occurs on, Anita Agers-Brooks, common trauma expert, and author of Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over, believes January 15th is a good barometer to predict the most depressing day of the year. But why January 15th? If it takes about three weeks for a mindset to change, earmarking January 15th, 2024 ( or the third Monday)  as the most depressing day of the year may just make sense. According to Brooks, based on several pieces of research she’s studied, as well as based on extensive interviews she’s conducted with everyday people, there are several contributors that solely, or linked with others, can throw even the hardiest soul into the pit of depression on or around this date. Read more here   Death Investigator Magazine

Midweek training tips are short focused training to help you become a better investigator, and human.  These short tips are a production of the Coroner Talk podcast and the Death Investigation Training Academy.  Training tips are given each week by an Academy instructor  or industry peer.   

Midweek training tips are short focused training to help you become a better investigator, and human.  These short tips are a production of the Coroner Talk podcast and the Death Investigation Training Academy.  Training tips are given each week by an Academy instructor  or industry peer.     

In this episode Darren has a conversation with a student about spontaneous suicide. They discuss what it is and does it really exist. Referred to sometimes as Acute Suicide or Impulsive Suicide, the debate is whether there are suicide deaths by people who just decide for no apparent reason to end their life and no reasoning is known or can be found during investigation. Also discussed in this episode is an invitation to you, the listener, to be a guest on the show. If you have a topic to discuss you feel others in our field would find interesting, or you have experience training  on a specific topic and would like to share with others, reach out to the show and lets get you on as a guest.   Medicolegal Death Investigator Medicolegal Death Investigator training is held twice per year at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, Mo.  To learn more about the course, and the exciting changes and upgrades,  go to ditacademy.org/mldi      

After having to identify her husband by his severed head, Jan Canty started a life journey of discovering what being a survivor of violent crime is like.  In this episode we discuss the crime that changed her life forever and what she has done to survive this journey.  One accomplishment is her new book What Now -  Navigating the Aftermath of Homicide and Suicide.  This work is a guide, not only for survivor families, but also as a resource to investigators and support teams in how best to assist survivors. Her new book can be found on Amazon and her web site at the link below. https://jancantyphd.com/      

In this episode I talk with Jeff Gentry about the importance of understanding blood stains. You don’t have to be an expert to recognize something is not adding up.  We also discuss his new online courses and a new Blood Pattern Guide he has written.  Links to all  material discussed can be found below.   New Guide to Blood Patterns https://www.amazon.com/Visual-Guide-Bloodstain-Pattern-Analysis/dp/B0BLQSFDX9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JCZH3L5RPIGO&keywords=gentry+blood+pattern&qid=1685798433&sprefix=gentery+blood+pattern%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1 Online Courses   Introduction to Blood Pattern https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/bpa-introduction   Understanding Blood Patterns and What they can tell you https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/blood-pattern-analysis   Death Investigation Academy https://ditacademy.org/

In this episode, I introduce the all-new and expanded Medicolegal Death Investigator classroom course.  The course has a new location, new training, and many additional perks and features.  You can learn more about the course and the updates at: https://ditacademy.org/mldi

On this episode, I am a guest on the Don't F*up the Crime Scene Podcast with Kevin Hearst.  You can find more of his show at - https://www.spreaker.com/show/dont-fuck-up-the-crime-scene   I also introduce the all-new Medicolegal Death Investigator classroom course.  New location, new training, new experience.  Check it out at https://ditacademy.org/mldi/    

In this episode, I share a small portion of a new online course, Introduction to Blood Pattern Analysis. You can find more about that course at the link below. https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/bpa-introduction

In this episode, you will learn the importance of detecting deception in interactions with victims, witnesses, and suspects and be introduced to techniques used to analyze verbal or written statements. I talked with Mark Bailey about how a written statement can be analyzed for truthfulness or deception.  You can learn more about how to participate in classroom training on this topic by going to.   www.mebailey.com

Testifying in court can be terrifying if you are not used to it. Even experienced investigators need good reminders now and then on how to perform better. When testifying in court;  the eyes of the jury, the judge, the prosecutor, the defense, and the public– are on you! Your reputation and that of your department may be enhanced or destroyed by your courtroom presentation. A single ineffective presentation in the courtroom can result in the acquittal of a defendant, no matter the amount of solid evidence you may have collected. Court Room Testimony There’s another equally important reason for you to care about being an effective witness in the courtroom. If you aren’t, all the work that you and your fellow investigators did on the case, all that the victims and their families endured, all that other witnesses may have done over the many months and sometimes years it takes for a criminal case to go to trial–will have accomplished nothing more than a containment arrest. A single ineffective presentation in the courtroom can result in the acquittal of a defendant, no matter the amount of solid evidence you may have collected. For more information about the online course discussed in the episode, click over to: https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/courtroom-testimony

Online Course Click Here:            Investigating Infant and Child Death  Death Investigator Newsletter:   Click Here for Newsletter Info. When it comes to all death investigations, but especially where an infant or child is involved, you should be led by the thinking that you only get one chance at your first chance. The trouble with infant death, more so than any other type of death, is the body is always moved from the place of discovery, making multiple scenes that need to be secured and looked at. The other issue is the delay in notification. Many times, because of this moving of the body, the infant is often at a hospital, and hours have gone by before law enforcement and coroner/medical examiners are notified. This delay also frustrates the investigation by putting potential evidence at risk of being lost forever by never being found.   There are two areas of the investigation that need to be started as soon as possible; talking with the caregivers and inspecting the place of discovery. Caregivers, and anyone who found the child unresponsive, need to be talked to on the day of the death, not a few days later. Waiting may cause the caregivers to be reluctant to speak with investigators, even if they have done nothing wrong.   The next first thing that needs to be done is an inspection of the place of discovery. Do an initial walk-through looking at the environment as a whole. What are the living conditions like, is the environment safe for a child? Look for fragile evidence such as blood, vomit, mucus, etc. on bedding and crib rails. Locate bottles, diapers, medications, and food containers for later collection. What room does the infant sleep in normally, and where were they upon discovery?   Find out what the HVAC system is in the house and does the room the infant sleeps in have a different source. Be sure to photograph the entire house or environment as you walk through so you get the best representation of the scene before items are moved or destroyed.   Again, remember you only get one chance at your first chance. Every other inspection or evidence collection after that can be tainted or at least claimed to have been by future defense arguments.  

Online Course Click Here:            Investigating Infant and Child Death  Death Investigator Newsletter:   Click Here for Newsletter Info. When it comes to all death investigations, but especially where an infant or child is involved, you should be led by the thinking that you only get one chance at your first chance. The trouble with infant death, more so than any other type of death, is the body is always moved from the place of discovery, making multiple scenes that need to be secured and looked at. The other issue is the delay in notification. Many times, because of this moving of the body, the infant is often at a hospital, and hours have gone by before law enforcement and coroner/medical examiners are notified. This delay also frustrates the investigation by putting potential evidence at risk of being lost forever by never being found.   There are two areas of the investigation that need to be started as soon as possible; talking with the caregivers and inspecting the place of discovery. Caregivers, and anyone who found the child unresponsive, need to be talked to on the day of the death, not a few days later. Waiting may cause the caregivers to be reluctant to speak with investigators, even if they have done nothing wrong.   The next first thing that needs to be done is an inspection of the place of discovery. Do an initial walk-through looking at the environment as a whole. What are the living conditions like, is the environment safe for a child? Look for fragile evidence such as blood, vomit, mucus, etc. on bedding and crib rails. Locate bottles, diapers, medications, and food containers for later collection. What room does the infant sleep in normally, and where were they upon discovery?   Find out what the HVAC system is in the house and does the room the infant sleeps in have a different source. Be sure to photograph the entire house or environment as you walk through so you get the best representation of the scene before items are moved or destroyed.   Again, remember you only get one chance at your first chance. Every other inspection or evidence collection after that can be tainted or at least claimed to have been by future defense arguments.  

Online Course Click Here:            Investigating Infant and Child Death  Death Investigator Newsletter:   Click Here for Newsletter Info. When it comes to all death investigations, but especially where an infant or child is involved, you should be led by the thinking that you only get one chance at your first chance. The trouble with infant death, more so than any other type of death, is the body is always moved from the place of discovery, making multiple scenes that need to be secured and looked at. The other issue is the delay in notification. Many times, because of this moving of the body, the infant is often at a hospital, and hours have gone by before law enforcement and coroner/medical examiners are notified. This delay also frustrates the investigation by putting potential evidence at risk of being lost forever by never being found. There are two areas of the investigation that need to be started as soon as possible; talking with the caregivers and inspecting the place of discovery. Caregivers, and anyone who found the child unresponsive, need to be talked to on the day of the death, not a few days later. Waiting may cause the caregivers to be reluctant to speak with investigators, even if they have done nothing wrong. The next first thing that needs to be done is an inspection of the place of discovery. Do an initial walk-through looking at the environment as a whole. What are the living conditions like, is the environment safe for a child? Look for fragile evidence such as blood, vomit, mucus, etc. on bedding and crib rails. Locate bottles, diapers, medications, and food containers for later collection. What room does the infant sleep in normally, and where were they upon discovery? Find out what the HVAC system is in the house and does the room the infant sleeps in have a different source. Be sure to photograph the entire house or environment as you walk through so you get the best representation of the scene before items are moved or destroyed. Again, remember you only get one chance at your first chance. Every other inspection or evidence collection after that can be tainted or at least claimed to have been by future defense arguments.

But having a preparedness mindset is critical as an investigator. We get used to the day-to-day calls and never put a lot of thought into the time we will be thrust into a large investigation. Whether that be a large, emotionally draining investigation or one that might be, or seem to be, above our ability to manage. We can never prepare for everything. But we can do a lot to prepare for the unexpected. In this episode, I talk about having a preparedness mindset and how to prepare for the unexpected. This is an excerpt from a larger online course but is packed with real training and ready-to-use advice. Check out the online course at this link. https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/prepardness-mindset    

We have revamped an old idea into an interactive monthly newsletter—best of all, it's totally free.    To learn more and subscribe, go to deathinvestigatormagazine.com       

Support Services staff are trained professionals from various fields, including medicine, mental health, and law enforcement. The team is committed to providing sincere and compassionate support at a pace survivors are comfortable with. We maintain the highest level of confidentiality. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the event of a death, Summit County provides support services to family and friends of the decedent. Services can include counseling, emotional support, financial assistance for burials, advocacy, help with paperwork, and referrals for other types of assistance. To learn more about the Summit County, Colorado Program, go to https://summitcountyco.gov/1102/Survivor-Support To learn more about the Death Investigation Academy and see what course you might be interested in, go to https://ditacademy.org/

Check out the online course here: https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/Suicide-and-Self-Harm An initial exam while still on the scene is imperative for the overall determination of cause and manner of death as well as collecting time sensitive facts and evidence. This exam is only the first of two external exams. This one being on the scene and the second one at autopsy. The on-scene exam documents what the investigator sees and what wounds, scars, tattoos, etc., are present on the body. At this stage, much of the trace evidence used in a case will either be located or preserved for future collection.    

Check out the online course here: https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/Suicide-and-Self-Harm Victimology is the collection and assessment of any significant information as it pertains to the victim and his or her lifestyle. Investigators must know the victim and complete a victimology study on every suicide, you cannot properly investigate a death without it.  Ultimately you need to find out, in detail, who the victim was and what was going on at the time of their death. The best source of information will be friends, family, employers, and neighbors. Your goal is to get to know the victim better than they knew themselves.  

Check out the online course here: https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/Suicide-and-Self-Harm Suicide deaths account for nearly 46,00 deaths in the United States, about one death every five minutes.  The number per year has continued to grow for the past several years.  Investigators face many challenges in this death, including when to rule a death a suicide and what degree of certainty must be obtained before making that ruling.  More information and statistics can be found on the website at:  coronertalk.com To learn more about the Death Investigation Academy, go to ditacademy.org   

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

Put simply, IGG describes the process of using information about genetic similarities and known family relationships to generate investigative leads. The basic information used in IGG falls into two categories: genetic relative information, which is generated by a genetic genealogy database based on its internal comparison of SNP profiles in the database; and genealogical and other often publicly accessible information, such as information from census records and obituaries, that describes family relationships. Law enforcement integrates these two categories of information to develop family trees and then identifies and investigates high-likelihood suspects within those trees. Thus, IGG comprises two steps that are book-ended by standard police work. According to best practices, when an offender leaves a biological sample (e.g., blood or semen) at a crime scene, an accredited forensic laboratory first generates an STR profile from that sample, which is called the ‘forensic sample.’ If there are no suspects, the STR profile is then uploaded to CODIS to identify a possible match with any of the 18 million-plus profiles in the database. If the forensic STR profile matches a CODIS profile, following manual confirmation of the match to ensure no administrative errors occurred in connection with analysis of the CODIS sample, the name of the matching offender in CODIS is released to law enforcement as an investigative lead. Continue Reading HERE

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

In this episode, Darren and Wendy discuss the Evolution and challenges of locating and notifying NOK in a transient society. With the modern age we live in it is getting harder to located next-of-kin in some cases.  Issues such as homelessness and a transient lifestyle of a deceased can create huge obstacles.  In addition to the victim being mobile, the family may not stay in one place for very long causing public records to search to be a failed lead.  We give tips on locating NOK as well as some cautions to ensure you are not caught up in a legal backlash when new family members appear and want to know why they were not notified.       

In this episode, Darren and Wendy discuss the good and bad of Social media as it relates to death investigations.   Social media can be a big help in certain areas and a huge obstacle in others.  We discuss the pros and cons and give some caution in how best to use and manage social media in your investigations.

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 to arrive, it's not uncommon for first responding officers to gather to close to, or directly in the crime scene, inadvertently contaminating evidence. Here are a few other examples of errors from the first responding officers. Failure to notify investigators soon enough, or at all; assuming the cause of death is a suicide or is natural, eliminating the need to treat the scene as a crime scene; failure to detain all persons present at the scene, which might include the suspect; or they may fail to separate possible witnesses and obtain initial statements.  Also, failing to make an initial determination of the scene boundaries leads to an insufficient area of protection. 2. Failing to protect the Crime Scene In all death investigations, but even more so in a homicide investigation, crime scene contamination can be and is a significant problem.  No other aspect of these investigations is more open to mistakes than the preservation and protection of the scene and subsequent evidence. Paramount to any investigation is ensuring by the first officers on the scene to isolate, protect, and maintain scene integrity as the investigation follows its standard path.  This includes the monitoring of paramedics and EMS personnel in the scene as well as identifying them for a future interview.  Officers must also watch family members or others in the area to ensure they are not contaminating the scene.  After a perimeter is established and is locked down, officers should start a log of everyone entering and leaving the vicinity and the reason why they are there.  Also, officers should be observing and taking notes of activities occurring in and around the scene. 3. Not Handling Suspicious Deaths and Homicides All unattended death should be looked at and treated as suspicious, and an experienced officer/investigator should go to the scene.  These deaths should be treated as homicides and crime scenes until the facts prove otherwise.  Too many departments allow untrained patrol officers to conduct basic death investigations with the assumption of suicide or natural death and with the idea that it is unlikely to be a homicide.  Without training, officers could likely miss-interpret a staged or altered scene. If the scene is not handled correctly from the beginning and is later found to be a homicide, valuable evidence can be lost, and the integrity of the scene is compromised at best and at worst, non-existent. 4. Responding with a Preconceived Notion It is imperative that investigators not allow themselves to respond to a death scene with any preconceived conclusion about the case. It’s common for investigators to get sent to a scene and given information based on the initial call.  If the call came in as a suicide and the initial officer who responds arrives with the mindset of suicide, it is common to treat the death as a suicide and thus shortcut any other investigation.  It looks like a suicide, so it must be a suicide, and no other investigation is conducted.    This type of preconceived investigation results in fewer photographs being taken, witness statements not being completed, evidence not being searched for or collected, and the integrity of the scene is destroyed. It's not only suicide this can happen on, but reported natural deaths and accidents can also inadvertently be short cut if responding officers conclude their investigation based upon the initial reported call.  If then, at a later time, the death becomes suspicious, the officer's reports and any investigative documentation will be lacking valuable information needed for future investigations.  The tendency is for the uniformed officer to write the final report and collect the evidence necessary to fit the narrative given to him by the initial call.   5. Failing to Take Sufficient Photographs In today's world of digital photography, photos are cheap and easy to obtain. Back when I started in this business, we used Polaroid™ instant photography and 35mm film cameras.  These were expensive, and some departments wanted to limit "unnecessary" photographs in an attempt to stretch the budget. That's not the case today since hundreds of photographs can be taken and stored nearly free of charge. Photos are a way to document the scene and to freeze that scene in time. They are used in court when necessary and may prove or disprove a fact in question.  Therefore, it is vital that photographs be taken of the entire scene, area, and location where the crime took place, including any sites connected to the original crime. Remember, you only get one chance at your first chance to document a scene. 6. Failing to Manage the Crime Scene Process The investigator in charge should oversee the investigation and scene documentation. He or she should ensure proper chain of custody and documentation of evidence. They are in charge of maintaining scene integrity. Never allow officers to use the restroom within the residence, or take food or drink from the kitchen. Never allow smoking in the investigative area, never bring food or drink into the scene from an outside source, and always keep non-essential personnel out of the scene area. Designate an area for them to congregate if needed, but it should never be inside your primary scene area. Lead investigators must also direct crime scene personnel on where and what they are to collect. Many CSI staff are well trained and have a good idea of what needs to be done. However, since each scene is unique, the investigator in charge must ensure evidence is adequately searched for and collected. The victim's body should always be inspected and searched for trace evidence prior to being moved or taken from the scene. Not doing so can result in loss of valuable evidence and leave many unanswered questions.  Also, and I cannot stress this enough, do not allow anyone to cover the body with anything found at or near the scene!  I've arrived on death scenes to find victims covered with blankets officers found on beds, sheets from nearby laundry baskets, or coats covering victims' faces to preserve their dignity.   If the body is found outdoors, barriers should be used.  Using anything to "add" to and subsequently alter the initial crime scene is always harmful to the investigation. Don't do it and don't allow it. Always stop and look around the scene; look up as much as around. See what is missing or what isn't.  What looks right about the scene, and what looks wrong?  Is what you are seeing matching what you are being told?   Never leave a scene until you are confident every answer to any question you may have has been answered or documented. Remember, this is your only first chance. 7. Failing to Evaluate Victimology Victimology is the collection and assessment of any significant information as it pertains to the victim and his or her lifestyle. It is imperative that investigators know the victim and that they complete a victimology study. You cannot properly investigate a death without victimology.  Failing to have a complete picture of the victim will preclude you from developing motives, suspects, and risk factors unique to the victim. These risk factors are usually regarded as high, moderate, or low and based on lifestyle, living conditions, job skills, neighborhood, or anything specific to the victim.  This information includes areas such as personality, employment, education, friends, habits, hobbies, marital status, relationships, dating history, sexuality, reputation, criminal record, drug and/or alcohol use, and physical condition as well as facts about the area they grew up in and if different, the one they resided in at the time of their death. Ultimately you need to find out, in great detail, who the victim was and what was going on at the time of their death. The best source of information will be friends, family, employers, and neighbors. Your goal is to get to know the victim even better than they knew themselves. 8. Failing to Conduct an Efficient Area Canvass Properly First, understand the terms "area canvass" and "neighborhood canvass" may be used interchangeably.  They are interviews conducted in the field, as opposed to statements taken on the scene or in the station. I will admit that conducting an area canvass can be tedious and very time-consuming. Sometimes, hundreds of contacts can be made without unveiling one shred of usable information. However, it is that one exhilarating jewel that is occasionally discovered that makes the process so rewarding.  There are right and wrong ways to conduct an area canvass that will yield better results for the efforts put out.  Ideally, patrol personnel and plainclothes detectives should perform separate canvasses.  Some individuals respond more readily to an authority figure in a uniform, while others prefer the anonymity of the detective's plain clothes.  Since it is impossible to know who will respond more willingly to either approach, both should be employed.  This technique will give the investigator the greatest chance of getting vital information.   The canvass may be conducted in an area near the crime scene or, conceivably, hundreds of miles away from it.  In the aftermath of a bank robbery, for example, the getaway vehicle may be located several counties, or even states, away.  Two canvasses should, therefore, be undertaken: one at the original crime scene (the bank) and one at the secondary scene (the vehicle).  If a suspect is developed, it may be advisable to perform an additional area canvass in the neighborhood where that person resides to learn about his/her reputation and habits.  A complex case may require that a number of area canvasses are completed at various locations.  The primary goal of a neighborhood canvass is, of course, to locate a witness to the crime. It is this promise of the elusive witness that motivates the investigator. However, it is not only the “eye” witness you seek.  On occasion, it may be just as significant to discover an “ear witness."  Someone who may have heard a threatening remark heard gunshots or even heard how and in which direction the perpetrator fled. This information can point the case in the right direction.  A witness who hears a homicide subject flee in a vehicle with a loud muffler, for example, could be furnishing a valuable lead.  Likewise, intimidating or threatening statements the witness may have overheard could refute a subsequent claim of self-defense.  In an officer-involved shooting incident, a witness who hears the officer yell "stop, police!" or "drop the gun!" is invaluable to the investigation.   Just as crucial as the eye-witness or the ear-witness is the "witness-who-knows-a-witness."  Even though this person may not have first-hand knowledge of the crime, he or she can direct investigators to a person who does and is, therefore, of great value. 9. Failing to Work Together as a Team As with any crime scene, cooperation is critical among differing agencies. But with a death scene, this cooperation is ever more important and ever more strained.  Due to the increased severity of the scene, the spotlight, and egos, these scenes can become a disaster quickly. Therefore teamwork is vital, and it is the lead investigator's role to set a tone of cooperation and teamwork.  One of the most significant issues in a major case is the failure to communicate information to those working the case. Some agencies seem to want to keep what they know to themselves. This primarily occurs from egos and "turf wars," which will compromise an effective outcome.  Everyone involved in the investigation has information gathered from the jobs they were assigned and a lack of communication or an unwillingness to share information discovered for evaluation can prevent the entire team from finding the truth and bringing the case to a conclusion.  It's imperative to remember that the cases you work aren't about you, but are for the victim, the family, and, at times the protection of society. A baseball game is won when everyone playing does his or her job and supports every other player in getting their job done. Imagine the bottom of the 9th, the game is tied and the next ball's hit to the pitcher who misses but scoops it up sits down, and refuses to throw or let anyone else take the baseball from them.  The pitcher did their job and pitched, but the refusal to share the "scoop" with their teammates resulted in a complete failure for everyone. 10. Command and Administrative Staff Interfering One of the most frustrating mistakes at a death scene investigation is when command staff shows up on the scene with their own agendas which have nothing to do with the actual investigation. Sometimes it's for political appearance or simple curiosity. But unless they are an actual part of the investigative team, they should not insert themselves into the investigation. In many instances, because they're at the scene, command ranking personnel feel the need to direct the investigation. Consequently, they will have investigators running in different directions which have nothing to do with the primary investigation. The result is the loss of cohesive and central command and major miscommunication. Many times, in these situations no one is willing to step up, make decisions, and take control for fear of making the boss mad. The chaos continues and the investigation is compromised, and when the outcome is delayed or not favorable, the command personnel directly responsible for the chaos will not see that they were the cause, but rather, the blame may fall on the lead investigator. Conclusion Death investigations are not always simple step-by-step cutouts. They require real attention and specific actions to protect the investigation integrity. Many of the mistakes mentioned here are from shortcutting and not taking seriously the gravity of the scene you are working.  Our job as death investigators, regardless of what function that is, is to get the truth for the victim and bring justice to anyone responsible for their death, if in fact, anyone is responsible.  Developing and following strict procedures at every death scene will ensure that investigations are worked properly, and evidence is not missed.  Reference: Vernon J. Geberth, Practical Homicide Investigation Fifth Edition, (CRC Press 2015)

In this episode, Wendy and Darren discuss the laws surrounding doctors prescribing suicide prescriptions and other forms of suicide assistance. Find all available training at.  ditacademy.org       

High altitude illness (HAI) is the current accepted clinical term for a group of disorders including acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), which occur in travelers visiting high-altitude locations. High-altitude illness is due to hypobaric hypoxia, is not associated with age or physical conditioning, and mild forms are easily treated. High-altitude cerebral edema and HAPE are medical emergencies that are fatal if not promptly treated and fortunately are uncommon. The cause of most high-altitude fatalities is not related to HAI and can be easily distinguished from HACE and HAPE; however, other causes of death may have symptoms and physical findings that overlap with HAI, making postmortem diagnosis challenging. Fatalities due to HAPE and HACE are diagnoses of exclusion. Medical examiners and coroners who work in jurisdictions with high-altitude locations should be aware of the risk factors, physiology, pathology, differential diagnosis, and classification of HAI to accurately recognize HAI as a cause of death. Medical examiners who do not work in jurisdictions with high-altitude locations may be asked to evaluate deaths that occur overseas associated with high-altitude trekking and mountaineering activities.

I wish you all a very happy and fun summer 2021.  We are taking a break this year through the summer months and will return in September with an all-new line-up and shows.  Be a blessing and be safe!

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, defensive tactics instructor, & detective. Since 2014, he has worked as a detective investigating violent crime, specializing in sexual assault & violent crimes against children. In that capacity, he has investigated hundreds of cases including multiple child homicides and serial rapists. A number of cases have received extensive local & national media coverage. Since 2017, he has lectured regularly at police academies, colleges, and professional conferences throughout the State of Michigan on the subjects of sexual assault, child molestation, child abuse & child homicide. Audiences have included; prosecutors, police officers, detectives, nurses, child protective services workers, social workers, and college students. Jim has also written articles for PoliceOne.com & ILEETA on those topics as well. Finally, Jim is an adjunct faculty member for the Macomb Community College Public Service Institute teaching undergraduate criminal justice classes both online & in-person. In addition, he has developed & taught advanced police training seminars for the Macomb Criminal Justice Training Center focusing on child abuse and sexual assault.    

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@missourimissing.org or (573) 619-8100.   They have developed a list of suggestions that you may want to read: Missouri_Missing_Suggestions_for_when_a_loved_one_goes_missing.pdf

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://advancedna.org/ AdvanceDNA Forensic Genealogy Research Providing information leading to the identification of DNA contributors from violent crime. This may include the identification of victim and/or assailant DNA contributors. Decedent Identification Leverage our team of forensic genealogists to reunite an unknown decedent, such as a John or Jane Doe, with their identity. Our team accepts recommendations from the community, contact us to recommend a case. Living Identification Our team supports the effort to end human trafficking. Our team applies AdvanceDNA techniques to support victim identification for both reunification and law enforcement adjudication purposes. Projects AdvanceDNA supports small and large scale projects within the community that aligns with our values and mission. Contact us today with your ideas! Education & Training With combined training experience in both law enforcement and genealogy, AdvanceDNA can provide training tailored to meet the needs of our clients.  Speaking & Events AdvanceDNA welcomes invitations to private or public events, contact us with your event details to learn more.    

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, will intrigue and enthrall you. But Marcie Keithley doesn't just make her story all about her. Now known as The Shoebox Sherpa, she helps people unpack their own shoeboxes, and teaches us how to face our truths, heal our pasts, and find the freedom we deeply desire. Be prepared to consider Marcie's question to all of us, "What's in your shoebox?" You can contact Marcie at her web site: https://marciejkeithley.com/

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 not supported in their job duties.  It’s not long before this weighs heavy on the minds and health of a person. In the episode Anita Brooks and Darren Dake at length about this issue and how the media is adding to if not orchestrating this attack on law enforcement.  This show contains strong opinions back by facts.  

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 Death Investigations and where the field  is progressing.  We discuss some 'best practices' and obstacles faced by medicolegal death investigators across the country, as well as what new and up coming investigators need to do to have a better chance of entering the field Mary H. Dudley, MD, is the chief medical examiner (retired 2015)  for Jackson County in Kansas City, MO. She is board certified in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology. She completed a two-year fellowship in Forensic Pathology at the University of New Mexico following a four-year Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. She has a diploma, BS, and MS in nursing and also founded the first forensic nursing certificate program in the United States in 1994. Dr. Dudley originated the first Forensic Medical Investigation course in the United States in 1996. Dr. Dudley is a Board Member of the National Association of Medical Examiners, Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Science, co-chair of the Medical Examiner Advisory Board of Musculotissue Foundation, member of the Missouri Child Fatality Review Board, and member of the National Disaster Medical Systems (Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team). She is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology – University of Missouri-Kansas City and on the teaching faculty at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley Campus in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.   Features Includes an extensive section on injury recognition covering blunt, sharp, and patterned injury, forensic odontology, gunshot wounds, and craniocerebral injury Covers all the essential aspects relating to death investigations as well as investigations involving abuse and injury Illustrates concepts with graphic images throughout Summary Introducing the basic concepts of clinical forensic medicine and death investigation, this book covers the main areas of forensic investigation. It provides an introduction to forensic science and coverage of injury patterns, natural disease, accidental trauma, child injury and fatalities, and domestic violence. Anyone who has direct contact with death, crime, and the medicolegal system, including nurses, physicians, attorneys, death investigators, forensic pathologists, and police detectives, will find this an invaluable reference.  

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.    

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. About 30 minutes into the film, police say, around 12:30 am, he reentered the theater through the exit door. He was dressed in black and wore a gas mask, a load-bearing vest (not to be confused with a bulletproof vest), a ballistic helmet, bullet-resistant leggings, a bullet-resistant throat protector, a groin protector and tactical gloves. Initially, few in the audience considered the masked figure a threat. He appeared to be wearing a costume, like other audience members who had dressed up for the screening. Some believed that the gunman was playing a prank, while others thought that he was part of a special effects installation set up for the film's premiere as a publicity stunt by the studio or theater management. It was also said that the gunman threw two canisters emitting a gas or smoke, partially obscuring the audience members' vision, making their throats and skin itch, and causing eye irritation. He then fired a 12-gauge Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, first at the ceiling and then at the audience. He also fired a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, which malfunctioned after reportedly firing about 45 rounds. Finally, he fired a Glock 22 40-caliber handgun. He shot first to the back of the room, and then toward people in the aisles. A bullet passed through the wall and hit three people in the adjacent theater 8, which was screening the same film. Witnesses said the multiplex's fire alarm system began sounding soon after the attack began and staff told people in theater 8 to evacuate. One witness said that she was hesitant to leave because someone yelled that there was someone shooting in the lobby and that they should not leave. The first phone calls to emergency services via 9-1-1 were made at 12:39 am. Police arrived within 90 seconds and found at least three .40-caliber handgun magazines, a shotgun and a large drum magazine on the floor of the theater. Some people reported the shooting via tweets or text messaging rather than calling the police. Sgt. Stephen Redfearn, one of the first police officers on the scene, decided not to wait for ambulances and sent victims to area hospitals in squad cars. About 12:45 am, police apprehended Holmes behind the cinema, next to his car, without resistance. He was initially mistaken as another police officer because of the tactical clothing he was wearing. According to two federal officials, he had dyed his hair red and called himself "the Joker", although authorities later declined to confirm this. Three days later, at his first court appearance in Centennial, Colorado, Holmes had reddish-orange hair. The officers found several firearms in the theater and inside the car, including another Glock 22 handgun.Following his arrest, he was initially jailed at Arapahoe County Detention Center, under suicide watch. The police interviewed more than 200 witnesses. Investigators say that the shooter acted alone and was not part of a larger group or terrorist organization. Explosive devices When apprehended, Holmes told the police that he had booby-trapped his apartment with explosive devices before heading to the movie theater. Police then evacuated five buildings surrounding his Aurora residence, about 5 miles (8 km) north of the cinema. The apartment complex is limited to University of Colorado Medical Center students, patients, and employees. One day after the shooting, officials disarmed an explosive device wired to the apartment's front entrance, allowing a remotely controlled robot to enter and disable other explosives. The apartment held more than 30 homemade grenades, wired to a control box in the kitchen, and 10 gallons of gasoline. Neighbors reported loud music from the apartment around midnight on the night of the massacre, and one went to his door to tell him she was calling the police; she stated that the door seemed to be unlocked, but she chose not to open it. A law enforcement official said that a Batman mask was found inside the apartment. On July 23, police finished collecting evidence from the apartment. Two days later, residents were allowed to return to the four surrounding buildings, and six days later, residents were allowed to move back into the formerly booby-trapped building. Casualties Eighty-two people were shot or otherwise wounded, reported by mainstream news as the most victims of any mass shooting in United States history. Four people's eyes were irritated by the tear gas grenades, and eight others injured themselves while fleeing the theater. The massacre was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Fatalities Twelve people were killed in the shooting. Ten died at the scene and two more in local hospitals. Those killed were: Jonathan Blunk, age 26 Alexander J. Boik, age 18 Jesse Childress, age 29 Gordon Cowden, age 51 Jessica Ghawi, age 24 John Larimer, age 27 Matt McQuinn, age 27 Micayla Medek, age 23 Veronica Moser-Sullivan, age 6 Alex Sullivan, age 27 Alexander C. Teves, age 24 Rebecca Wingo, age 31 Almost two months earlier, Jessica Ghawi narrowly avoided a shooting at the Eaton Centre in Toronto, which killed two people and injured several others. Injuries The youngest person injured during the shooting was a four-month-old boy who was not shot. Ashley Moser, Veronica Moser-Sullivan's mother, was critically injured in the shooting and miscarried a week after the attack. The injured were treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health Medical Center, The Medical Center of Aurora, Parker Adventist Hospital, Rose Medical Center, Swedish Hospital, and University Hospital. On July 25, three of the five hospitals treating victims announced that they would limit medical bills or forgive them entirely. The Community First Foundation collected more than $5 million for a fund for victims and their families. In September, victims and their families received surveys asking about their preferences for how collected funds should be distributed, either by dividing it equally among victims or through a needs-assessment process.On November 16, 2012, the Aurora Victim Relief Fund announced each claimant will receive $220,000. Information in this written post was obtained from wikipedia and is only as valid as that site reports.    

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, anthropologists, and botanists to determine the cause of death for prehistoric or modern humans.  One of the early documented cases of forensic botany connected with macroscopic plant materials was the suicide death of Socrates. Plato described the death of his mentor as he attended the legally imposed suicide of Socrates. He was convicted of corrupting youth and disrespecting the state religion. Because Socrates was of high social standing, he was allowed to choose his own manner of death. He selected a deadly tea made from poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.: Apiaceae). In Plato’s Phaedo (Plato and Gallop, 2009), we read of Socrates’ symptoms after he drank the fatal brew. This narration agrees with contemporary descriptions of poison hemlock’s effect on humans (Lewis and Elvin-Lewis, 1977). From that time to this, in most of the world’s societies the knowledge of plants’ effects on humans has appeared in courts (Simoons, 1998). Forensic botany became accredited in the courts of the United States in the trial of Bruno Hauptman who was accused of kidnapping and killing Charles and Anne M. Lindbergh’s baby son in 1932 (Graham, 1997, 2006). Arthur Koehler, a wood anatomist with the US Forest Service, matched the wood from the ladder used to get into the second floor Lindbergh nursery with wood from Hauptman’s attic. Hauptman was convicted of the crime and executed. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation called Koehler’s evidence ‘critical.’ This crime also resulted in kidnapping becoming a federal offense. Collection of Evidence The collection of plant material for use in criminal investigations differs from techniques taught in plant systematic courses. Forensic collections are assumed to be legal evidence. Such materials need to be collected, if possible, either by officers of law enforcement organizations or by a botanist in the presence of officers. Rules surrounding evidence are strict. When significant vegetation is collected, a chain of evidence must be established at once. Notebook records of time and place and case numbers are required. It is wise, but not required, to assign your personal case number that will be linked to the number that will be used in court. This information must always remain attached to the evidence. Each person in possession of evidence must be clearly documented as the evidence passes among those involved in a case. Plant collections should be placed either in paper or cloth bags unless pollen analysis also is to be undertaken. Bags need to be the smallest size to accommodate the material. Evidence can be stored in laboratories or evidence lockers for long periods of time, even years. Evidence rooms always are short of space, so economy of collection without minimizing the value of the specimens is essential. Plastic bags, glass jars, and tin cans are unacceptable for long-term storage because they encourage decay. Download Full Paper Here:  The Use of Macroscopic Plant Remains In Forensic Science  J H Bock, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA ã 2013 Elsevier B.V. Episode Guest     Jane Bock, PhD  University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Member of Botanical Society of America. Founding member of Necrosearch International. 80+ refereed publications, 3 books. Book in press, Forensic Plant Science - Academic Press. publication 2015 or 2016.

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 forensic investigations including officer-involved and civilian self-defense death cases. Dr. Martinelli is a retired San Jose (CA) Police Department detective with a background in investigations, medicine and applied sciences including forensics, psychology & psychological profiling; physiology and human factors; violent crimes and death scene investigations. He has been referred to in the forensics and legal community as the “expert’s expert.” Dr. Martinelli provides forensic expert services to several State Attorney Generals’ Offices, major metropolitan cities, the USMC Judge Advocate General’s Office and numerous nationally prominent private law firms. He is also a contributing forensic investigations expert for FOX News, CNN, OANN, Discovery, History and Investigations Discovery channels and is a contributing writer to USA TODAY, POLICE Magazine, Law & Order Magazine, The Forensic Examiner, The Law Enforcement Executive Journal, PoliceOne.com and Officer.com.

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 amounts of paper, such as newspapers, books, boxes, and discarded food wrappers and packaging, or improperly stored combustibles can pose extreme fire dangers. If space heaters are used, close proximity to any debris can also cause a fire. Collapse of Debris Often, hoarders will create precarious paths between large piles of debris, or will crawl over mountains of trash to get around in the house. If these trash piles collapse, they could trap the hoarder underneath, burying the person alive. This could result in death from suffocation or inability to notify anyone they need help. Decay/Decomposition As is often the case, hoarders not only collect relatively useless items, but they tend to not dispose of much of anything. The decay of spoiled food stuffs and waste can lead to terrible odors and airborne pathogens that can be harmful or even deadly. In a very unusual case in San Francisco, the mummified body of a 90-year-old woman was found in an extreme hoarding case. Officials believe she died 5 years previously. Harmful Biohazards In almost all hoarding scenes, biohazards are present. Biohazards can be toxic or infectious, even deadly, and can lead to any range of illnesses and dangers to the resident or neighbors. Common biohazardous materials include spoiled food, feces and urine, blood, bodily fluids, pet waste and dead animals. Infestations The decay and decomposition of organic materials and biohazards, undoubtedly attract pests. Rodents will leave waste and very often get trapped and die within a hoarding residence. This further increases the potential harm to the hoarder, as well as neighbors. This is why hoarding goes beyond an individual and becomes a community problem. Personal Hygiene and Nutritional Issues A hoarding situation can become so extreme that debris blocks access to a kitchen and bathrooms. When the kitchen is blocked or is overwhelmed by harmful waste, proper food preparation becomes impossible. And when bathrooms become blocked, makeshift alternatives are used, with an absence of hygiene. In the extreme hoarding case in San Francisco, police found over 300 bottles of urine on the premises. If a loved one or a neighbor is a hoarder and living in unsafe conditions, we can help with the cleanup and refer you to other helpful resources. If animals or children are at risk, we can also put you in touch with law enforcement agencies that can assist. Episode Guest – Michelle Doscher Ph.D A forensic scientist specializing in investigative psychology and crime scene investigation. Diversified experience as an investigator, interviewer, instructor, expert witness, and an analyst. Currently conducting research in the transference of psycholinguistic cues to handwriting during deception. The current quantitative method unites psychological and physical evidence for more concise investigative leads, with expected applications for criminal interrogations and loss prevention interviews.

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 used in the crime scene investigation. Scene investigation needs to integrate the use of a variety of scientific and technical means to detect, collect, and store the evidence, which is the most concentrated expression of scientific investigation. Obstacles of Standardizing Crime Scene Investigations The biggest obstacle to standardizing crime scene investigations is funding. Many organizations and government committees are working on this issue of standardization and a lot of great ideas and methods are being adapted. However, with standards in place, funding will have to made available for proper, ongoing training.  Many, if not most, police agencies will agree with the fundamental fact that a set of standards are needed, but they will also quickly say that budgets restrict  the resources of time and money to set in place and train for these standards  Why Standardizing Crime Scene Investigations is important We have all seen the issues when working with other agencies during an investigation or a new detective is hired into the department from another area.  It becomes hard to work together for a while until both parties learn the other's way of doing things, neither may be right or wrong, but different.   This costs time, money, and can stall an investigation.  Another primary reason for  Standardizing Crime Scene Investigations is that these standards will equip investigators with the latest in technology and methods which will clear cases faster, and prosecutions will be more successful. In the United States, there are over 21,500 police departments with 20 or fewer officers.  These officers do the best they can with what they have, but many lack training and standardized approaches to criminal investigations. Everett Baxter Jr. has an Associate Degree in Applied Science – EMS and a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry.  He has over 23 combined years in law enforcement.  He is currently assigned to the Crime Scene Unit of the Oklahoma City Police Department.  Mr. Baxter was previously employed with the Norman Police Department where he worked in the EMS and Patrol Divisions.  Mr. Baxter has presented numerous lectures and seminars at conferences, educational groups, and various civic groups.  Mr. Baxter has been court qualified as an Expert in Crime Scene Investigations, Crime Scene Reconstruction, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Shooting Scene Reconstruction, and 3D Sketches in both District Court and Federal Court.  Mr. Baxter has written papers on the Effects of Cleaning Products on Bloodstains (co-authored), Alternate Light Source.  Mr. Baxter has written the books the Complete Crime Scene Investigation Handbook and the Complete Crime Scene Investigation Workbook. Public Email address: everettbaxterjrforensics@gmail.com

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 •Suspect sees victim as the cause of some trouble or issue •The need to right a wrong •Killing of parents Anger Murder Anger murder is an act of killing based on high emotions of anger. Such as in a passion murder, domestic murder, or an immediate wrong that has resulted in intense anger. May be part of a revenge murder if planned. Usually not a planned event but rather an act of passion or circumstances. Concealment of Other Crime These murders are committed out of a need to conceal another crime such as; Rape or Sexual Assault - Theft or Burglary - Eliminating a Witness These are usually planned or at least determined to be a part of the crime event. Such as child assault/murder Infanticide The crime of killing a child within a year of birth. Usually for very select reasons: •Concealment of the birth •No longer wants the child •To save the child from danger or Hell    

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-time cold case investigation program in 1995 based on the Miami-Dade protocols. This was the first cold case unit commissioned by a federal agency. Seasoned special agents were trained in the methodologies, forensics, and concepts. Since 1995, NCIS agents, along with local police partners, have resolved 62 cold murders. NCIS began teaching the cold case protocols to other federal, state and local police, as well as international partners with hundreds of officers trained each year.  (excerpt from Law Officer Magazine) Cold cases are among the most difficult that investigators confront. For a variety of reasons? lack of evidence, strained resources, ineffective investigation. A case becomes cold when initial efforts to solve it prove futile. Clearance rates for homicides and other serious crimes are far below what they were 50 years ago. Lackluster rates of solution, combined with new technologies, such as  (DNA) and automated fingerprint matching, have prompted the police to form cold-case units, designed to address cases that stubbornly resist solution. Todays Guest     Joseph Giacalone – is a retired New York City Detective Sergeant and Commander of the Bronx Cold Case Squad. He is currently serving as a professor or criminal investigations and the author of The Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New Investigators.  More about Joe and how he can help your agency can be found on his website at:  joegiacalone.net On this show, Joe and I talk about the steps to take in opening and investigating a cold case. We discuss obstacles and management principles that are required to solve these old cases.  Joe brings years of experience to the conversation and our discussion of actual cases.    

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 to arrive, it's not uncommon for first responding officers to gather to close to, or directly in the crime scene, inadvertently contaminating evidence. Here are a few other examples of errors from the first responding officers. Failure to notify investigators soon enough, or at all; assuming the cause of death is a suicide or is natural, eliminating the need to treat the scene as a crime scene; failure to detain all persons present at the scene, which might include the suspect; or they may fail to separate possible witnesses and obtain initial statements.  Also, failing to make an initial determination of the scene boundaries leads to an insufficient area of protection. 2. Failing to protect the Crime Scene In all death investigations, but even more so in a homicide investigation, crime scene contamination can be and is a significant problem.  No other aspect of these investigations is more open to mistakes than the preservation and protection of the scene and subsequent evidence. Paramount to any investigation is ensuring by the first officers on the scene to isolate, protect, and maintain scene integrity as the investigation follows its standard path.  This includes the monitoring of paramedics and EMS personnel in the scene as well as identifying them for a future interview.  Officers must also watch family members or others in the area to ensure they are not contaminating the scene.  After a perimeter is established and is locked down, officers should start a log of everyone entering and leaving the vicinity and the reason why they are there.  Also, officers should be observing and taking notes of activities occurring in and around the scene. 3. Not Handling Suspicious Deaths and Homicides All unattended death should be looked at and treated as suspicious, and an experienced officer/investigator should go to the scene.  These deaths should be treated as homicides and crime scenes until the facts prove otherwise.  Too many departments allow untrained patrol officers to conduct basic death investigation with the assumption of suicide or natural death and with the idea that it is unlikely to be a homicide.  Without training, officers could likely miss-interpret a staged or altered scene. If the scene is not handled correctly from the beginning and is later found to be a homicide, valuable evidence can be lost, and the integrity of the scene is compromised at best and at worst, non-existent. 4. Responding with a Preconceived Notion It is imperative that investigators not allow themselves to respond to a death scene with any preconceived conclusion about the case. It’s common for investigators to get sent to a scene and given information based on the initial call.  If the call came in as a suicide and the initial officer who responds arrives with the mindset of suicide, it is common to treat the death as a suicide and thus shortcut any other investigation.  It looks like a suicide, so it must be a suicide, and no other investigation is conducted.    This type of preconceived investigation results in fewer photographs being taken, witness statements not being completed, evidence not being searched for or collected, and the integrity of the scene is destroyed. It's not only suicide this can happen on, but reported natural deaths and accidents can also inadvertently be short cut if responding officers conclude their investigation based upon the initial reported call.  If then, at a later time, the death becomes suspicious, the officer's reports and any investigative documentation will be lacking valuable information needed for future investigations.  The tendency is for the uniformed officer to write the final report and collect the evidence necessary to fit the narrative given to him by the initial call.   5. Failing to Take Sufficient Photographs In today's world of digital photography, photos are cheap and easy to obtain. Back when I started in this business, we used Polaroid™ instant photography and 35mm film cameras.  These were expensive, and some departments wanted to limit "unnecessary" photographs in an attempt to stretch the budget. That's not the case today since hundreds of photographs can be taken and stored nearly free of charge. Photos are a way to document the scene and to freeze that scene in time. They are used in court when necessary and may prove or disprove a fact in question.  Therefore, it is vital that photographs be taken of the entire scene, area, and location where the crime took place, including any sites connected to the original crime. Remember, you only get one chance at your first chance to document a scene. 6. Failing to Manage the Crime Scene Process The investigator in charge should oversee the investigation and scene documentation. He or she should ensure proper chain of custody and documentation of evidence. They are in charge of maintaining scene integrity. Never allow officers to use the restroom within the residence, or take food or drink from the kitchen. Never allow smoking in the investigative area, never bring food or drink into the scene from an outside source, and always keep non-essential personnel out of the scene area. Designate an area for them to congregate if needed, but it should never be inside your primary scene area. Lead investigators must also direct crime scene personnel on where and what they are to collect. Many CSI staff are well trained and have a good idea of what needs to be done. However, since each scene is unique, the investigator in charge must ensure evidence is adequately searched for and collected. The victim's body should always be inspected and searched for trace evidence prior to being moved or taken from the scene. Not doing so can result in loss of valuable evidence and leave many unanswered questions.  Also, and I cannot stress this enough, do not allow anyone to cover the body with anything found at or near the scene!  I've arrived on death scenes to find victims covered with blankets officers found on beds, sheets from nearby laundry baskets, or coats covering victims' faces to preserve their dignity.   If the body is found outdoors, barriers should be used.  Using anything to "add" to and subsequently alter the initial crime scene is always harmful to the investigation. Don't do it and don't allow it. Always stop and look around the scene; look up as much as around. See what is missing or what isn't.  What looks right about the scene, and what looks wrong?  Is what you are seeing matching what you are being told?   Never leave a scene until you are confident every answer to any question you may have has been answered or documented. Remember, this is your only first chance. 7. Failing to Evaluate Victimology Victimology is the collection and assessment of any significant information as it pertains to the victim and his or her lifestyle. It is imperative that investigators know the victim and that they complete a victimology study. You cannot properly investigate a death without victimology.  Failing to have a complete picture of the victim will preclude you from developing motives, suspects, and risk factors unique to the victim. These risk factors are usually regarded as high, moderate, or low and based on lifestyle, living conditions, job skills, neighborhood, or anything specific to the victim.  This information includes areas such as personality, employment, education, friends, habits, hobbies, marital status, relationships, dating history, sexuality, reputation, criminal record, drug and/or alcohol use, and physical condition as well as facts about the area they grew up in and if different, the one they resided in at the time of their death. Ultimately you need to find out, in great detail, who the victim was and what was going on at the time of their death. The best source of information will be friends, family, employers, and neighbors. Your goal is to get to know the victim even better than they knew themselves. 8. Failing to Conduct an Efficient Area Canvass Properly First, understand the terms "area canvass" and "neighborhood canvass" may be used interchangeably.  They are interviews conducted in the field, as opposed to statements taken on the scene or in the station. I will admit that conducting an area canvass can be tedious and very time-consuming. Sometimes, hundreds of contacts can be made without unveiling one shred of usable information. However, it is that one exhilarating jewel that is occasionally discovered that makes the process so rewarding.  There are right and wrong ways to conduct an area canvass that will yield better results for the efforts put out.  Ideally, patrol personnel and plainclothes detectives should perform separate canvasses.  Some individuals respond more readily to an authority figure in a uniform, while others prefer the anonymity of the detective's plain clothes.  Since it is impossible to know who will respond more willingly to either approach, both should be employed.  This technique will give the investigator the greatest chance of getting vital information.   The canvass may be conducted in an area near the crime scene or, conceivably, hundreds of miles away from it.  In the aftermath of a bank robbery, for example, the getaway vehicle may be located several counties, or even states, away.  Two canvasses should, therefore, be undertaken: one at the original crime scene (the bank) and one at the secondary scene (the vehicle).  If a suspect is developed, it may be advisable to perform an additional area canvass in the neighborhood where that person resides to learn about his/her reputation and habits.  A complex case may require that a number of area canvasses are completed at various locations.  The primary goal of a neighborhood canvass is, of course, to locate a witness to the crime. It is this promise of the elusive witness that motivates the investigator. However, it is not only the “eye” witness you seek.  On occasion, it may be just as significant to discover an “ear witness."  Someone who may have heard a threatening remark heard gunshots or even heard how and in which direction the perpetrator fled. This information can point the case in the right direction.  A witness who hears a homicide subject flee in a vehicle with a loud muffler, for example, could be furnishing a valuable lead.  Likewise, intimidating or threatening statements the witness may have overheard could refute a subsequent claim of self-defense.  In an officer-involved shooting incident, a witness who hears the officer yell "stop, police!" or "drop the gun!" is invaluable to the investigation.   Just as crucial as the eye-witness or the ear-witness is the "witness-who-knows-a-witness."  Even though this person may not have first-hand knowledge of the crime, he or she can direct investigators to a person who does and is, therefore, of great value. 9. Failing to Work Together as a Team As with any crime scene, cooperation is critical among differing agencies. But with a death scene, this cooperation is ever more important and ever more strained.  Due to the increased severity of the scene, the spotlight, and egos, these scenes can become a disaster quickly. Therefore teamwork is vital, and it is the lead investigator's role to set a tone of cooperation and teamwork.  One of the most significant issues in a major case is the failure to communicate information to those working the case. Some agencies seem to want to keep what they know to themselves. This primarily occurs from egos and "turf wars," which will compromise an effective outcome.  Everyone involved in the investigation has information gathered from the jobs they were assigned and a lack of communication or an unwillingness to share information discovered for evaluation can prevent the entire team from finding the truth and bringing the case to a conclusion.  It's imperative to remember that the cases you work aren't about you, but are for the victim, the family, and, at times the protection of society. A baseball game is won when everyone playing does his or her job and supports every other player in getting their job done. Imagine the bottom of the 9th, the game is tied and the next ball's hit to the pitcher who misses but scoops it up sits down, and refuses to throw or let anyone else take the baseball from them.  The pitcher did their job and pitched, but the refusal to share the "scoop" with their teammates resulted in a complete failure for everyone. 10. Command and Administrative Staff Interfering One of the most frustrating mistakes at a death scene investigation is when command staff shows up on the scene with their own agendas which have nothing to do with the actual investigation. Sometimes it's for political appearance or simple curiosity. But unless they are an actual part of the investigative team, they should not insert themselves into the investigation. In many instances, because they're at the scene, command ranking personnel feel the need to direct the investigation. Consequently, they will have investigators running in different directions which have nothing to do with the primary investigation. The result is the loss of cohesive and central command and major miscommunication. Many times, in these situations no one is willing to step up, make decisions, and take control for fear of making the boss mad. The chaos continues and the investigation is compromised, and when the outcome is delayed or not favorable, the command personnel directly responsible for the chaos will not see that they were the cause, but rather, the blame may fall on the lead investigator. Conclusion Death investigations are not always simple step by step cutouts. They require real attention and specific actions to protect the investigation integrity. Many of the mistakes mentioned here are from shortcutting and not taking seriously the gravity of the scene you are working.  Our job as death investigators, regardless of what function that is, is to get the truth for the victim and bring justice to anyone responsible for their death, if in fact, anyone is responsible.  Developing and following strict procedures at every death scene will ensure that investigations are worked properly, and evidence is not missed. 

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 manners of death, and the ruling should be a joint conclusion of all investigators, coroner, and medical examiner. Implications in suicide rulings Family Denial Stigma of Suicide Insurance Issues As an investigator, you will need to understand these implications and why they exist.  Your investigation will be scrutinized based on these implications.  It is your responsibility to have completed a thorough investigation with the collaboration of all investigation parties.  Implications may exist, but your report should identify how your ruling was determined. If others do not agree with the ruling, they must understand how you arrived at it. Here more about this topic on the podcast.

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. There is an interdependence of all evidence, and none of these elements can be interpreted separately. Each of these elements are equally important. Read more on the web site HERE

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 dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease can say no to a respirator.  Indeed, in 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the right to refuse medical treatment is completely different from assisted suicide.[9] 2.      Assisted suicide/euthanasia is not the same as a medical treatment for pain control: Because pain control may require strong drugs, which can cause death, assisted suicide advocates often claim that palliation and euthanasia are ethically the same under the “principle of double effect.” But this is all wrong: Any legitimate medical treatment can unintentionally lead to death, including pain alleviation. In assisted suicide death is the intended effect. We would never say that a patient who died during open-heart surgery was euthanized. Similarly, a patient who dies from the unintended side effects of pain control has not been assisted in suicide or euthanized. Pain control experts state that aggressive pain control generally does not shorten life. 3.      Assisted suicide/euthanasia is antithetical to hospice: Hospice was founded by the great medical humanitarian Dame Cicely Saunders in the late 1960s as a reform movement to bring the care of the dying out of isolated hospitals and into patients’ homes or non-institutional local care facilities. Its purpose is to provide dying people with proper treatment of pain and other disturbing symptoms as well as to render spiritual, psychological, and social support toward the end that life be lived as fully as possible until natural death. In contrast, assisted suicide is about rushing death, making it happen sooner rather than later through lethal actions. Or to put it another way: Hospice is about living. Assisted suicide/euthanasia is about dying. As the noted palliative care expert and assisted suicide opponent Dr. Ira Byock has written, “There’s a distinction between alleviating suffering and eliminating the sufferer — between enabling someone to die gently of their disease and ending that person’s life with a lethal pill or injection.” 4.      Assisted suicide/euthanasia are acts that intentionally end life: In contrast to the above, the intended purpose of assisted suicide and euthanasia is to end life, e.g., to kill. In assisted suicide, the last act causing death is taken by the person who dies, for example, ingesting a lethal prescription of barbiturates. In euthanasia, the death is a homicide, an act of killing taken by a third person, such as a doctor injecting a patient with poisonous drugs. From an Investigators Standpoint  Read More HERE

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 physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill in 1997, more than 700 people have taken their lives with prescribed medication — including Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old with an incurable brain tumor, who ended her life earlier this month. Read More at the website HERE  

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 over a short period of time (the maximum duration is usually 7 days).  The killer in spree murders often but not always knows his/her victims, and most often targets family members or romantic partners. I use the following list of behavioral criteria to define serial homicide for the purposes of my research: Read more at www.coronertalk.com

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 found. Featuring a femme fatale whose manipulative, cold-blooded character rivals Lady Macbeth, this page-turner by bestselling true-crime author Ron Franscell revisits a shocking cold case that was finally solved just when the murderers thought they'd never be caught.

“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. Bestselling authors PHIL AND SANDY HAMMAN, along with former Attorney General LARRY LONG, dive into the grim and demented world of Robert Leroy Anderson,  a sexual sadist, rapist, and murderer. Duct Tape Killer is also the story of perseverance and proof that love will not be extinguished by the ruinous evil that seeks to take root in our world.

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 York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother presents the latest breaking developments in the case. Skylar, who was ultimately sentenced to death row for the three murders, transitioned to a woman via hormones while living in the psych unit at San Quentin prison. Recently, she legally changed her name and gender to female, apparently a strategic step in her quest to obtain taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery and transfer to a women’s prison. Combined with Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent moratorium on executions, this only adds insult to injury for the victims’ families, who want Skylar to receive the ultimate punishment for her crimes.

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  

In 1977, four teenagers were kidnapped and attacked near and on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Only one survived. This book is written by the first responder to the call, Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper J.B. King. He goes back in time to tell it how it was from the moment of the crime until the conviction of Military Police Game Warden Johnny Lee Thornton. Riveting! His purpose is to tell the story of Pulaski County Missouri's ‘Crime of the Century’ in detail and with clarity. From the first minutes after this attack was reported, the United States Army, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command (CID), and the United States Attorney’s office worked together to bring the killer to justice. This book is a first-hand, comprehensive look into the investigation--and the story is riveting!  

Communication is not cliche and conflict does not just go away—on its own. Effective leaders are committed to improving communication and resolving conflict with courage, intentionality, and commitment. Yet, communication is continually an invisible drain for most people, stealing time, energy, money, resources, and even relationships from individuals and organizations.  In this session, you will learn how to plug the drains keeping you from the results you want and need. Influencing well begins by communicating well. It’s not enough to know what you need to do, wisdom means implementation. We will discuss the best approaches for having difficult dialogues, how to diffuse emotions that magnify conflicts, and insights on invisible drains hiding beneath the surface. Real people asking real questions real-time about their real-life conflicts, make the content in this session especially relevant to the 21st-century woman or man. When you learn how to relate more effectively in your personal and professional relationships, you will increase your productivity, profitability, and peace, at work and at home.

To see a complete listing of resources and response guidelines go to our main page at: https://coronertalk.com/covid19

If you want to be seen and respected as a professional, might I say you need to act like a professional first?  In this episode, I  talk about what I believe are the ten most important areas you should guard and improve if you want to build a professional image.   These are not in any particular order and the list is in no way all-inclusive. Rather, these ten areas are what I feel are the most important. 10 tips for building a professional image 1. Keep your personal life personal Keep your opinions to yourself or within your tightest-closets friends. Do not use social media to voice your political or hot topic opinions.  You are a public figure and although you may have an opinion, the public does not need to hear it. 2. Create the right associates It’s important to associate yourself with people, pursuits, and organizations that help to further the professional image you want to project. Join associations or forums related to your field.  You are the product of the five people you spend the most time with. 3. Be Positive – Be Respectful Do you constantly find the faults in any argument, the flaws to any process, or the reasons why someone’s plans are bound to fail? While it’s great to be able to see problems before they arise, being relentlessly negative doesn’t make you liked or respected as a professional.  If you want to be treated with respect – you have to show it and earn it. Take a positive attitude towards your work, and you’ll find that your professional image benefits. 4. Know your job Know your job as per state statues and what your agency policies are.  Knowing your job will help you work within your job requirements and not overstepping your bounds. 5. Admit your shortcomings It’s okay not to know everything.  Admit where you need more training and make it your responsibility to get that training. 6. Keep your promises If you promise to do something, do it. Unless there’s a major catastrophe, a commitment is a commitment.  If a reason comes up that you cannot full fill your promise then be sure you let the person know you’ve promised why you will be delayed. 6. Do a good job – always If you do excellent work then others will notice you even if you are not promoting it. Build a reputation by doing amazing work. Your work and your reports have to stand the test of time and the scrutiny of lawyers and other investigators. 7. Personal appearance Personal appearance is one of those subtle things that’s difficult to quantify. Mostly, it’s a collection of a lot of small investments of time and effort that add up to a slight but noticeable tweak in how people think of you. The difference is real, and over time these small differences in a lot of interactions and events can really add up. 10. Avoid substance abuse Alcohol and prescription drugs are oftentimes abused by police and death investigators as a way to drown their sorrows and help to hide feelings and stress. 11. Gaurd your mental health As death investigators, we see the worst life has to offer. We must watch out mental health and understand the warning signs of PTSD and how our job changes us.

There is no greater honor than writing the last chapter of someone’s life story. As medicolegal death investigators, that is what we do and, for the most part, we do it well. With seemingly innumerable courses, electronic mailing lists, and forensic science discussion groups, there is a plethora of available information on how to investigate just about every possible death scene and circumstance. Unfortunately, there is not a major focus on the management and administration of offices and personnel in the medicolegal death investigation field. With the exception of those offices under the law enforcement umbrella, many medicolegal death investigation managers and supervisors lack basic managerial training and the “big picture” purpose and role of a Medical Examiner/Coroner (ME/C) Office is often forgotten or overlooked not only by its employees but by its administrators. The lack of managerial training and resulting substandard managerial performance; misguided managerial focus; and managerial inaction, to include the ignoring and/or avoidance of problem issues and personnel; ultimately results in the creation and maintenance of a toxic work environment and the “big picture” becomes foggy, if not completely invisible. In this environment, “cancerous” employees infect the environment to the point that good employees either leave or lose the motivation and dedication to a job well done. The primary focus of most medicolegal death investigation managers, administrators, and supervisors is to ensure ME/C personnel properly determine jurisdiction, document deaths reported to the office, conduct scene investigations, perform death notifications, conduct postmortem examinations, certify deaths falling under its jurisdiction, and document the investigative efforts in comprehensive and factual reports, in addition to many other ancillary functions. We are fortunate to work with many outstanding death investigators and support personnel who choose to do the noblest of jobs in an underpaid, under-appreciated, and overly-stressed work environment. Read More at Web SIte-  HERE 

In this episode, we listen in as Anita Brooks talks with a group of team leaders about how what they do and how they do it has a great impact on the overall success of the team function.  In this segment, we play the portion of the training where Anita describes the 7 Superpowers of an Effective Leader.  These superpowers as Anita describes them are Monitor your mind’s mouth – watch your self-talk Treat people as human beings, not as objects Listen (to hear) twice as much as you speak Practice Appreciation:  Express it, Show it, Share it Choose integrity in Every Moment Become an Intentional Promise-Keeper Measure Your Progress with a Quarterly Leadership S.W.O.T Analysis

Have you ever wondered what being a part of CSI is really like? If so, here’s your chance to experience it…WALK inside the crime scene tape with retired Sergeant Tamara Mickelson as she shares her personal experiences of the most grueling and heartbreaking crime scenes she had ever worked. Catch a glimpse of what she saw, touched, smelled, and even tasted during an average workday. Dare to join her as she takes you through a difficult journey of memories, uncovering layers of emotional trauma left behind. Discover the ways she healed from yesterday's pain to live an emotionally balanced life today. Get your copy by clicking the book cover below.   

Infant Loss Resources serves as a source of information and support for healthcare professionals, childcare providers, parent educators, and police and other emergency workers who are the first to respond to a family who has experienced an infant death. Ongoing educational programs are presented both to students and working professionals throughout Missouri, and in surrounding counties in IL and KS. Education enables public health and social service professionals to provide well informed, consistent services for families. Professional education is also offered to nurses, physicians, child care providers, parent educators, and health educators on the latest recommendations to improve infant health and reduce the risk of death, which includes training on safe sleep for babies. What is SIDS/SUID? The definition of SIDS is the sudden, unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant, under one year of age. The death remains unexplained after a complete medical history review, autopsy and death scene investigation, all 3 of which are required by law. While the exact cause of SIDS is unknown, researchers have been able to identify factors that are associated with infants and infant care practices that increase the risk of SIDS. As a result, risk reduction recommendations have been established. Parents and other caregivers should remember that if practiced, these risk reduction techniques will significantly reduce the risk of SIDS. What is SUID? Sudden Unexpected Infant Death is an umbrella term used for many sleep-related infant deaths for which an exact cause may not be immediately clear or may remain undetermined.  SIDS falls under the umbrella of SUID.  Other deaths that are under the umbrella of SUID are accidental suffocation or asphyxia.  When we look at risk reduction for SIDS/SUID, the steps recommended reducing the risk are the same. Interesting Facts Age Distribution: 90% of all SIDS/SUID deaths occur in infants less than 6 months of age. 70% of deaths occur in infants between 2 and 4 months of age. Seasonal Distribution: More deaths occur in the winter and fall months;  most likely due to babies sleeping with too many layers of clothing or blankets in the winter Population Distribution: Approximately 3,000 – 3,500 babies die of sudden infant death in the U.S. each year. Annually in the state of Missouri, approximately 90 – 95 babies succumb to SUID. There is a gender difference in that 60% male vs. 40% female babies are affected.  SIDS/SUID affects babies of all races, religions and ethnic groups; however the statistics show us that the incidence of SIDS/SUID is greater for: African American and Native American babies low birth weight babies ( babies born prematurely babies whose mothers smoke during and after pregnancy babies of multiple births (twins or triplets) babies born within 18 months of one another and babies of younger mothers Contact Infant Loss Resouces:   http://infantlossresources.org/ 

Evidence in infant and child death cases is many times very different than in older children and adult deaths, infants die differently than adults, in most cases; so the evidence surrounding their death will be different. Understanding what potential evidence is is critical as well as knowing how and what to collect. Remember – If you think it might be evidence or lead you to a reason for the death – take it, you can always give it back. Personal Property v. Evidence Personal Property Is the property on or near the body that belongs to the baby (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. Chain of Custody  Every item secured from the scene, whether it is personal property or evidence to be processed – must be accounted for at every moment while in the custody of the investigative agency.  Until such time that it is returned to the family or destroyed following court order when the evidence is no longer needed. Use a property log and ensure that every person handling or receiving the item(s) signs for it and can testify as to its integrity or secured storage. Photograph – EVERYTHING  FIRST! Be sure that you have photographed and documented in your notes, anything you might be taking as evidence.  Its placement will become critical in your final report.If the items had been moved by police, EMS, or family document the place you found it and note the move is you know it. Collecting Evidence Every item and material of evidence collected;  must be identified, collect, and stored using proper methods. Different evidence has different containers it is important to store and transport correctly. Not doing so can cause evidence to become contaminated, chain of custody to be broken, or samples to be degraded beyond use Some Evidence in Infants Deaths  to Consider Bedding, Bed, and Sleeping area Any OTC or Rx  Medications for baby – Or in the baby area Bottles – those with milk and those in sink or floor empty Baby food  – or whatever the child has been eating Diapers – toxicology testing Clothing – recent, might have changed child after finding Items used as weapons Anything that looks like it could be involved- in and around the infant area – you can always  give it back later These topics and more are discussed in this week’s episode.   Check out online eLearning options by  https://www.ditacademyonline.org Death Investigation is all we do !  Many training agencies are well rounded and can fulfill the training needs in nearly every category of public policing and investigation.  At DITA we concentrate on death investigation and everything surrounding those investigations.  By becoming hyper-focused in this field we are better able to provide intense and specific training you and your investigators need.    

All infant and child deaths need to be investigated in a systematic and standardized method.  The SUDI forms provided by the CDC is the national standard approach to investigating these deaths. Frequently, a cause of death is determined after a thorough investigation and autopsy by a medical examiner and coroner. The deaths that remain unexplained are defined as SIDS. Therefore, SIDS is a type of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. Infant Death Scene Investigation The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has developed the Sudden and Unexplained Infant Death (SUID) Investigation Reporting Form. The Reporting Form, a guide for its use and a training curriculum for infant death scene investigation are available online. The form will guide and standardize the work and practices of EMS professionals, law enforcement, death scene investigators, medical examiners and coroners, death certifiers and child death review (CDR) team members.  Information obtained by using the form in infant death investigations can also be used to guide the development of strategies for the prevention of infant deaths. All infant and child deaths need to be investigated in a systematic and standardized method.  The SUDI forms provided by the CDC is the national standard approach to investigating these deaths. What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? (SIDS) Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation including a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and review of the clinical history. In the United States, SIDS is the major cause of death in infants from 1 month to 1 year. Most deaths occur between 2-4 months of age. Typically, a seemingly healthy infant dies suddenly and unexpectedly, usually during a period of sleep. A diagnosis is made after all the possible causes of death have been excluded. SIDS can occur in families of any race, socio-economic status, religion or nationality. Causes of SIDS remain unexplained. However, SIDS is not caused by suffocation, child abuse, immunizations, vomiting, choking or by minor illnesses such as a cold or infection. SIDS is not contagious. Placed - Found Photos As talked about in this episode all child death investigations need to include scene reenactment photos of the position and place the child was last seen alive and the position and place they were found unresponsive.  Using placed/found signs will help everyone viewing the photos to understand the reenactment. Today's Guest Kathleen Hargrave kadie@slu.edu Chief Forensic Investigator St Louis Medical Examiner's Office

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. Interpreting Infant Death Law enforcement, first responders, death scene investigators, medical examiners, coroners, and forensic pathologists all play a role in carrying out the case investigation. A thorough case investigation includes An examination of the death scene. An autopsy (medical examination of the body after death). A review of the infant’s medical history. Most SUIDs are reported as one of three types of infant deaths. Types of SUID Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) SIDS is defined as the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted, including a complete autopsy, the examination of the death scene, and a review of the clinical history. About 1,500 infants died of SIDS in 2014. SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants 1 to 12 months old. Unknown Cause The sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age cannot be explained because a thorough investigation was not conducted and cause of death could not be determined. Accidental Suffocation and Strangulation in Bed Mechanisms that lead to accidental suffocation include:   Suffocation by soft bedding—for example, when a pillow or waterbed mattress covers an infant’s nose and mouth. Overlay—for example, when another person rolls on top of or against the infant while sleeping. Wedging or entrapment—for example, when an infant is wedged between two objects such as a mattress and wall, bed frame, or furniture. Strangulation—for example, when an infant’s head and neck become caught between crib railings. Even after a thorough investigation, it is hard to tell SIDS apart from other sleep-related infant deaths such as overlay or suffocation in soft bedding. While an observed overlay may be considered an explained infant death, no autopsy tests can tell for certain that suffocation was the cause of death. Arrival on the scene It is important an investigator take some immediate action upon first arriving on the scene. Unlike most death investigations, the decedent in an infant death has almost always been moved since discovery. Therefore, it is essential that the investigator uses this first opportunity to locate and evaluate the location(s) within the scene where the infant was reported to have been moved between placement and discovery. While also noting existing environmental conditions that may have affected the infant. Upon arrival an investigator should: Identify the lead investigator at the scene and present your identification Identify other essential officials at the scene (e.g., EMS, emergency department personnel, childcare providers, social/child protective services). Explain your role in the investigation. Identify and document the first essential official(s) to the scene for identification for future follow up. Determine if the scene is safe to enter To establish scene parameters and become familiar with the environment, the investigator should: Locate the first responder and/or lead investigator. Determine the location where the infant was discovered dead or unresponsive. Determine the location where the infant was last known alive. Determine the location where the infant was placed. Identify visible physical and fragile evidence. Document and photograph fragile evidence immediately and collect, if appropriate. Observe the physical living environment. Locate and view the decedent, if possible.    

In August 1997, sixteen-year-old William Jenkins was on his second day of work at a fast-food restaurant in suburban Richmond, Virginia when the restaurant was robbed at closing time. While cooperating fully with the robber, William was shot and died instantly. His father, Bill Jenkins, quickly found that there were virtually no readily available resources that could answer his many questions as a survivor of a traumatic loss. He began looking for help and found it, after a fashion, scattered in the bookstores, on the Internet, and in support groups and agencies. But nowhere was there a single, concise, practical, and eminently useful resource for bereaved families written by victims for victims containing the advice and guidance that he and his family needed following their loss. Several months later, using the information he had collected for his own personal well-being, this experienced teacher and speaker sat down to write the book that he should have received the night he was notified of his son’s death, What to do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic Loss. This landmark book on grief and bereavement quickly became an important resource for families dealing with the sudden or traumatic death of a loved one and the caregivers who work with them. Now, a recognized expert on victims and trauma, Bill has served on the boards of directors for Murder Victims for Human Rights, the National Coalition of Victims in Action, and is the founder, along with his wife, Jennifer Bishop, of IllinoisVictims.org, a statewide victim rights watchdog group. He is also active in many other victims’ rights and support activities and organizations, has been an instructor with the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, leads seminars on victims’ perspectives for national organizations such as the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Organization of Victim Assistance, and Parents of Murdered Children and also addresses local and regional conferences for law enforcement and victim advocates. He and his wife also speak at victim impact panels for youthful offenders and in support of funding for programs for children and young people that are proven to decrease crime. In 2006, Bill received the Edith Surgan Victim Activist of the Year award from the National Organization of Victim Assistance, a singular honor that recognizes to his expertise in the field and his commitment to making society more sensitive to victims’ rights and needs. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious John Gillis Leadership Award by Parents of Murdered Children. Bill has also written a full-length play, Hearts Full of Tears, that has been produced by two professional theatre companies so far. It deals with the emotional struggle of a family dealing with the shooting death of their teen-aged son. Critical and audience reviews have been very positive. Returning to his educational roots and love of biology, his latest research is in the neurobiology of trauma and stress, how our brains respond to traumatic experiences, and what treatments are most helpful to victims and their families. He hopes that his own personal perspective and unique voice using the latest authoritative scientific discoveries will help victims understand how their brains respond to crisis and inform caregivers how best to help trauma victims in their work. Bill is a professional artist and educator at the college level for over 25 years, he currently teaches and designs for the theatre program at Dominican University near Chicago, IL. You can buy the book What to do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic Loss. By clicking on the title link.

In this episode, I have a conversation with Anita Brooks about the real human side of grief and death notification. As investigators, we can become hardened and not see the real grief associated with the news we are delivering. We try to sound like we care and have compassion, but is it really coming out the way it should? The 5 stages of grief and loss are: 1. Denial and isolation; 2. Anger; 3. Bargaining; 4. Depression; 5. Acceptance. People who are grieving do not necessarily go through the stages in the same order or experience all of them Read More   Learn more about online and classroom training at the links below. https://ditacademy.org/

Her son died in a car accident. The highway patrol came to her house to notify her and her husband of the accident and the death of their child. She states, "I remember them telling me like it was yesterday, but it has been 16 years". In this episode, I speak to a mother about the night her son died and what went right and what went wrong with the notification process. This conversation gets very real and raw at times and this mother has some great advice for you as to how best to make notification to a loved one.

In this episode, we will kick off the theme for the month of January of proper death notification procedures. This episode is a replay of an online course that described the proper procedure for notifying families of the death of a loved one. Death notification is acknowledged to be one of the most difficult tasks faced by law enforcement officers and other professionals because learning of the death of a loved one often is the most traumatic event in a person’s life. The moment of notification is one that most people remember very vividly for the rest of their life -- sometimes with pain and anger. Basic Death Notification Procedures These are some of the cardinal principles of death notification. Some of the points overlap, and all will be refined by the notifier’s experience and judgment. Read the complete article at https://coronertalk.com/death-notification---best-practices‎  

In this episode, the last of 2019, I discuss changes that are taking place in the new year. The podcast will go to monthly themes so we can dive deeper into training topics rather than bounce around through random unconnected topics. We also discuss the improvements and changes being made to the Medicolegal Death Investigator Online Academy Course. This course has been moved to a new platform and many improvements have been made to the course design and available material. Check out the course at this link: https://www.ditacademyonline.org/ Also, I talk about the thought that "What we do Matter". What I do matters and what you do matters in the work we do. Everyone at the Coroner Talk Podcast understands that we make a significate influence in the area of death investigation and we do not take that lightly. What we do matter to investigators, families, and case outcomes. What you do everyday matters fo the same reasons. Welcome to 2020, the year of clear vision. I truly thank you for coming along in the ride with me and look forward to a great year.  

This Christmas and during this season I would like to wish every one of you a Blessed Christmas and Holiday Season. Regardless of your religious faith Christmas is a season for giving and giving back. Its a season to remember those less fortunate than us and to bring some happiness to someone's life. I would also like the thank each of you listening and reading alike. It is because of you that I do what I do. I truly thank you and want to help in any way I am able. Merry Christmas and God Bless. Darren

In August 1997, sixteen year-old William Jenkins was on his second day of work at a fast- food restaurant in suburban Richmond, Virginia when the restaurant was robbed at closing time. While cooperating fully with the robber, William was shot and died instantly. His father, Bill Jenkins, quickly found that there were virtually no readily available resources that could answer his many questions as a survivor of a traumatic loss. He began looking for help and found it, after a fashion, scattered in the bookstores, on the Internet, and in support groups and agencies. But nowhere was there a single, concise, practical, and eminently useful resource for bereaved families written by victims for victims containing the advice and guidance that he and his family needed following their loss. Several months later, using the information he had collected for his own personal well-being, this experienced teacher and speaker sat down to write the book that he should have received the night he was notified of his son’s death, What to do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic Loss. This landmark book on grief and bereavement quickly became an important resource for families dealing with the sudden or traumatic death of a loved one and the caregivers who work with them. Now, a recognized expert on victims and trauma, Bill has served on the boards of directors for Murder Victims for Human Rights, the National Coalition of Victims in Action, and is the founder, along with his wife, Jennifer Bishop, of IllinoisVictims.org, a statewide victim rights watchdog group. He is also active in many other victims’ rights and support activities and organizations, has been an instructor with the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, leads seminars on victims’ perspectives for national organizations such as the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Organization of Victim Assistance, and Parents of Murdered Children and also addresses local and regional conferences for law enforcement and victim advocates. He and his wife also speak at victim impact panels for youthful offenders and in support of funding for programs for children and young people that are proven to decrease crime. In 2006, Bill received the Edith Surgan Victim Activist of the Year award from the National Organization of Victim Assistance, a singular honor that recognizes to his expertise in the field and his commitment to making society more sensitive to victims’ rights and needs. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious John Gillis Leadership Award by Parents of Murdered Children. Bill has also written a full-length play, Hearts Full of Tears, that has been produced by two professional theatre companies so far. It deals with the emotional struggle of a family dealing with the shooting death of their teen-aged son. Critical and audience reviews have been very positive. Returning to his educational roots and love of biology, his latest research is in the neurobiology of trauma and stress, how our brains respond to traumatic experiences, and what treatments are most helpful to victims and their families. He hopes that his own personal perspective and unique voice using the latest authoritative scientific discoveries will help victims understand how their brains respond to crisis and inform caregivers how best to help trauma victims in their work. Bill is a professional artist and educator at the college level for over 25 years, he currently teaches and designs for the theatre program at Dominican University near Chicago, IL.

An asphyxial death refers to a multi-etiologic set of conditions in which there is inadequate delivery, uptake and/or utilization of oxygen by the body’s tissues/cells, often accompanied by carbon dioxide retention. This episode will introduce the listener to the four primary classifications of asphyxial deaths, which are; mechanical, inert-gas, environmental, and pathological.   The podcast will cover each classification and describe how the deaths occur and what investigators need to know to properly determine death due to asphyxial means. A common form of suicidal asphyxia is caused by the use of inert-gas.  These deaths may also be accidental when located in an area compromised by a high level of gas.  An inert gas is a gas that has no toxic or anesthetic properties and does not act upon the heart or hemoglobin. Instead, the gas acts simply to reduced oxygen concentration in the blood to dangerously low levels, thereby eventually depriving all cells in the body of oxygen. Some common inert gases are; Argon Halon Helium Nitrogen Methane This podcast also covers the asphyxial death classification of environmental asphyxial death. Environmental Asphyxia is due to insufficient oxygen in the environment. Deaths are almost always accidental. An oxygen concentration of 16% or less is dangerous, and with 5% concentration, consciousness is lost rapidly and death occurs within a few minutes. Environmental asphyxia deaths are typed in four manners: Confined Space Positional Compression Entrapment or Engulfment The final classification discussed in this course is pathological asphyxia. Pathological is dealing with or attributable to disease or medical condition.  These asphyxial deaths are caused by such things as anaphylaxis, pulmonary edema, and COPD.

In this episode, I answer several listener questions and discuss some upcoming training that I will be a student in.  Plus, we look forward to the 2020 training schedule.

In this episode I speak with Venessa Tanner. Venessa shares her story of becoming a Death Investigator and getting a job with the local Sheriff’s office as a DI. Her story is one that many can relate to as she struggled to find an open door and anyone who would listen to her.   Through research and conversation with local agencies she found the online training at the Death Investigation Academy and through that training and interaction with instructors, doors started to open for her. I may enjoy her story and may find a little of your own journey in their too. ***** Also, in this episode I give my opinion to the question; Did Epstein commit suicide.     Find out more about the training you can get at the Death Investigation Academy by clicking this link:   trainingme

In this episode I play for you a recording from a presentation I gave at a session of the True Crime Conference in St. Charles Missouri. 

A prevalent concern, but under-recognized, a public health problem of distressing and harmful resident-to-resident interactions in dementia in long-term care homes (LTC) (such as nursing homes and assisted living residences), is a major issue facing many countries today.  This increase can, in part, be attributed to the growing population of older adults from the Baby Boom generation. These resident-to-resident incidents frequently lead to injurious and fatal consequences for vulnerable and frail elder residents. Incidents Underreported For various reasons, these incidents are often underreported inside and outside the LTC home (such as to the Department of Health/state regulatory agency, police, and Coroners/Medical Examiners). Death investigators should play a critical role in timely and skilled investigations of these incidents. However, serious gaps in resources and training are a major barrier to change as they are the reality for many Coroner and Medical Examiner Offices and Law Enforcement Departments in the U.S. and abroad. Partial Solution Improved communication and timely collaboration between external agencies is essential to addressing this phenomenon more effectively. A timely and skilled investigation can assist tremendously in determining the cause of death (which is critically important to family members of the deceased) and can also inform policy, legislation, systemic efforts, and training programs aimed at preventing similar tragic incidents in the future.

The burden of dealing with tragedies associated with the day-to-day duties of police officers, coroners, and medicolegal death investigators, often remains unspoken and follows the officers into their off-duty and personal lives. Failure to recognize and provide an acceptable outlet for the disappointment and frustration felt by officers and investigators  at the end of their shifts can lead to: Alcohol and/or drug abuse Problems with personal relationships Self-rejection, Disillusionment and Depression Job loss Even suicide. If asked what bothers them the most about their profession, many will offer concerns such as a lack of public respect, lack of manpower or equipment to do their job effectively, or a general frustration over the perceived ineffectiveness of the judicial system. Seldom will officers open their hearts to discuss the pain and frustration that stems from dealing with the injury, anguish, and distress suffered by the victims? Many officers are haunted by the effects of trying to resolve problems they encounter in their communities and with their victims only to find that the solution is beyond their control. Officers do not discuss the sorrow they feel after having to notify loved ones about the loss of their spouse or child because of a vehicle collision. Nor do they discuss the tears that follow officers after having held an infant in their hands trying to breathe life back into the tiny body only to find that despite all of their training and practice their efforts are futile. Or the frustration of dealing with the children of a crack addict or an abusive parent who time after time evades the help of a system overburdened with cases that, left unresolved, ensure continued problems for generation after generation to come. These unresolved and un-dealt with feelings will lead an officer or investigator to suffer a form of PTSD called ‘Secondary PTSD’ or compassion fatigue. Suicide, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and many more emotional and stress-related problems plague the first-responder community. Hundreds of thousands of these brave public servants have unwittingly become victims of the professions they once loved. However, the suffering that results from a professional life of sacrifice and service can be prevented and mitigated. Find Your Copy Here! As a thirty-year law-enforcement veteran, retired police captain, and police academy instructor, Dan Willis has witnessed the damage of emotional trauma and has made it his personal mission to safeguard and enhance the wellness and wholeness of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, emergency-room personnel, and soldiers. Bulletproof Spirit offers field-tested expertise designed to be used by all first responders — and their families — to heal themselves and continue serving with compassion and strength.

If you want to be seen as a professional, you must present a professional image and attitude that will command respect.   You WILL NOT get the respect you need simply by your title. Respect is earned not granted.     There has been a long history of perceived and actual unprofessionalism in the Coroner industry. This has spilled over into Medical Examiners office and police agencies as well.  But by and large many coroners struggle with being accepted as a professional.   Is it industry bias, or a reality of the image the coroner is projecting? Five Areas You Must Address 1. Need for written policy   All staff from top-down     Procedures for all to follow        Victim families        Property       Report deadlines 2. Attitude of cooperation    With co-workers    Other Agencies    Stop power pulls    Interactions with families         3. Office Organization   Office area appearance   Filing    Reporting    Returning messages   Voice and Email 4. Dress code standards   At office/morgue    On scenes            Proper Dress    Proper Id on clothing     On duty and in public             This includes automobiles                   Is it marked                   Even Magnetic logos                   What type of vehicle 5. Training           How trained are you          Can you talk and understand the field      Your responsibility  to get it               This podcast               Reading               Courses   -  local Sheriff Office               ABMDI               Use your ME

In order to determine the direction of an investigation and to prioritize leads, if necessary, death investigators must establish the manner of a death: natural, accident, homicide or suicide. The most overlooked aspect of death investigation is the psychological dimension, which can provide unique leads, correct false assumptions, enhance investigative awareness, and solve cases in surprising ways. In an estimated 10–20% of cases, the manner of death cannot be determined, or worse, has been erroneously categorized. In this episode, I spoke to Dr. Katherin Ramsland about the Psychology of Death Investigations. Both from the investigators perspective as well as the decedent and victim.

For attorneys and other professionals, Plan B Forensics will provide a comprehensive picture of what happened to the victim. For families, we are you. We’ve been where you’ve been. The way we have processed our tragedies is to understand as much as possible what happened to our loved ones. We cannot change the outcome, we cannot undo what was done. But we are a collective voice for the victim and an advocate for the survivors. In memoriam. For closure, for peace. For all of us.   We put the whole story together for you to gain an accurate picture of how things went wrong and a life ended. We don’t guess, make assumptions or chase theories. We’re not on anyone’s side but the victim and truth. We start with the most important evidence and the best witness, the body. If a scenario does not match the injuries the victim sustained, then it’s wrong, so we start at the source and work our way out in an enlarging spiral. Dr. Entwistle’s extensive background and training in trauma surgery make it likely that she's seen these injuries before a fatality occurred and understands the mechanism required both before and after death -- a more comprehensive picture than a pathologist can give you. She was the real deal, “lifey-deathy” surgeon, for military and civilians, and will review medical records with the precision required in the operating room. Her certification as a medicolegal death investigator enables her to evaluate not just postmortem injuries but the process by which the death investigation was done. Ms. Turpen, a DNA Scientist and Evidence Analyst, will look at all the evidence collected and see avenues for further exploration.