The Forensic Autopsy

What is an Autopsy? “See for yourself” A post mortem examination preformed to determine the cause of death.

Why is a Forensic Autopsy preformed? Cause of death deemed suspicious, or involves criminal action.

Experts Who Perform Forensic Autopsies Forensic Pathologist, aka a Medical Examiner 4 years Undergrad 4 years Medical School 4 years Pathology “Residency”

Forensic Pathologist a sub-specialty of pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. Autopsy - a postmortem examination to discover the cause of death or the extent of disease. Autopsy's are normally are called upon when the death is: Sudden Violent Unexplained Investigators will look into Manner Mechanism Cause Time

Manner of Death In a forensic autopsy, a medical examiner or coroner declares the death to be: Natural Accident Homicide Suicide or Unknown

Natural Death Caused by a known disease: cancer, heart disease, stroke, genetic disorders, etc. Often just simply “old age”

Accidental Death Caused by mistake or freak occurrence. Death not planned, but can be explained by circumstances.

Homicidal Death Killing another person. Close to you? Infanticide, Fratricide, Sororicide, Parricide, Patricide, Matricide, Mariticide, Uxoricide InfanticideFratricideSororicideParricidePatricide MatricideMariticideUxoricide Lots of people… Genocide – Killing a national, ethnic, racial or religious group Genocide Homicide is the most investigated death, therefore the most autopsied.

Suicidal Death Killing of self. Often the easiest to identify wrt cause. Can be elaborated further in the report… Toxic, firearm, blunt force trauma, asphyxiation, etc.

Unknown Death Deaths in absentia At sea Badly decayed bodies

Mechanism of Death The physiological dysfunction that results in the death. Example: death due to the gunshot wound, the mechanism is exsanguination (extreme blood loss).

The disease or injury that produces the physiological disruption inside the body resulting in death. Example: a gunshot wound to the chest. Cause of Death

Protocol for Performing A Forensic Autopsy? Corpse brought to M.E. In a new body bag/clean sheets Avoids cross-transfer of evidence Placed on dissection table

Physical Examination 2 Parts: External Physical outer layer – for injuries / cause of death Internal Internal organs & tissue - evidence of disease, trauma, toxic substances, organ failure

External Examination Steps: 1. Photographed 2. Samples taken: hair, nails 3. Undressed, examined for wounds -- Lacerations, abrasions, bruises 4. Measured, weighed, cleaned

Internal Examination Steps of an internal examination. 1. Incisions “Y”… Behind each ear, down the neck, meet mid-sternum, continue to the groin. For suspected strangulation – 50% no ext. signs Show fractured HYOID bone “T” … From each shoulder, meet top of sternum, continue to the groin. Better looking finished product

Hyoid

Internal Examination (cont’d) 2. Cuts Chest cavity cut open w/shears or saw. 3. Removal 1. Letulle’s “En Masse” method – All organs at once 2. Ghon’s “En Bloc” method – Organs removed in sections 4. Organs weighed, examined

5. Brain examination 1. Incision: from a point behind one ear, over top of head, to point behind the opposite ear. 2. Scalp pulled away from the skull, forward and back. Front flap over the face, rear flap over the neck. 3. Skull cut with electric saw…creates a “bowl” 4. Brain cut from spinal cord, lifted out of the skull for further examination. Internal Examination (cont’d)

In addition…Major Systems looked at Cardio-Vascular (Heart & Lungs) Central Nervous System (CNS) Internal Examination (cont’d)

Vitreous Humor Not much? = Dead longer… More Potassium? = Dead longer… Broken blood vessels? = likely strangulation

Livor Mortis Meaning…Dis- ‘Color of Death’. Coloration of the skin. Death = the heart stops = blood stops cycling. Red blood cells, plasma gather on the bottom part of the body, closest to the floor. A line forms after 8 hours if the body hasn’t been moved. If moved, a new line forms. The thicker the line, the longer the body held that position.

3. Livor mortis

Algor Mortis Defined as ‘Coolness of Death’. Temperature of body. In a controlled environment, stating at 98.6 degrees, the body will drop one degree per hour. This happens because at death, the respiratory system stops working, the body stops functioning, it is no longer moving. When taking the temperature of a corpse, you can’t take it in the mouth because the muscles will be relaxed and the tongue wont stay on top of the thermometer. Thinner people cool faster then fat people.

Rigor Mortis Defined as ‘Stiffness of Death’. Flexibility of the body. Shows up 2 hours after death Peaks 12 hours after death. Takes hours for entire rigor mortis effect to take place. At approximately 20 hours after death, the body is at its stiffest. The eyelids are affected first, the the jaw, face, trunk, arms, legs. Ends after hours.

Rigor mortis ? Factors affecting Rigor mortis ? 1.Ambient temperature, Cooler the body the slower the onset of rigor 2.Person’s weight Fat stores more oxygen and slow rigor 3. Type of clothing Helps keep the body warm

Pallor Mortis Defined as ‘Paleness of Death’. Tone of the body. Happens minutes after death. Happens due to lack of capillary circulation in the body. Can not be used to determine time of death except if body is found still with color.

Estimating Time of Death 1. Algor mortis: reduction in body temperature following death 2.Rigor mortis: stiffening of the body after death 3. Livor mortis: (Lividity) : settling of the blood in the lower portion 4.Potassium levels in vitreous humor + Clouding of the cornea 5. Digestive Contents 6. Evidence of Decompositional Process 7. Presence/absence of purge fluids 8. Drying of the tissue 9. Insect Larval Instars

Digestive Contents Stomach empties contents after 4-6 hrs Small intestine empties after 24 hrs Colon empties hrs

Stages of Decomposition 2 days Cells autolysis Greenish purple staining occurs, blood decomposing Skin takes on Marbled Appearance 4 days Skin blisters Abdomen swells with carbon dioxide Due to bacteria in intestines 6-10 days Corpse bloats with CO2 Corpse eventually bursts Fluid begins leaking from openings as cell membranes rupture Eyeballs liquefy Skin sloughs off

Forensic entomology Entomology is study of insects

Complete Metamorphosis 23 hrs 35 hrs 50 hrs 72 hrs 130 hrs 143 hrs

Blowflies are usually the 1 st invader Can lay eggs within 20 minutes of death

Beetle larvae

Ta Da! The End