Autopsy: The Different Types Of Forensic Evidence
Sarah Coughlin
Mr. Murphy
Crim Honors
16 May 2014
Autopsy
There are many different types of evidence that can be found at a crime scene, but few provide as much evidence as the victim’s body. An autopsy is a medical examination of a body that is performed to determine the cause of death. Forensic autopsies are conducted by forensic pathologists when a death appears to be suspicious or linked to criminal activity. The autopsy should reveal three main things: the cause of death, mechanism of death, and the manner of death of the victim. A forensic autopsy was first performed in 1302, and since then forensic autopsies have been used to solve criminal investigations and have provided a plethora of evidence in court. In 1302 in Bologna, …show more content…
Was their death a suicide, murder, or due to health issues? If a forensic pathologist determines the death to have been unnatural, law enforcement knows to investigate the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death. Due to Locard’s exchange principle, trace evidence can often be found on the victim’s body. Perhaps there is skin from the attacker under their fingernails, or one of the murderer’s hairs is on the body. Any trace evidence can be collected, analyzed and used to link a suspect and victim. Trace evidence can also help police include or eliminate suspects depending on who’s DNA, blood, hair, etc. they find on the body. The forensic pathologist can also determine what caused the victim to die. Maybe it was blunt force trauma to the head that caused a blood clot in the brain that killed the victim. This helps law enforcement determine if the murder was intentional or accidental and just how brutal the event may have been. All of these factors will play a role in court in determining the murderer’s culpability and punishment for the crime. In court autopsy evidence is allowed and is highly valued. The science and procedure of autopsies are accepted by the scientific community and therefore any autopsy evidence is admissible in court based on the Frye v. USA court case. The forensic pathologist can be asked to testify his/her findings so that the jury may have a better understanding of the evidence being presented to them. A chain of custody must be kept during the autopsy to ensure that no trace evidence from the body or any organs/parts of the body were contaminated, lost, or mixed up with other
Mr. Murphy
Crim Honors
16 May 2014
Autopsy
There are many different types of evidence that can be found at a crime scene, but few provide as much evidence as the victim’s body. An autopsy is a medical examination of a body that is performed to determine the cause of death. Forensic autopsies are conducted by forensic pathologists when a death appears to be suspicious or linked to criminal activity. The autopsy should reveal three main things: the cause of death, mechanism of death, and the manner of death of the victim. A forensic autopsy was first performed in 1302, and since then forensic autopsies have been used to solve criminal investigations and have provided a plethora of evidence in court. In 1302 in Bologna, …show more content…
Was their death a suicide, murder, or due to health issues? If a forensic pathologist determines the death to have been unnatural, law enforcement knows to investigate the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death. Due to Locard’s exchange principle, trace evidence can often be found on the victim’s body. Perhaps there is skin from the attacker under their fingernails, or one of the murderer’s hairs is on the body. Any trace evidence can be collected, analyzed and used to link a suspect and victim. Trace evidence can also help police include or eliminate suspects depending on who’s DNA, blood, hair, etc. they find on the body. The forensic pathologist can also determine what caused the victim to die. Maybe it was blunt force trauma to the head that caused a blood clot in the brain that killed the victim. This helps law enforcement determine if the murder was intentional or accidental and just how brutal the event may have been. All of these factors will play a role in court in determining the murderer’s culpability and punishment for the crime. In court autopsy evidence is allowed and is highly valued. The science and procedure of autopsies are accepted by the scientific community and therefore any autopsy evidence is admissible in court based on the Frye v. USA court case. The forensic pathologist can be asked to testify his/her findings so that the jury may have a better understanding of the evidence being presented to them. A chain of custody must be kept during the autopsy to ensure that no trace evidence from the body or any organs/parts of the body were contaminated, lost, or mixed up with other