Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement  show

Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement

Summary: We are a community of professionals in the field of death investigation. Whether you’re a coroner, a member of local police or county law enforcement, an EMS professional, or medical examiner – or frankly, anyone in between, Coroner Talk™ is the right community for you. We provide training and resources to coroners and death investigators by and from professionals around the world, a peer to peer training environment. I recognized that the training available for coroners and small department investigators was limited by resources such as time away from department and expense. So, I developed Coroner Talk™. Darren is a 30 year veteran of law enforcement and criminal investigations. He currently serves as an investigator for the Crawford County Missouri coroner’s office. He holds credentials as an instructor for the Missouri Sheriff’s Training Academy (MSA), Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI). American College of Forensic Examiners Institute (ACFEI) has served as president of the Missouri Medical Examiners and Coroners Association, and is certified and credentialed in numerous fields of investigation. He holds the position of lead instructor and facilitator for the Death Investigation Training Academy (DITA) and for the Coroner Talk™ community as he speaks and writes in the area of death investigation and scene management.

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 Pt. 1-Cocaine, Killing, and Coverup – - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 57:58

The question in this series is whether law enforcement ignored certain facts because it did not fit a pre-textual narrative or were simply instructed to look the other way resulting in  known facts and evidence never being considered. All this goes into the question of cocaine, killing, and coverup. Facts of case as reported by the UPI in 1984 Pharmacist Lee Dickson, 33, was found shot to death in his garage Thursday and his wife Karen was found dead in a chair where she had been tied. Their unharmed 2-year-old son let police into the house. Police did not know if the boy saw his parents killed. He was taken in by a Fayetteville police officer and his wife. Using dogs and an airplane, authorities tracked the 42-year-old suspect Thursday as he broke into two homes, demanding to use the telephone.Residents said the man called an attorney and said he had killed two people. He also threatened to kill himself, they said. At a home near Goshen, the man also asked for a drink of water then injected a substance into his arm, the residents said. Police said the man has a criminal record and a history of drug abuse. He has also been an outpatient at the Charter Vista Hospital in Fayetteville, a private hospital for mental illness and drug and alcohol problems. Security was tightened at the hospital Thursday night and early today and the grounds and nearby woods were searched for the suspect. Prosecuting Attorney Kim Smith received a tip early Thursday to check the Dickson home and the Consumers Pharmacy where Dickson had been manager, police said, but they would not identify the caller. Dickson had lost his job Tuesday after the disappearance of some drugs, police said. A car belonging to the Dicksons was found abandoned in a ditch at Goshen, and a .44 Magnum pistol was left in the car. Police said they did not know if the pistol was used to kill the Dicksons. The man was also suspected of burglarizing a house in Fayetteville after leaving Goshen, taking weapons and money, police said. Reality As with most media reports the facts as reported above are mostly wrong. Wrong facts, either because they made up “facts” to fill in what they did not have, (most likely) or that police told them the wrong information. What is known as fact is that Lee and Karen Dickson was murdered in their home on March 22, 1984. Within hours the police focused on one man as the killer – Dennis Ray Flowers.  The reason for the police’s focus is not clear in their reporting as we will point out in the weeks to come.  What is clear, is the police focused on Flowers and excluded any and all evidence that would point to another suspect.  Including loosing or destroying  certain evidence that did not fit a pre-determined time line and narrative. Disclaimer I am a law enforcement officer. I believe strongly that most police officers do their job in the best way possible. Given the current anti-police  climate of America today, I do not wish to have this series be seen as another anti-police story, 1984 was a very long time ago.   I also know however, that pressure from above (certainly if corrupt)  can be applied to modify or change facts in a case. This series will point out facts known to investigators and reported in certain documents and reports, yet either never acted on, ignored, or changed in subsequent reports.  The decision as to whether anything was done wrong will be yours – I will simply point out the facts and non-facts as reported.     Save big on online training using discount code  spring17  Click on the savings banner to see current online course options.  

 Three Elements of the Scene – Panel Discussion - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:06:11

Every crime scene presents unique obstacles for the investigator, but in a death investigation three elements will always exists to  some degree. These three elements make up the investigative triangle. Although independent in nature – they are interdependent in the investigation. A complete and accurate investigation can not be accomplished without weaving these three elements together. These element are * The Scene * The Body * The History   The Scene The scene of every death contains facts of the story. Regardless of the amount of actual physical evidence, the scene does tell a portion of the story; every scene must be worked slowly and methodically. It is our responsibility to listen to that story and let the evidence and subsequent facts, complete the story.  The scene may be one location, or many. Evidence can be overwhelming in scope, or minimal at best. Cooperation between police investigators and the  Coroner/ ME offices is critical. Each agencies has a major,  and no less important, function in the overall investigation of any death scene. Agencies should have an attitude of cooperation and communicate each other’s roles clearly  prior to any scene presenting itself.  Neither agency can properly perform their function without the information and cooperation of the other. The Body The body is the most important piece of evidence of any death scene.  Without a body,  you have do not a death scene, (even if the body is presumed dead and ordered so by the courts) .  Information from the body is what directs the investigation.  First, there must be a body. Then a determination of cause and manner will direct further investigation.  Evidence such as recovered bullets, wound patterns, DNA, wound type and trajectory, are just the basic information located within  the body.  In most states, the Coroner/ME  investigators have complete control of the body and everything associated with it.  Although it is part of the scene, it is a scene within  itself.  Here again is where prior communication and complete cooperation is a must between agencies.  Questions such as collecting evidence, initial photographs, movement of the body, and access for time of death determination needs to have an attitude of cooperation. History Decedent  history is the third element of the investigative triangle and an equally important aspect of every death investigation. Anti-mortem activity should be known of every decedent to establish the activities immediately prior to death; although that time frame can be minutes or hours.  An effort must be made to obtain medical history, psychological history, as well as social and sexual history, any and all of these can yield information necessary to establish cause and manner, as well as establish a suspect. In this episode: This episode is a panel discussion of the three elements of the investigative triangle and how best to approach each one.  I have included two experts from different parts of the United States as well as differing primary roles of investigation as well as myself; to discuss at length this investigative triangle approach  to death investigation. Everette Baxter Jr. Supervising Crime Scene Investigator  with the Oklahoma City, OK Police Department Paul Parker Assistant Coroner Clark County Nevada  – Las Vegas     Save big on online training using discount code  spring17  Click on the savings banner to see current online course options.   Help us learn more about our community. Take this short 10 question survey to help  us tailor our podcast and training for you. 

 Integrated Biometrics - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 58:08

Today, the term “biometrics” is not limited to fingerprints. It also includes palm prints, irises, and facial recognition. In an effort to harness new technologies, and to improve the application of tenprint and latent fingerprint searches, the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division developed and incrementally integrated a new system to replace the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). This new system, provides the criminal justice community with the world’s largest and most efficient electronic repository of biometric and criminal history information. Biometrics has been incredibly useful to the FBI and its partners in the law enforcement and intelligence communities, and the Bureau continues to look to new scientific advancements to increase the range and quality of its identification and investigative capabilities. Cold Case/Unknown Deceased To further increase the tools available to the LE community, the CJIS Division has made a commitment to establish enhanced services to assist in meeting the challenges that face the criminal justice community in the identification of cold case/unknown deceased investigations. Using the advanced search algorithms within, and the ability to cascade searches against the criminal and civil files, as well as event based searches, this tool will strengthen criminal investigations and increase the use of enhanced state-of-the-art biometric technologies. Integrated Biometrics More ideal for mobile environments than silicon or traditional optical sensors, Integrated Biometrics FBI-certified fingerprint sensors work in direct sunlight on dry or moist fingers, resist abrasion, and are 90-95 percent smaller and lighter than traditional optical scanners. Integrated Biometrics offers the only Appendix F FBI-certified sensor that meets mobility requirements demanded by end users, solving the major problems of size, speed, accuracy and durability. Our sensors, when integrated into our partners’ products, provide lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use solutions with more spoof protection than traditional optical scanners for end users in Homeland Security, Border Patrol, Law Enforcement, Background Checks, Military and Defense, Social Services, National ID programs, National Elections, and other government and commercial applications where identity is required.       Save big on online training using discount code  spring17  Click on the savings banner to see current online course options.   Help us learn more about our community. Take this short 10 question survey to help  us tailor our podcast and training for you.            FingerSCAN DecedentID FingerSCAN DecedentID was designed and developed specifically for Coroners and Medical Examiners. This mobile application runs on various Android smartphones and tablets and works with the Integrated Biometrics Watson Mini fingerprint scanner. This solution is sold exclusively through WoVo Identity Solutions. USE DISCOUNT CODE  coronertalk and save $50 .  This is limited time spring 2017

 Implications in Cause and Manner Rulings - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 41:30

Even if we do the best investigation possible, there will often be disagreement in our cause and manner rulings.  This could  apply to any manner of death; suicide, accident, even in a ruling of natural death. The article below from Detroit Free Press is a great example of the implications that can arise from a ruling.   The family of a deceased Detroit man is upset over the medical examiner’s ruling that the man’s death was a suicide. The family argues that he never intended to take his own life but rather was the victim of a lesson in safety gone terribly wrong. The victim’s family says that 39-year-old James Jewell, although he had prior felony convictions, had turned his life around and was now happy and at a positive place. They are now demanding that the manner of death be changed from suicide to accident, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press. Jewell was standing just an arm’s length away from his girlfriend of nearly four years, Jennifer Jackson, when he put a .22-caliber handgun to his head and pulled the trigger. However, Jackson claims that it was never his intent to take his own life. “I was there. I know that’s not what he wanted to do,” Jackson said. Nonetheless, the Oakland County Medical Examiner Ljubisa Dragovic stands behind his office’s ruling. “In forensic pathology, intent is not something that is measurable or evaluable,” he said. Dragovic also clarified that suicide is classified as a manner of death that results from a purposeful act of one’s self, and that the evidence, which included an imprint of the muzzle on Jewell’s temple, all point to a purposeful act. “The victim pulled the trigger and pointed the gun and applied the gun to his temple, unfortunately, and pulled the trigger, which all constitutes a set series of purposeful acts,” Dragovic explained. Jewell’s fateful day in February had started with the couple eating breakfast at a small diner. They discussed plans for their future, which included them wanting to travel the country in an RV. Later that afternoon, the couple, along with Jackson’s father, relaxed while enjoying beers, shots, lunch and a few games of pool at a local bar. After the fun-filled afternoon, Jackson dropped Jewell off at their newly purchased home while she went to pick up her three children. When she returned home, Jewell had three handguns sitting on the bed in their room. Jewell had been working late at night and wanted Jackson to keep a gun in the bedroom for protection. Yet although Jackson was a U.S. Army veteran, she readily admitted that she never felt comfortable around firearms. “I don’t like just the uncertainty of whether or not it’s going to go off,” she explained. That night, while Jackson’s children were in the other room, Jewell attempted to show her just how safe firearms actually are, and explained to her that “you can do all these hundreds of little actions, and nothing would happen.” “He said, ‘Look, I’ll show you one more time,’” Jackson recalled. “That’s when he put it to his head, and it went off.” She believes that although he knew the magazine was fully loaded, he did not think there was a bullet in the chamber. Jackson, Jewell’s family, and even the Oakland County Sheriff’s disagree with the medical examiner’s ruling that the act was a suicide. In fact, investigators didn’t find a shred of evidence to indicate that Jewell actually meant to kill himself. “There was nothing indicative of an attempt to commit suicide,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “It was as was reported, (that) he was showing reported safety of the weapons, but, tragically, using a very, very unsafe process.” However, authorities do believe that alcohol may have played a part in Jewell’s decision to pull the trigger of a loaded handgun while holding it ...

 Determining Time of Death - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:04:25

Defining Time of Death    There are several times of death. Let me repeat that—there are several times of death. Time of death seems to be a simple and straight forward term that obviously means the exact time that the victim drew his last breath. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. There are actually three different times of death: * The physiologic time of death, when the victim’s vital functions actually ceased. * The legal time of death, the time recorded on the death certificate. * The estimated time of death, the time the medical examiner estimates that death occurred. It is important to note that the estimated time of death can vary greatly from the legal time of death and the physiologic time of death. The only absolutely accurate determination of the time of death is the uncommon circumstance in which a person died with a physician or other skilled medical professional present. The doctor could make the determination and mark the time, and even this is assuming his watch or the clock on the wall was accurate. But that little inaccuracy aside, a death witnessed in this fashion is the only time that the three above times of death would correlate with one another. Otherwise, it is impossible to determine the exact time of death. But what if someone witnessed the fatal blow or gunshot or what if the event was recorded on a timed surveillance camera, wouldn’t that accurately mark the time of death? The answer is a qualified yes. If the witnessed event led to immediate death, then the witness would have seen the actual death. If not, the witnessed event is simply the trauma that led to death but not the actual moment of death. People can survive massive and apparently lethal injuries for hours, even days or years. But most deaths are not witnessed. Natural death may come during sleep, and accidental and suicidal deaths often occur when the victim is alone. In homicides, the perpetrator is typically the only witness and he rarely checks his watch, and even if he did, he’s not likely to talk about it. This means that when the medical examiner must determine the time of death he can only estimate the approximate time. These times of death may differ by days, weeks, even months, if the body is not found until well after physiologic death has occurred. For example, if a serial killer killed a victim in July, but the body was not discovered until October, the physiologic death took place in July, but the legal death is marked as October, since that is when the corpse was discovered and the death was legally noted. The medical examiner estimated that the time of death could be July, or it could be June or August. It is only an estimate and many factors can conspire to confuse this determination. But, it is critically important for the medical examiner to be as accurate as possible. The Importance of the Time of Death An accurate estimation of the time of death can lead to discovering the identity of the assailant. In criminal cases, it can eliminate some suspects while focusing attention on others. For example, a husband says that he left for a business meeting at 2 P.M. and returned at 8 P.M. to find his wife dead. He says that he was home all morning and that she was alive and well when he left. If the ME determines the time of death was between 10 A.M. and noon, the husband has a great deal of explaining to do. On the other hand, if the estimation reveals that the death occurred between 4 and 6 P.M., and the husband has a reliable alibi for that time period, the investigation will move in a different direction. Notice that in the above example the ME gave a range rather than an exact time for his estimated time of death. He didn’t say 4:30 P.M. but rather said between 4 and 6 P.M. Simply put, that’s the best he can do and that’s why it’s called the estimated time of death. It’s a best guess.

 Crime Fiction – Real Life - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 53:57

How does our profession  influence crime writers? In the western world, crime fiction – mystery, thrillers, suspense, etc. – makes up somewhere between 25 and 40 percent of all fiction book sales. Why is the crime genre so popular? Crime is fascinating, to be sure, because most of us  don’t commit it. But the popularity of the genre has little to do with crime per se. It has far more to do with the very essence of how storytelling works. Crime fiction exhibits most clearly one of the fundamental rules of storytelling: cause and effect. In crime fiction, you notice more than in other genres that every scene must be justified – each plot event must have a raison d’être within the story, because the reader or audience perceives every scene as the potential cause of an effect that comes later. Even if a plot event turns out to be a red herring, then that herring is placed there for a purpose – i.e. of misleading the reader/viewer. And that is the point. Every scene has a recognizable purpose. In all fiction, scenes with no purpose might best be expunged. In crime fiction scenes with no purpose are least forgivable. Structurally, crime fiction is the purest genre. In classic crime fiction the narrative principle is particularly clear. The external problem as inciting incident is most obvious: the crime. The crime is external to the investigator’s life – until the investigator receives the call to investigate it. So the investigator is set a task, given a mission. The story sets up directly what the investigator wants: to resolve the crime. The investigator perceives it as a need to solve the crime, because that is the job, it’s what investigators do. The quest is to find, the goal is to apprehend the criminal. An external problem, a call, a task, a want, an external need, a goal. All the elements of storytelling, all that the surface structure of any story exhibits – in crime fiction none of this is buried, it is not indirect, it’s not possible to overlook these elements, either as a reader or indeed as an author. The other great fact of the human condition is death. Mortality is one of the deepest topoi of stories. Tragedy is the classical genre that deals with it most explicitly. And of course crime fiction deals at its core with death too. So crime fiction expresses the same as two of the oldest and most classical styles of storytelling, comedy and tragedy. And therefore expresses almost everything there is to express through storytelling. Above is a portion of article by Beemgee  www.beemgee.com/blog/crime-fiction/ This Episode In this episode I talk with Marie Sutro about her crime fiction book Dark Associations . Marie is the first crime fiction author to be featured on this podcast. Her background is three generation deep law enforcement, this puts her at a unique position to understand how crime is played out. Her new book Dark Association is a fantastic work that plots good against evil and keeps it real. Unlike some crime fiction, Dark Associations is so close to real you  have to wonder what cases she is pulling her information from. Our big topic in this conversation is how she researches her stories and how what we as investigators do, play into that research in areas such as our reports and court room evidence.   Marie Sutro is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and a member of Sisters in Crime. A proponent of adult literacy, she volunteers with California Library Literacy Services, helping adults improve their reading and writing skills. Her great-grandfather,

 Forensic Odontology - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 59:00

Forensic odontology is the application of dental science to legal investigations, primarily involving the identification of the offender by comparing dental records to a bite mark left on the victim or at the scene, or identification of human remains based on dental records. A forensic dentist is an informal title for a forensic odontologist, a medical professional who is trained in odontology, a branch of forensic science. Dental Identification Before you call a FO, make sure you can get antemortem dental records.  If you call a FO and they do a report, but you find no antemortem records, you have to pay for the report, but you have not gotten any closer to an ID. They don’t have to be dental records.  Medical radiographs with the teeth in them can be used. If their family does not know who the antemortem dentist is: * Check their toothbrush. A lot of dentists have their name and number on the toothbrushes. * You can also check with their employer and dental insurance company. If they used their dental insurance, they will have the treating dentist’s information. * It they were in the military, check the VA hospital for dental records Military Records Depository 900 Paige Blvd St. Louis, MO 63115 When contacting the antemortem dentist, request ALL of the ORIGINAL records.  Original is important for charting which is often color coded.  It is also important for X-rays as copies are not as clear as original X-rays.  The antemortem should copy all of the chart for their records and keep the copy.  The originals should be sent to the coroner/medical examiner’s office. Some dentists are not aware that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) states that dental office not only can but should release needed records to coroner or medical examiner offices.  (45 CFR) If the dental records are digital, that is excellent, as those records will the same as the original.  If you are able, forward them to the FO before they come to your office so if they have any other questions about the records, they can be handled before they come for the dental identification. Age Estimation In unidentified decedents that are children, they best way to determine their age range is by the teeth. Once all of the baby teeth are lost, if the wisdom teeth are present they can be evaluated to see how formed they are to determine an age range. In adults, there are some techniques to determine age, but the range is so large, it may not be as useful as anthropology. Bite Marks If you see an oval shaped pattern on a decedent, it is best to have a FO evaluate it. Photograph the area before the FO gets there to document how it looked before the FO evaluation. Swab the area to be tested for DNA and salivary amylase. Dr. Denise Murmann, DDS, D-ABFO Naperville, IL Email:   DMurmann@abfo.org Denise C. Murmann, DDS, DABFO practices general dentistry in Naperville and River Forest, IL. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Dentistry in 1992, 50 years after her maternal grandfather. She became a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Odontology in 2011. She has been a member of Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) Region V since 1999. In her role with DMORT she has been deployed as a part of the 9/11 World Trade Center Dental Identification Team and to assist after Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Murmann has been a member of the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Disaster Response Team since 2002. She has served as a consultant in forensic odontology for Kane Co, Kendall Co, and Will Co, IL, and is on the NDIR Review Panel.

 SketchCop Solutions - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 56:02

Post Mortem Facial Reconstruction A Postmortem Reconstruction is developed by reconstructing facial characteristics of an unidentified deceased person with decomposed or damaged human tissue. The image will first show trauma to the victim and is repaired digitally or by applying paints directly to the photograph, covering the injured area making the features recognizable. The drawing repairs the trauma to the victim so that the final image will be more presentable when asking for law enforcement or the public’s assistance in identification. The final reconstruction is used as an investigative aid for identification and can help to expedite an investigation to lead to the discovery of the unknown.   SketchCop® FACETTE Face Design System Software is arguably the first facial composite software capable of yielding the same quality product offered by that of a police sketch artist. It is designed to help produce a consistent end-product to assist in the reduction of investigative cycle times. SketchCop® FACETTE is portable and easy to use.   Our database is populated with sketched facial components.  This is especially helpful for non-artists who want to create high-quality facial composites.  Our Adobe® licensed editing tools allow users to fine tune their composite images to make the same subtle changes a police artist would using a pencil and eraser.  Those who want to increase eyewitness satisfaction can use our latest version of SketchCop® FACETTE to import their composite images into Adobe® Photoshop® to further refine their images. With SketchCop® FACETTE, users can focus on the most important part of creating any facial composite – the eyewitness interview.                 Sergeant (Ret.) Michael W. Streed is an internationally-recognized forensic facial imaging expert providing facial identification services to America’s largest police agencies. Web Site URL: www.sketchcop.com Public Email address: michael@sketchcop.com     Nationally Accredited Medicolegal Death Investigation Training Online and Seminar Training        Site Tags coroner,police training, darren dake,sheriff,deputy,coroner association,murder scenes,auto fatalities,csi,first responders,autoerotic fatalities,become a coroner,forensic science crime scene investigation,forensic science crime,scene investigator,forensic training,forensics training,how to be a crime scene investigator,how to become a death investigator,how to become a medical examiner,how to become a medical examiner investigator,medical examiner investigator training,medical investigator training,medicolegal death,medicolegal death investigator training,murder scenes,pictures of murder scenes,murder,real murder crime scenes,traffic deaths,traffic fatalities,what does it take to be a coroner,what does it take to be a criminal investigator,firefighter,fire training,firefighter training,autoerotic fatalities,become a coroner,coroner information,crime scene clean up training,crime scene cleaning training,crime scene cleanup training,crime scene investigation,crime scene investigation classes,crime scene investigator courses,crime scene investigator school,crime scene jobs,crime scene photography,crime scene photography training,crime scene technician,crime scene technician training,crime scene training,criminal investigation,criminal investigator,criminal justice,

 The Criminal Investigative Function - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:03:02

Crime wreaks havoc on the very framework of our society, no one is immune from it.  Regardless of race, background, or financial status, crime can and will touch your life in a negative way.  The role of the criminal investigator is to fill the gap from suspect to victim.  The investigative function centers around the investigator. The qualities of a good investigator can be summed up in five key topics. * Persistent * Determined * Communicator * Oriented toward details * Prepared These areas are not important if  the investigation is not done  completely,  there is no excuse for a lack of proper investigation.  Police and MLDI both must work as one unit – one team, to properly and completely investigate a death. The questions that arose in the death of Justice Scalia proves that every scene must be worked within a set of common standards and without the need to speed a conclusion.   Every death should be treated as suspicious until the evidence proves otherwise. Death investigations start with the most important piece of evidence – the body. As a MLDI it is vital  you know the process of death and what changes take place after death to determine time of death as well as cause and manner. Police must also have an understanding of the Medicolegal  investigative process to better understand the investigation they are working. One the best books I have found to lead new investigators into and through criminal investigative process is ‘The criminal investigative function’ third edition by Joesph Giacalone.  This episode features Joe and a few training aspects of this new edition of this text. Check out  Joe’s new book – The investigative Function by clicking the image of Joe below.  You’ve seen Joseph Giacalone on the Investigation Discovery Channel’s show, Tabloid, A&E’s The Killer Speaks and several TV news outlets including: NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC, WPIX, Al Jazeera English and WRNN. Joe is a frequent contributor to the print media as well including: The New York Times, USA Today, Newsday, The NY Daily News, Cleveland’s Plain Dealer and many other papers across the country. Here is your opportunity to speak and interact with Joe yourself. Have a crime related question or help with your news story, just ask Joe. Call (516) 557-9591 @JosephLGiacalone nyscpi@yahoo.com http://www.JoeGiacalone.net/ coroner,police training, darren dake,sheriff,deputy,coroner association,murder scenes,auto fatalities,csi,first responders,autoerotic fatalities,become a coroner,forensic science crime scene investigation,forensic science crime,scene investigator,forensic training,forensics training,how to be a crime scene investigator,how to become a death investigator,how to become a medical examiner,how to become a medical examiner investigator,medical examiner investigator training,medical investigator training,medicolegal death,medicolegal death investigator training,murder scenes,pictures of murder scenes,murder,real murder crime scenes,traffic deaths,traffic fatalities,what does it take to be a coroner,what does it take to be a criminal investigator,firefighter,fire training,

 Toxicology Interpretation and Obstacles - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 58:29

Toxicology testing is a vital piece of  the post mortem investigative puzzle.  Many investigators confuse the importance of toxicology in cases where no autopsy is being conducted. An even greater danger is submitting fluids for testing but then making an incorrect determination because of the miss-interpretations of the results. To better understand the dangers and pitfalls we face let’s take a look at five case studies that illustrates how toxicology can be used. The following is an excerpt of an article written  by today’s guest in Forensic Magazine  Not even doing toxicology There’s a dead man in his locked trailer, naked in bed, no drug paraphernalia at the scene and no signs of foul play. The local coroner finds out the decedent’s medical history included an untreated dental abscess, and signs the death certificate without performing an autopsy. When the dentist gets sued, what is the first thing the forensic consultant on that case asks for? Toxicology. Luckily, the coroner’s investigator collected enough blood and vitreous humor to perform toxicological analysis—and it shows a sky-high methamphetamine level. This finding dovetails with his dental pathology (“meth mouth” is a known complication of chronic amphetamine abuse), and helps the dentist’s lawyers defend him in the lawsuit. The lesson? Just because there are no drugs at a death scene doesn’t mean you shouldn’t perform an autopsy to collect specimens for toxicology, especially if the decedent has a history of chronic abuse. Not communicating with the toxicology lab A young schizophrenic woman has a psychotic break, and her roommate calls the cops. Responding officers find her ranting, and brandishing a screwdriver. She comes at one of them, and he shoots her to death. The gunshot wounds makes for a clear enough cause of death, but on the toxicology form, the forensic pathologist neglects to inform the toxicologist about the decedent’s prescribed medications. When the tox screen comes back negative, the pathologist then writes in his report that the decedent hadn’t been taking her medication at the time of her death. He never calls the lab to confirm this assumption—but, weeks later, a local newspaper reporter does. When the tox lab then runs the tests for the prescribed antipsychotics, it turns out the result is positive. The pathologist’s reputation is damaged. Always remember that routine enzyme-based screens will not pick up all drugs. It pays to double check that the lab tested for any specific medications the decedent was supposed to be taking, especially in a high-profile case. Looking only at the numbers One hot summer evening, a guard outside a chronic pain clinic finds the decomposing body of a middle-aged woman in her parked car. She has the keys and her purse still clutched in her hands. She had been seen at the clinic that morning, hours before. The autopsy pathologist finds high levels of multiple opioid analgesics, and determines that the death was an overdose. The family sues the pain clinic and the drug manufacturer. During document discovery the dead woman’s medical records reveal a past diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia. The drug levels? They were already high because the decedent was a chronic, tolerant user, appropriately prescribed; but they were also spuriously elevated due to post-mortem redistribution, the passive diffusion of drugs in a decomposing body that can cause higher detected levels than when the person was alive. Why did the pathologist ignore the woman’s heart disease and blame the drugs? Because the opioid levels were high. You cannot focus solely on the numbers—you have to look at the whole case. In this one,

 Courtroom Testimony and Preparation - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 34:09

Work law enforcement or ME/C  death investigations long enough and you will end up in court. Whether you are testifying in a criminal case or a civil proceeding, there are things you can do to prepare for testimony.  Done correctly, you will leave the stand with your integrity and professional image intact.  Done wrong, it can have a devastating and  everlasting consequence on your career. Preparation  You should review your case several times  before the trail and meet with the prosecutor and review your testimony. You need to mentally rehearse the case, going over the facts out loud. If need be, visit a courtroom and observe other trials in progress. If you have never testified before this can be helpful in relieving some anxiety of the  unknown. Long Before Court  Your summary report should be written  in chronological order – of your investigation or involvement, in easy to understand language and not written in short code or police jargon. Be sure  any words or phrases you use in your report you can explain later. Never use words you have to look up the meaning to while writing your report.  It is doubtful you will remember the meaning on court day and will  appear untrained or deceitful. Remember your “opinion” can never be reflected in your final summary report On the Stand  Have the complete report with you at court; Autopsy –  Toxicology – anything else related. Have well-organized, standardized, complete, and readable style for reports. Your demeanor is critical during testimony.  You should have a general attitude of confidence  but not cockiness. You should remain composed, investigators convey an air of authority and respect with the general public just by virtue of your title and job. You do not need to add to that image further by cockiness. Body Language    * You should sit up straight. * You need to sit close enough to the microphone so you do not need to lean ever every time you speak. * Your material should be organized in front of you. * You should look at the attorney questioning you and then switch eye contact to the jury when answering. * You should be open, friendly and speak clearly and slowly. Answering questions: * Listen carefully to each question and give a responsive answer. * If you do not understand, ask the attorney to repeat the question. * Keep sentences short and to the point. * If you do not know the answer, you should simply state “I don’t know.” Don’ts: * You should not try to bluff your way through a difficult question. * You should not become defensive or dishonest. * Do not preface your answers with such phrases as “I believe”, “I estimate”,  or “to the best of my knowledge”.  This can leave doubt in the minds of the jury or judge. * You should not answer beyond the question. Final Thought Most citizens, including jurors, want to believe that the people they place their trust in, such as public safety employees, have their best interest in mind.  Many people grant you  the benefit of a doubt if given a credible reason to do so. But if a witness crosses a juror through dishonesty or flagrant disrespect, jurors will react negatively.   coroner,police training, darren dake,sheriff,deputy,coroner association,murder scenes,auto fatalities,csi,first responders,autoerotic fatalities,become a coroner,forensic science crime scene investigation,forensic science crime,scene investigator,forensic training,forensics training,how to be a crime scene investigator,how to become a death investigator,how to become a medical examiner,how to become a medical examiner investigator,medical examiner investigator training,medical investigator training,medicolegal death,

 Fatal Resident to Resident Incidents - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:08:05

  A  prevalent concern, but under-recognized, 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 for 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. 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. Question of this Episode What are some of the ways in which best practices used by Coroner and Medical Examiner Offices and Law Enforcement can be developed, strengthened (building on existing successful models), and implemented in communities across the nation to address this persistent but mostly hidden problem to keep vulnerable elders with and without dementia safe? Episode Guest Eilon Caspi, PhD, has worked in the aging field for 22 years. In the past decade he focused in various ways on prevention of distressing and injurious (including fatal) resident-to-resident interactions in dementia in long-term care homes. Web Site URL: http://dementiabehaviorconsulting.com Public Email address: eiloncaspi@gmail.com Deaths as a result of resident-to-resident altercations in dementia in long-term care homes: A need for research, policy, and prevention. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 17(1), 7-11. Link to full text: http://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(15)00640-4/pdf     Site tags coroner,police training, darren dake,sheriff,deputy,coroner association,murder scenes,auto fatalities,csi,first responders,autoerotic fatalities,become a coroner,forensic science crime scene investigation,forensic science crime,scene investigator,forensic training,forensics training,how to be a crime scene investigator,how to become a death investigator,how to become a medical examiner,how to become a medical examiner investigator,medical examiner investigator training,medical investigator training,medicolegal death,medicolegal death investigator training,murder scenes,

 Medicolegal AI and Investigator Goal Setting - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 54:20

As we begin 2017 I want to thank you for a great 2016 and look forward to everything possible in 2017.  I plan to expand training options and continue to develop online training through video and podcast.  As a death investigator, or whatever career you are in, goals and action plans are vital if you are going to progress in anything you set out to do.  In this first episode of 2017, I bring on Alexa as a special guest in the studio and get to know her, talk through some medicolegal issues, and then share a conversation with her about setting goals and having an action plan. 10 Steps to Goal Setting 1. Belief. The first step to goal setting is to have absolute belief and faith in the process. If you don’t believe you can absolutely transform your life and get what you want, then you might as well forget about goal setting and do something else. If you are in doubt, look around you. Everything you can see began as a thought. Make your thoughts turn into reality. 2. Visualize what you want. Think of what you deeply desire in your life or where you want your company to be a year from now. What changes have to take place? What do you need to know or learn? What spiritual, emotional, personal, financial, social or physical properties need to be addressed? The clearer you are with each of these dimensions will bring your vision into sharp focus. The clearer you are, the easier it will be to focus on making it happen. 3. Get it down! Writing down your goals is key to success. By writing down your goals, you become a creator. Failure to write down your goals often means you will forget them or won’t focus on them. Have them written down where you can see them every day. 4. Purpose. Knowing why you want to achieve your goals is powerful. Identifying the purpose of your goal helps you instantly recognize why you want that particular goal and whether it’s worth working toward. Knowing why you want something furnishes powerful motivation to see it through to the finish. After all, if the purpose of earning a million dollars is to put it in the bank for a rainy day, you probably won’t be as motivated as you will if you need it to pay for your child’s cancer treatment. 5. Commit. This might sound obvious to you but it’s a step that has disastrous consequences when it’s taken lightly. Write a few pages about why and how you are committing to each goal; why it’s important to you, what it means to you, why the outcome is necessary and what are you going to do to make it happen. Without strong commitment you aren’t likely to follow through. 6. Stay focused. By focusing on your goals, you manifest. You may not know how you’ll reach your goals but when you make a daily practice of focus, they become easier to reach. Having your goals written down somewhere where you will see them each day is a good idea. Your mind will notice that there is a discrepancy between where you are now and where you want to be which will create pressure to change. If you lose focus you can always bring it back. Without a regular practice of focusing on your goals you may be distracted by something. 7. Plan of action. Being really clear about what you want, knowing your purpose, writing your goals down, committing to them, and staying focused gives you the power of clarity to write down a list of action steps. You may not know all the steps ahead of time but you will know the next steps that take you in that direction. Having goals without a plan of action is like trying to complete a complex project without a project plan. There is too much going on, it’s too disorganized, you miss deadlines and you don’t have priorities. Eventually you get frustrated and the project/goal fails or collapses under its own weight. 8.

 Pt2-Forensic Pathology and Death Investigation - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 46:34

What does a medical examiner do? What is the responsibility of the Medicolegal Investigator?  Do you know how to properly answer questions on a death certificate relating to cause of death v. mechanism. Forensic Pathology and Death Investigation This episode is an audio version of a presentation by Dr. Judy Melinek in March 2014. Dr. Melinek does an outstanding job of presenting the difference between ME/C, injury interpretation, and  cause of death v mechanism of death.  The full video presentation is below and is used with the permission of Dr. Judy Melinek. Dr. Judy Melinek is President and CEO of PathologyExpert Inc., a consulting firm and educational resource center for forensic pathology. Dr. Melinek has subspecialty training in neuropathology and a special interest in wound interpretation, gunshot wound trajectory, medical malpractice, and wrongful death legal cases. Dr. Melinek is an American Board of Pathology board-certified forensic pathologist. Dr. Judy Melinek is a forensic pathologist practicing forensic medicine in San Francisco and Alameda County, California, as well as an Associate Clinical Professor of Pathology at the UCSF Medical Center. She explores the differences between medical examiner and a coroner and looks at some real world cases. Warning: Some of the images are graphic. Recorded on 03/19/2014. Series: “UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine presents Mini Medical School for the Public” [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 27893] Dr. Melinek is a American Board of Pathology board-certified forensic pathologist practicing forensic medicine in San Francisco, California, and CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. Dr. Melinek trained in pathology at University of California, Los Angeles and then as a forensic pathologist at the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office from 2001-2003. She has consulted and testified in criminal and civil cases in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. Dr. Melinek has been qualified as an expert witness in forensic pathology, neuropathology and wound interpretation. She has had subspecialty training in surgery and has published and consulted on cases of medical malpractice and therapeutic complications. She trains doctors and attorneys on forensic pathology, proper death reporting and certification. She has been invited to lecture at professional conferences on the subjects of death certification, complications of therapy, forensic toxicology and in-custody deaths. She has also published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature on subjects of surgical complications, death following gastric bypass, forensic toxicology, opioid overdose deaths, immunology, neuropathology and transplant surgery. Past clients include the Santa Clara County District Attorney, Office of the County Counsel County of Contra Costa, Marin County Public Defender, the Court Appointed Attorney Program of the Alameda County Bar Association, the Attorney General of the State of California, the United States Military, and many private civil plaintiff’s and defense attorneys. Dr. Melinek travels locally in Northern California to testify in and around the Bay Area including San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Lake, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma and Stanislaus Counties. She has also been called to Southern California to review cases in Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Riverside, Ventura and San Diego Counties.   site tags coroner,police training, darren dake,sheriff,deputy,coroner association,murder scenes,auto fatalities,csi,first responders,

 Forensic Pathology and Death Investigation-Part 1 - Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 48:58

What does a medical examiner do? What is the responsibility of the Medicolegal Investigator?  Do you know how to properly answer questions on a death certificate relating to cause of death v. mechanism. Forensic Pathology and Death Investigation This episode is an audio version of a presentation by Dr. Judy Melinek in March 2014. Dr. Melinek does an outstanding job of presenting the difference between ME/C, injury interpretation, and  cause of death v mechanism of death.  The full video presentation is below and is used with the permission of Dr. Judy Melinek. Dr. Judy Melinek is President and CEO of PathologyExpert Inc., a consulting firm and educational resource center for forensic pathology. Dr. Melinek has subspecialty training in neuropathology and a special interest in wound interpretation, gunshot wound trajectory, medical malpractice, and wrongful death legal cases. Dr. Melinek is an American Board of Pathology board-certified forensic pathologist. Dr. Judy Melinek is a forensic pathologist practicing forensic medicine in San Francisco and Alameda County, California, as well as an Associate Clinical Professor of Pathology at the UCSF Medical Center. She explores the differences between medical examiner and a coroner and looks at some real world cases. Warning: Some of the images are graphic. Recorded on 03/19/2014. Series: “UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine presents Mini Medical School for the Public” [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 27893] Dr. Melinek is a American Board of Pathology board-certified forensic pathologist practicing forensic medicine in San Francisco, California, and CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. Dr. Melinek trained in pathology at University of California, Los Angeles and then as a forensic pathologist at the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office from 2001-2003. She has consulted and testified in criminal and civil cases in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. Dr. Melinek has been qualified as an expert witness in forensic pathology, neuropathology and wound interpretation. She has had subspecialty training in surgery and has published and consulted on cases of medical malpractice and therapeutic complications. She trains doctors and attorneys on forensic pathology, proper death reporting and certification. She has been invited to lecture at professional conferences on the subjects of death certification, complications of therapy, forensic toxicology and in-custody deaths. She has also published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature on subjects of surgical complications, death following gastric bypass, forensic toxicology, opioid overdose deaths, immunology, neuropathology and transplant surgery. Past clients include the Santa Clara County District Attorney, Office of the County Counsel County of Contra Costa, Marin County Public Defender, the Court Appointed Attorney Program of the Alameda County Bar Association, the Attorney General of the State of California, the United States Military, and many private civil plaintiff’s and defense attorneys. Dr. Melinek travels locally in Northern California to testify in and around the Bay Area including San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Lake, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma and Stanislaus Counties. She has also been called to Southern California to review cases in Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Riverside, Ventura and San Diego Counties.   site tags coroner,police training, darren dake,sheriff,deputy,coroner association,murder scenes,auto fatalities,csi,first responders,

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