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| Question | Answer |
| What is forensic science? | Forensic Science is the intersection between science and law Forensics is a branch of science utilized for legal purposes |
| Forensic practitioners include 9 of the following participants: | 1. Coroners, Medical Examiners/Pathologists 2. Crime Scene Investigator 3. Criminalistics (ballistics, hair and fibre analysis, etc) 4. Document Examiners 5. psychologists and psychiatrists 6. Odontologists (dentists) 7. Forensic E |
| Document Examiner- Examining documents can provide you with a lot of information about suspects. Give one example from the Forensics Lecture to illustrate this point. | Ex: JonBenét Ramsey Case. - the police had no evidence except for a note that was left behind which was analyzed by a document examiner and compared to the handwriting of suspects |
| An example of a Forensic Psychologist and/or psychiatrist is: | Robert Hare - Famous for his psychopathy checklist, started off working in prisons and observing their behaviour |
| An example of an Odontologist (i.e.: dentist) | Dr. Sweet - Famous B.C. Odontologist, learned how to extract DNA from teeth. - This helpful because teeth survive much longer than the rest of the body |
| An example of how teeth survive much longer than the rest of the body | Ex. “Babies in the Woods”. Two children were found dead in the woods, they could never find a match for the missing children and the case went unsolved. - Dr. Sweet was able to extract DNA from their teeth many years later and realized tha |
| An example of forensic engineering | i.e. accident reconstruction - Rebuilding crime scenes like the building that collapsed in B.C., trying to figure out if things happen by accident or on purpose |
| An example of what toxicologists are responsible for? | Example: looking for drugs etc. in the system, trying to find out what killed the person |
| An example of what Forensic Anthropologists are responsible for? | Example: they work with skulls and skeletons and forensic artists (i.e.: skull reconstruction, etc) the reconstruction will help identify the person, and can tell you about their lifestyle |
| Name and define what a medical-legal death investigator is: | A Coroner is a medical-legal death investigator - appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council upon the recommendation of the Attorney General. This position is judicially independent. |
| The common prerequisite of a Coroner is: | The individual must be an intelligent, upstanding, concerned and honest member of the community. |
| Does a Coroner need to be an M.D.? | They did not necessarily need to be a licensed physician, in many provinces they did not conduct the autopsy or conduct other medical procedures |
| What provinces require a Coroner to be a licenced physician? | Ontario, coroners are required to be licensed physicians |
| What province uses the title " community coroners"? | In Vancouver B.C.“community coroners” need only have previous education and experience in legal, medical or investigative fields i.e.: can be former police officers |
| In both, the U.S. and Canada, Medical-Legal Investigators have converted to the "M.E. System", What does M.E. mean and what does the position require? | The term M.E. is a: Medical Examiner System. - These investigators must be trained forensic pathologists |
| Which provinces have switched to the M.E. System? | Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia |
| Which Province does not require a medical degree to be a Coroner, and Why? | In B.C. coroners do not conduct the autopsy and pathology and therefore do not need a medical degree. |
| What is the Coroner/ME's Role? | They are responsible for ascertaining the facts surrounding a death. |
| What must a coroner/M.E. also determine besides the fact-finding surrounding death? | a) The identity of the deceased b) How, when, where and by what means the deceased died c) The death needs to be classified as natural, accidental, suicide, homicide (death at the hand of another) OR undetermined |
| Coroners may make certain recommendations, to help prevent similar loss of life in the future...What are they not to do in their investigation? | The Coroner/ME does not assign fault or blame but rather conducts a fact-finding investigation |
| The categories of a Coroner/ME's role are very fluid and can often be confused from one another, Give an example of how these categories can be confused. | i.e.: If traces of heart disease are found, the coroner may label in natural causes (when in reality it was suicide) |
| Give a second example of how these categories can become confused. | Michel Huttson. Lead singer of INXS. found dead in his hotel room hanging naked from his belt on the back of a door. The corner labelled the death as suicide. The singer was known to perform auto-erotic affixation. Prof. believes the death |
| What authority does a Coroner/ME have when conducting the "Cause of Death"? | 1.the authority to collect information 2.conduct interviews 3.inspect and seize documents 4. secure the scene of death and take possession of the human remains 5. They are responsible for authorizing removal of the remains to the morgu |
| What are some of the steps the Coroner takes, during a case? | 1. a careful examination of the circumstances leading up to the death 2. Make a decision if the findings required by law, can be determined without a post mortem examination |
| If a post mortem examination is deemed necessary who conducts that process? | 1. a qualified pathologist performs a medical-legal autopsy |
| What additional step might be included during an autopsy? | This may include the collection of specimens for toxicological analysis |
| Not every case requires an autopsy but how long does it take to conduct this procedure? | a ME can perform an autopsy in about one hour |
| How are the results of an investigation released? | The results are released in a public document called a: Judgment of Inquiry |
| Give a few examples of a judgment of inquiry: | 1. 77 year old women dies in hospital from prolonged oxygen deprivation, coroner labelled it an accident because her oxygen somehow got unhooked after her surgery. 2.33 year old male dies after falling out of a boat drunk and high on coke |
| In the event the coroner is not trained as an M.E., who conducts an autopsy? | The autopsy is conducted by a pathologist |
| What are some steps taken in an autopsy? | 1. An autopsy typically involves photographing 2. making diagrams of the body 3. Examining clothes 4. A thorough physical examination of the external aspects of a deceased’s body and interior organs |
| What is the M.E./Coroner specifically looking for in an Autopsy? | looking for wounds and wound patterns, bruising, burns, needle marks |
| When conducting an examination of the interior organs, explain how this procedure is completed: | 1. The ME uses a Y incision (breastbone to pubis) to open up the deceased. 2. Organs are weighed and examined 3. Interior wounds are probed 4. Body fluids (i.e. blood, bile, stomach contents) are gathered for analysis, etc. |
| What is the M.E. looking for when examining clothes? | Things like blood and bullet holes |
| How does a M.E./Pathologist document their findings? | A commentary throughout the autopsy explaining what he sees and thinks |
| Although we typically associate forensic pathology (and autopsy cases) with violent deaths...Autopsy's can also be performed in: | 1. Also performed in cases involving deaths of healthy individuals (not under the treatment of a doctor) 2. deaths occurring in police custody, 3. deaths that result from surgical complications 4. misadventure (‘accidents’) |
| When must an Autopsy always be conducted and for what reason? | - autopsy must be conducted on anyone who dies in law enforcement (offenders, police officers etc.), - used to rule out things like foul play |
| When Profiling the MO v. Signature, there are 2 general types of profiling, they are: | 1. Criminal-psychological profiling (FBI); 2. Behavioural profiling (Turvey) |
| Define Criminal-Psychological Profiling: | 1. When the FBI was conducting interviews with offenders to find "patterns" in their profiles so they can use it to catch other criminals 2. Based on the unrealistic thinking that you can make "forecasts" about people based on the actions o |
| Define how Criminal-Psychological profiling is biased: | They concluded that most serial killers are: "white, male", "28-35 years old", often have "tense relationships with their mothers" and "spotty employment history" - They then used this model when looking for killers - this model includes a |
| Give an example of how the bias of Criminal-Psychological profiling has effected a case: | Ex. “Atlanta Chid Murders Case” - Young black males were being abducted from their black neighbourhoods and murdered. - They called in the FBI to help solve the case because they had no leads, they used this profile to try and catch the ki |
| Behavioural Profiling (Prof. Huey's preferred method of profiling) is based on, what? | Is based on "evidence" and "facts" from the crime scene, that help to build the profile of the perpetrator |
| Modus Operandi stands for what? | The criminals "Method Of Operating" refers to the behaviors that are committed by an offender for the purpose of successfully completing an offense. |
| An offender’s modus operandi reflects on what? (in terms of behavioural profiling) | It reflects on how an offender committed their crimes |
| Name two things the offenders M.O. is separate from: | It is separate from: 1. The offender’s "motives" 2. "signature aspects" |
| What is the behavior necessary for the successful commission of a crime. | Modus Operandi |
| What does every M.O. contain elements of? | (1) ensure success of the crime; (2) protect identity; and (sometimes to protect the identity of the victim too) (3) effect escape. |
| Why is it, that one cannot always link incidents by M.O.? | The M.O. is dynamic and can change i.e.: because the M.O. is a learned behaviour For example, the M.O. for sexual offenders is about 4 months then changes. |
| List reasons for why the M.O. changes: | Because the M.O. is a learned behavior, It changes from: 1.) experience, 2.) education/time in jail, 3.) offender age/maturity, 4.) victim's response, 5.) media influences, 6.)environment, 7.)other reasons "beyond the offender's contr |
| M.O. is NOT a "signature", people can and will change their M.O. over time for a variety of reasons. Give an example of these changes: | i.e.: A killer primarily used a knife, and now uses a gun... guns make people more compliant, the killer "learned and evolved" his methods over time |
| What are the two parts of an offenders signature and define each: | 1.) Signature Behaviors: Signature behaviors are those acts committed by an offender that are not necessary to complete the offense 2.)Signature Aspects: The emotional or psychological themes or needs that an offender satisfies when they commit offense behaviors |
| Explain what an offender`s convergence in within a Signature Behavior can suggest: | It can be used to suggest an offender’s "psychological or emotional needs" (signature aspect). |
| "Signature Behaviours" are best understood as: | 1.) a reflection of the underlying personality, 2.) lifestyle, and developmental experiences of an offender |
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