Week 1 Overview: The Medicolegal Death Investigator and Death Scenes

Role of the Medicolegal Death Investigator (MDI)

• Definition: Investigates deaths under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner (ME/C)
• Types of Deaths Investigated:
  • Suspicious
  • Violent
  • Unexplained
  • Unexpected
  • Sudden or unexpected from natural causes
  • Not natural, caused by physical or chemical injuries
• Responsibilities:
  • Respond to death scenes
  • Gather investigative information
  • Determine need for further investigation

MDI Qualifications

• Education: Medical and legal issues
• Skills: Location and preservation of forensic evidence

Jurisdictional Differences

• Determined by criminal code in each jurisdiction
• Common types of deaths investigated

Death Categorization

• Categories:
  • Natural
  • Accidental
  • Suicide
  • Homicide
  • Undetermined
• Case Example: James Brady's death (1981 gunshot, determined homicide in 2014)

MDI's Role at Death Scenes

• Represents ME/C, who rarely responds to scenes
• Responsibilities:
  • Secure body and property
  • Preserve evidence on/in the body
• Differentiation from crime scene investigators
  • Focus on body and ME/C needs

ME/C Duties

• Cause and Manner of Death
• Identification: Positive identification of decedent
• Notification: Inform legal next of kin

Public Misunderstanding

• Confusion between roles:
  • Death investigator
  • Medical examiner
  • Forensic pathologist
  • Coroner
• Police Terminology: Homicide detectives sometimes called death investigators

Medical Examiner vs. Coroner

• Medical Examiner:
  • Must be a physician, often a forensic pathologist
  • Appointed or elected
• Coroner:
  • No need for medical/investigative training
  • Mostly elected, some appointed
  • May or may not be medical doctors

Training and Standards

• Lack of National Standards: Training varies by hiring office
• Efforts for Improvement: Push for better training for death investigators and coroners

Primary Duties of Death Investigators

• Pronounce death
• Collect personal, social, and medical information
• Collect evidence
• Collect the body
• Importance of MDI Choices: Ensures proper collection and preservation of information and evidence