Term
| Homicide Death Considerations |
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Definition
| Localized violence & use of weapon; may involve 1 blow or multiple blows |
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Term
| Suicidal Death Considerations |
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Definition
| Jumper from high places or person has thrown self into path of moving vehicle |
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Term
| Accidental Death Considerations |
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Definition
| Fall - w/ injuries inflicted to head & neck |
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Term
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Definition
| Result from application of force to body over large or small surface area resulting in damage to tissues, but not necessarily accompanied by penetrating wound |
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Term
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Definition
| Entire body or large segment of body affected; examples: car or plane accident, collapse of buildings, falls from great height, explosions |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - generalized injuries |
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Term
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Definition
| Relativity small part of body - may be occasions in which a collection of blows may involve a larger area of body due to overlapping small areas of injuries; greatest majority of homicidal blunt trauma activity |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - localized injury |
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Term
| Extent of Blunt Force Injury |
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Definition
| Dependent on 4 factors: 1. amount of force applied; 2. length of time of application of force; 3. size of area over which force is applied; 4. elasticity of organ receiving force |
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Term
| Superficial Injury vs. Severe Injury |
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Definition
| To skin vs. to internal organs |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - superficial injuries to the skin & severe injuries to internal organs |
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Term
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Definition
| Wearing away of skin in small shreds by friction; patterned at site of injury may be representative of tool used to inflict injury |
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Term
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Definition
| Bruises caused by breakage of small blood vessels w/ blood moving into surrounding tissue - if bone present under injured soft tissue, bruise may appear rapidly; begins pinkish-red color, changes to bluish color, then greenish-yellow color until fades away |
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Term
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Definition
| Wound caused by crushing or tearing of tissues; occurs when blunt force applied to soft tissue stretches skin past point of elasticity resulting in tearing of tissue; can determine direction of force through examination |
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Term
| Injuries Associated with Blunt Force Trauma |
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Definition
| Superficial & severe injuries, abrasions, contusions, lacerations, fractures |
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Term
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Definition
| When soft tissue stretches due to laceration injury & can see injury under fat strands |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - abrasions |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - contusions |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - lacerations |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - bridging in laceration |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - fracture |
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Term
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Definition
| Break in bone; blood vessels & nerves may be injured in areas associated w/ this; bony fragments produced during this process may also produce contusions & lacerations; usually considerable amount of hemorrhaging associated w/ this |
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Term
| Blunt Force Trauma to Head |
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Definition
| Responsible for more homicidal deaths than blunt injury to other parts of body; selected in majority of fatal assaults; brain is more vulnerable to injury by blunt force; skin splits faster & cleaner |
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Term
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Definition
| Skin splits a little faster & cleaner; may identify weapon used, direction & application of force |
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Term
| Injuries Associated With Head Blunt Force Trauma |
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Definition
| Injury to scalp, skull fractures, subarachnoid hemorrhage - coup & contre coup |
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Term
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Definition
| Gives evidence demonstrating sufficient violent force was applied to break bone - where injury took place & amount of blows; do not need to be present for severe brain damage to occur |
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Term
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Definition
| Caused by rotation of brain within space in skull; bleeding will result due to shearing |
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Term
| Coup (Subarachnoid Hemorrhage) |
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Definition
| Blow injury which impacts side of skull |
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Term
| Contre Coup (Subarachnoid Hemorrhage) |
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Definition
| Fall injury in which brain is pushed to other side of skull; can determine directionality & amount of force used |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - injury to scalp |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - skull fracture |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - subarachnoid hemorrhage on right side of brain |
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Term
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Definition
| Weapon description: measurement of possible weapon, type - edge visible on item, & whether or not it was brought to scene or was from it originally; wound description: defensive marks |
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Term
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Definition
| 1. Describe what happened; 2. If any suggestion decedent's death may be accidental, describe in detail; 3. Possible weapon? where normally kept? where was it prior to infliction of injury?; 4. Describe events prior to death - comments made by decedent during crime |
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Term
| Processing at ME's Office (if homicide suspected) |
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Definition
| 1. Examine body for latent prints; 2. Collect trace evidence; 3. Collect bags used to cover hands while traveling; 4. Obtain pulled or combed hair strands; 5. Collect tube of blood; 6. Obtain major case prints; 7. Collect & separately pack each item of clothing |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - pattern bruise from weapon; determine physical correlation of weapon w/ wound & repetitive nature of injuries |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - laceration surrounded by larger abrasion; injury correlates well with magazine of pistol recovered at scene |
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Term
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Definition
| Blunt force trauma - defensive wounds on hands |
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