©WM Moagi
Criminology 210
Chapter 4: Forensic Pathology
• Forensic pathology
o is the study of the effects of trauma, injury and non - natural diseases on the human body?
o Particularly in accidental, suicidal, and homicidal case
o tissue damage is the main finding.
• Cases of poisoning is included in the field of study, but is separated because not all poisons
because tissue damage:
o Example: Injected with an overdose of sodium. Person dies of what looks to be a heart
attack. Thus, it looks like a natural cause of death. Sodium does not cause tissue damage
at all.
Circumstances under which deaths are seen as non – natural.
• Whenever a non - natural death is suspected, an (Post-mortem) autopsy is done by forensic
pathologist.
• When a person dies as a result of the effect of:
o Force: aggravated assault
o Physical (external) factor: car accident or gunshot wound
o Chemical substance: poisoning or overdose
• Someone dies as a result of an act / omission to act.
o Act: doctor prescribed the wrong medication; person then dies of heart attack.
o Omission to act: refuse medical help and as a result, the person dies/ Person A Chokes on
Food and Person B see it and does nothing about it, leading to Person A dying.
o Even though the person dies of natural causes.
o Cases of medical negligence.
• Suddenly an unexpected death of natural causes e.g., Heart Attack.
• Person had a clean bill of health then dropped dead of a heart attack the next week.
• Someone who dies during an operation while under general anaesthetics/ surgery.
The role of the pathologist at the scene of death
• Not called out to all scenes of deaths that seem suspicious.
• The role of the pathologist would be to.
o pronounce a person dead.
o assist in determining the manner of death - NOT the cause of
death. For example: accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or
undetermined.
o assist with establishing the time of death - Gets a time frame of death (this is important to
test a suspect’s alibi, studying post-mortem changes such as Rigor Mortis, hypostasis,
Cooling, Decomposition, Insects)
, lOMoAR cPSD| 8128673
o assist in general with obtaining clues and evidence that will reveal the truth of what had
happened.
Objective investigation of the crime scene
• Before the forensic pathologist can start his part of the investigation
o He has to make sure that all photographs and sketches have been done.
o Any signs of a struggle
▪ Overturned furniture
▪ Tear Clothing
▪ Wounds
▪ Weapons
▪ Broken branches, grass, etc.
▪ To determine the manner of death.
o Weapon
▪ If a weapon is found, they should take care to note the position of the weapon in
relation of the body.
▪ The weapon should be handled with extreme care (e.g., Preserve Fingerprints, blood,
hair, fibre)
▪ If a weapon is found, especially in the hand of the victim, they should take note
whether the weapon is grasped loosely or tightly in the hand.
If the weapon is present:
▪ Homicide may be suspected.
▪ Forensic pathologist must determine the weapon used.
o Position of the body / posture of the body
▪ Determine the Rigor mortis and hypostasis (post-mortem changes).
▪ Determine whether there was movement of the body.
o Clothing the victim is wearing.
▪ General condition of the clothes.
▪ Note Tears, missing buttons, blood stains, gunshot residue, unzipped pants.
▪ Be very mindful of trace evidence that might be on clothes.
▪ Homicide – Wounds inflicted through clothes.
▪ Suicide- Wounds inflicted on skin.
o Study Amount of bleeding at the
crime scene carefully
▪ 4.7-5.5 Litres of blood on
average person
▪ Pathologist should guard against misinterpretation.
▪ Amount of blood does not necessarily reveal injuries.
▪ If there is blood, there should be noted how much blood is at the crime scene.
Amount must make sense.
o Must study primary scene (Site of actual death) & secondary scene (Dumping Site)
o Examination of a body at the crime scene.
▪ Look for self-defence wounds.
Criminology 210
Chapter 4: Forensic Pathology
• Forensic pathology
o is the study of the effects of trauma, injury and non - natural diseases on the human body?
o Particularly in accidental, suicidal, and homicidal case
o tissue damage is the main finding.
• Cases of poisoning is included in the field of study, but is separated because not all poisons
because tissue damage:
o Example: Injected with an overdose of sodium. Person dies of what looks to be a heart
attack. Thus, it looks like a natural cause of death. Sodium does not cause tissue damage
at all.
Circumstances under which deaths are seen as non – natural.
• Whenever a non - natural death is suspected, an (Post-mortem) autopsy is done by forensic
pathologist.
• When a person dies as a result of the effect of:
o Force: aggravated assault
o Physical (external) factor: car accident or gunshot wound
o Chemical substance: poisoning or overdose
• Someone dies as a result of an act / omission to act.
o Act: doctor prescribed the wrong medication; person then dies of heart attack.
o Omission to act: refuse medical help and as a result, the person dies/ Person A Chokes on
Food and Person B see it and does nothing about it, leading to Person A dying.
o Even though the person dies of natural causes.
o Cases of medical negligence.
• Suddenly an unexpected death of natural causes e.g., Heart Attack.
• Person had a clean bill of health then dropped dead of a heart attack the next week.
• Someone who dies during an operation while under general anaesthetics/ surgery.
The role of the pathologist at the scene of death
• Not called out to all scenes of deaths that seem suspicious.
• The role of the pathologist would be to.
o pronounce a person dead.
o assist in determining the manner of death - NOT the cause of
death. For example: accidental, suicidal, homicidal, or
undetermined.
o assist with establishing the time of death - Gets a time frame of death (this is important to
test a suspect’s alibi, studying post-mortem changes such as Rigor Mortis, hypostasis,
Cooling, Decomposition, Insects)
, lOMoAR cPSD| 8128673
o assist in general with obtaining clues and evidence that will reveal the truth of what had
happened.
Objective investigation of the crime scene
• Before the forensic pathologist can start his part of the investigation
o He has to make sure that all photographs and sketches have been done.
o Any signs of a struggle
▪ Overturned furniture
▪ Tear Clothing
▪ Wounds
▪ Weapons
▪ Broken branches, grass, etc.
▪ To determine the manner of death.
o Weapon
▪ If a weapon is found, they should take care to note the position of the weapon in
relation of the body.
▪ The weapon should be handled with extreme care (e.g., Preserve Fingerprints, blood,
hair, fibre)
▪ If a weapon is found, especially in the hand of the victim, they should take note
whether the weapon is grasped loosely or tightly in the hand.
If the weapon is present:
▪ Homicide may be suspected.
▪ Forensic pathologist must determine the weapon used.
o Position of the body / posture of the body
▪ Determine the Rigor mortis and hypostasis (post-mortem changes).
▪ Determine whether there was movement of the body.
o Clothing the victim is wearing.
▪ General condition of the clothes.
▪ Note Tears, missing buttons, blood stains, gunshot residue, unzipped pants.
▪ Be very mindful of trace evidence that might be on clothes.
▪ Homicide – Wounds inflicted through clothes.
▪ Suicide- Wounds inflicted on skin.
o Study Amount of bleeding at the
crime scene carefully
▪ 4.7-5.5 Litres of blood on
average person
▪ Pathologist should guard against misinterpretation.
▪ Amount of blood does not necessarily reveal injuries.
▪ If there is blood, there should be noted how much blood is at the crime scene.
Amount must make sense.
o Must study primary scene (Site of actual death) & secondary scene (Dumping Site)
o Examination of a body at the crime scene.
▪ Look for self-defence wounds.
