Category: Criminal Justice

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NOTE: This is NOT an APA paper! This is a practical exercise. Be sure to read the grading rubric BEFORE you complete the assignment. This is part 1 of a practical exercise and you will need these notes to successfully complete part 2 in Unit 7.

View the included photographs attached below: This is your scene walkthrough.

Think about these questions:

• Who should you receive your initial briefing from and what information do you want from that briefing?
• What other individuals on scene should you interview and what information do you expect them to provide?
• What observations of the scene and decedent need to be in your report?
• What are three items of potential evidence, other than the body itself, that may help with determining the cause of death, manner of death, positively identifying the decedent, and/or locating the legal next-of-kin?

Provide your working notes on your walkthrough, initial briefing, interviews on scene (if any), scene, decedent, and things you want to follow-up on after you leave the scene.

Rememberthese are your working notes to help you write your report when you get back to your office. You dont need to worry about grammar, full sentences, and so forth. You will need these notes to write portions of your report in Unit 7 (this is when proper grammar, spelling, tone, and so forth are important). The rubric does not call for APA format, references, or citations.

The only formatting requirements for this paper are 1 margins all around, 11 or 12 pt. font, and double-spaced.

Remember your perspective! YOU responded to this scene where all you know when you arrive is that there is a dead body. YOU took the photos. Think about what concepts we have learned in Units 1-4. I want to see your field or case notes from your initial walk-through and the taking of the photographs. These notes, combined with what we will learn in Units 5-7, will be used to complete portions of your report of death in Unit 7.

Your notes should contain objective observations, who you talked to with general information obtained, and notes for additional investigation and/or interviews you want to do. For example, your notes might include Initial scene briefing from lead detective, blood spatterwest wall, near the floor, or locate/notify NOK. Be objective. Your notes should cover elements from the concepts learned so far.

Don’t over complicate this! Remember your perspective is that of the MDI that responded to this scenenot law enforcement. This is not a creative writing class, so dont waste your time inventing a scenario, dialog, or in solving the case. Think about taking notes that will help you write the report of death for your bossthe medical examiner or coroner–when you get back to your office.

Warning: If you do try to solve the case or create scenarios or dialogues, you will be penalized 10 points on your Assignment grade.

If you have questions about the assignment, please post the questions to the Ask the Prof discussion board so everyone can benefit from the question and the answer.

Please review the grading rubric prior to submitting your assignment.

Please name your file LastName Assignment 1 or LastName Unit 4. You MUST submit this assignment as a Word document. Any other format will not be accepted or graded.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Unit 1 overview: The medicolegal death investigator and death scenes.

Northey, K. [Kari the Mortician]. (2019, April 2). The difference between a coroner and a medical examiner – Just give me 2 minutes. [Video].

University of California Television. (2014, July 7). The real CSI: Forensic pathology and death investigation. [Video]. YouTube.

National Institute of Justice. (2024, July). Death investigation: A guide for the scene investigator. Read Appendix B, pages 44-46.

.

DiMaio, V. J. M. & Molina, D. K. (2021). Chapter 1: Medicolegal death investigations (pp. 7-13). In DiMaios forensic pathology. CRC Press.

Parker, P. R. (n.d.). Who are you calling a death investigator. Frontline: PBS.

Public Health Law. (2024, May 15). Coroner and medical examiner laws. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

AAFS Standard Board (ASB). (2024). Organizational and foundational standard for medicolegal death investigation. First edition.

Medicolegal Death Investigation Subcommittee. (2024). OSAC 2022-N-0026 medicolegal death investigation: Terms and definitions. Version 2.0 Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Unit 2 overview: The body as the crime scene.

Course Module: Forensic Evidence in Homicides

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Overview.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Objectives.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Commentary.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Self-Assessment.

National Institute of Justice. (2024, July). Death investigation: A guide for the scene investigator.

Read:

Section A, pages 4-8

Section B, pages 9-15

Section C-1, pages 16-17

Section C-2, pages 17-18

Section C-4, pages 19-20

Section D-5, pages 26-27

You must create an account to read this entire article, but the account is free. This article discusses postmortem changes from the view of a death investigator.

This article discusses postmortem changes from the view of a homicide detective.

Taphonomy. (2005). In K. L. Lerner & B. W. Lerner (Eds.), World of Forensic Science (Vol. 2, pp. 660-661). Gale.

DiMaio, V. J. M. & Molina, D. K. (2021). Chapter 2: Postmortem changes (pp. 15-27). In DiMaios forensic pathology. CRC Press.

.

Spitz, W. U. & Diaz, F. J. (2020). Chapter 1: Time of death and postmortem changes (pp. 3-31). In Spitz and Fishers medicolegal investigation of death, (5th ed.). Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Betts, J. G., Young, K. A., Wise, J. A., Johnson, E., Poe, B., Kruse, D. H., Korol, O., Johnson, J. E., Womble, M., & DeSaix, P. (2022, April 20). Chapter 1.6: Anatomical terminology. In Anatomy and physiology (2nd ed.). OpenStax.

Crime Scene University Videos: There are 6 videos, each lasting about 43 minutes. You don’t have to fully watch each one, but each video has some good information.

Medicolegal Death Investigation Subcommittee. (2022). OSAC 2022-N-0027 Medicolegal death investigation response to death locations and incident scenes: Best practice recommendations. Version 2.0 Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Unit 3 overview: Wound identification.

National Institute of Justice. (2024, July). Death investigation: A guide for the scene investigator.

Read:

Section C-3, pages 18-19

Section D-2, pages 23-24

Frost, R. E. (2011, January 11). Forensic pathology of firearm wounds.

Batalis, N. I. (2022, December 23). Forensic autopsy of blunt force trauma.

Prahlow, J. A. (2022, December 22). Forensic autopsy of sharp force injuries.

Rao, V. J. (2016, October 18). Forensic pathology of thermal injuries.

Graham, M. A. (2016, January 24). Pathology of asphyxial death.

OPTIONAL RESOURCES:

DiMaio, V. J. M. & Molina, D. K. (2021). In DiMaios forensic pathology. CRC Press.

Spitz, W. U. & Diaz, F. J. (2020). In Spitz and Fishers medicolegal investigation of death, (5th ed.). Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Unit 3 overview: Wound identification.

National Institute of Justice. (2024, July). Death investigation: A guide for the scene investigator.

Read:

Section C-3, pages 18-19

Section D-2, pages 23-24

Frost, R. E. (2011, January 11). Forensic pathology of firearm wounds.

Batalis, N. I. (2022, December 23). Forensic autopsy of blunt force trauma.

Prahlow, J. A. (2022, December 22). Forensic autopsy of sharp force injuries.

Rao, V. J. (2016, October 18). Forensic pathology of thermal injuries.

Graham, M. A. (2016, January 24). Pathology of asphyxial death.

OPTIONAL RESOURCES:

DiMaio, V. J. M. & Molina, D. K. (2021). In DiMaios forensic pathology. CRC Press.

Spitz, W. U. & Diaz, F. J. (2020). In Spitz and Fishers medicolegal investigation of death, (5th ed.). Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Please download the attached crime scene scenario, save as LastNameFirstInitial 320 Final Assignment (DoeJ 320 Final Assignment). Use this document to provide your responses to the following:

1. Complete the table provided in the scenario attachment reflecting a laboratory submission form and list the appropriate forensic examinations/tests and packaging. You may not request every test on every item of evidence, as this would not be allowed for a real-world forensic laboratory submission. Also, you need to consider based on the examinations/test(s) available, if items would be submitted for examinations/testing.
2. For evidentiary items that you requested multiple examinations/tests, describe the best order for performing these tests to prevent contamination and loss of evidence. Please utilize resources to support your response.
3. In your own words, discuss/explain [provide justification] why you selected these examinations/tests for each item of evidence.
4. For the examinations/tests you requested, are there any known samples that you would need to provide to the crime laboratory to assist with the examinations/tests? Please describe and discuss these known samples. Please utilize resources to support your response.
5. Explain at least two challenges this crime scenario could present with evidence admissibility in a trial. Please utilize resources to support your response.
6. Discuss how the evidence admissibility challenges discussed in number 5 could be avoided. Please utilize resources to support your response.

Format Instructions

• Your paper must be double spaced, in 12-pt font, and with 1 margins all around.
• All APA 7th edition format requirements must be followed (cover page, in text citations, references page). Refer to the APA information found in Content -> Course Overview -> Course Resources.
• You must have resources to support your thoughts/opinions/information. These must be cited both in the text as well as at the end of the document. You should use at least three (3) resources for this assignment. The resources you select should be from the course material, UMGC library, or course webliography; general internet searches should be avoided. Your paper should not contain direct quotes, all source material must be summarized or paraphrased.
• Your paper must be attached as a Word document. You have access to Office365 via your UMGC student account, at mail.umgc.edu. Papers or information typed into the Comments box will not be accepted or graded.
• Any papers needing to be resubmitted due to not following these instructions will be subject to the late penalty.
• Your professor may, at their discretion, consider the submission date as the date the assignment is submitted in the proper format. To avoid a late penalty being applied, you should be sure to submit your assignment in the proper format.
• You must use the provided document , CCJS 320 Final Assignment Scenario, to write your assignment. Submitting your assignment using a Word document other than the provided document may result in your paper being rejected or not graded until it is submitted using the provided document.
• Houck, M. & Seigel, J. (2015). Fundamentals of Forensic Science. Academic Press.
• (pages 572-573 starting with Primer Residues)
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation. (2009). GBI DOFS Trace Evidence Overview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f0A6Ge5VJ0

Microchemistry

• Michigan State Police. (2012). Microchemistry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UsOyOrUxUQ

How to Collect Hair & Fiber Evidence at a Crime Scene

• National Forensic Academy. (2016). How to Collect Hair & Fiber Evidence at a Crime Scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfWsgS0ID-s

Final essay in APA format with at least 3-4 sources cited with references. Please also include a biblical worldview and cite the scriptures used.

Final essay written in APA format. Cite and reference at least 4 scholarly sources within the last 10 years, also include an abstract and biblical worldview.

2-4 pages double spaced, APA 7th style formatting. Must be free from grammatical errors and bypass all AI detection.

Red Video links found in attachments:

The right to appeal:

Appellate procedures:

Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXAYAP1jZxA