Pathologist's Role in a Homicide Investigation - Essay Example

TITLE: Pathologist's role in homicide investigation. Date: December 1, 2008. I. The definition of the pathologist and background A person who specializes in the study and practice of pathology is called as a Pathologist (1). Most of the pathologists perform their professional works in hospital laboratories or in out patient reference laboratories for discharging their duties. In addition, the pathologists may also spend their time in regulating the operations of the laboratory, diagnosing the biopsies from surgical procedures prior to the surgical operations. Pathologists are expert in the art of surgical pathology or the pathology of the living patient. Many pathologists also work in free standing laboratories and out patient departments. These are the persons who do not work regularly in the hospital. The laboratories are often most complex department of any hospital or a clinic where blood samples are taken, cultured and biopsies are sent for their examination. There are different special fields in pathology especially in surgery and medicines. Pathology is divided into two major special categories as clinical and anatomical pathology. Clinical pathology deals with the subject of laboratory test diagnosis and anatomic pathology relates with the tissue diagnoses. Most of the private practice pathologists are certified by the board in both specialties. In addition to thesis basic categories there are some other fields like dermatopathology, forensic pathology, hematopathology and cytopathology. Dermatopathology deals with the subject relating to skin diseases and clinical operations, hematopathology with the issues of clotting disorders and bone marrow transplantations, forensic pathology is handled by the medical examiners of the Quincy type and coroners and cytopathology with the tissue culture techniques. Pathologist are the personnel who are involved with the analyzing the patient’s or the body of the person involved in homicide blood and look for abnormalities. Pathologists also perform surgery where necessary and also examine tissue samples. Once the cause is found, the medical experts and professional start the treatment of the disease. The pathologists use various tools like microscope for examining the body tissues, cells and fluids for signs of disease and medical disorders. In application of the results pathologist identifies the microscopic differences and interprets them to get at a diagnosis. This is important information that creates the basis for a given patients treatment. Pathologists are the physicians who characterize and diagnose a disease in living patients by examining body fluids. The conduction of autopsies to investigate the cause of death is also a job of the pathologist. Pathology is a central discipline of medical school and many pathologists perform there as a teacher of the subject. Pathologists also play a key role in the progress and development of medical laboratories as managers. With the advancement of information technology, pathologists are using the knowledge for the diagnosis and specification in their pathological works. Pathologists have little time for direct patient contact; however, they may form an important part of team of the members of patient’s health care team. Pathologists also perform fine needle aspirations, and provide surgical assistance by performing rapid tissue examination and diagnosis while the patient is in surgery. (Vincent J.M. DiMaio 2001). II. The role pathologist plays in homicide investigation: A. Time of death. B. Cause of death. C. Establish the age, sex, and identity of the victim. D. Autopsy. Forensic pathology Pathologists play a role in homicide investigation; this position of a pathologist can only be understood if we have background knowledge of Forensic pathology. Forensic pathology, being one of the key areas of study in Pathology, forensic pathology is involved with the determining of the cause of death. This is done by the examination of a cadaver. Forensic pathologist are recruited from the medical profession generally specialists in the field of anatomical pathology or histopathology. The pathologist performs an autopsy at the request of a coroner. This usually occur during the investigation criminal law cases in some jurisdiction. (Vincent, 2001)(3).There major responsibility is the undertaking of post mortem examination of the bodies found as dead to establish the cause of death. especially in suspicious circumstances. Their basic role is simply to undertake the post mortem of the deceased through the examination of the bodies found in suspicious circumstances with sole objective to establish the causes of death which is helpful in further judicial process for examining the case on its merits. There is a trend at the world over to establish centralized Forensic pathology service from a single unit. The advantages of the centralization include the concentration of the experienced staff at the central point, professional growth of all the relevant staff in their respective fields, availability of the chemicals and other tools required for the process. The growth of profession especially forensic science is associated with utilization of research and new techniques in the phenomenon. The centralized services provide an opportunity to the professionals to apply their gathered knowledge for exploring the process for the betterment of the profession. However, the centralization of the services has some disadvantages also. For example concentrated and centralized services inhibit the process of growth and expansion for the newcomers and a monopoly of few experts is the by product of a centralized Forensic service. The growth and professional competency of Forensic pathologist develops with the imparting of training relating to the subject. The training promote a) .The adoption of new techniques among the Forensic pathologist as the training provides chances to acquire latest knowledge to the professionals. b) The training assist in the post graduate instructions and the training of specialist pathologists in the field of emerging forensic pathology. c) To help qualified persons in the allied biological sciences and toxicology relating to the forensic sciences. d) To provide training facilities to the doctors, law graduates and forensic pathologists in the same venue, thus providing opportunities to the divergent professionals to come up with common consensus on the issue of forensic pathology. e) Training also promotes an appetite of research in the field of forensic pathology and forensic science associated with the subject. f) Forensic pathology is an emerging field in the areas of criminology and investigation; Forensic Pathologists contribute in the whole process through their reports on scientific lines. The process of training helps in the improvement of report writing process on scientific lines including all the basic information regarding the time of death , cause of death , age , sex , and physical condition of the deceased at the time of death . The Forensic Pathologists while performing their professional jobs are faced with a variety of problems. The fore most problem as being faced by the professionals is the understanding and implementation of the legal language and the legal terminology by these personals. The basic knowledge of law and legal procedures is required for a forensic pathologist to discharge his duties effectively. Fundamental laws are included in the training manuals for the trainees. The process is of a long duration however with continuity and commitment all the professionals acquire the knowledge for discharging their duties during report writing and its submission to the concerned authorities. The forensic pathologist submits their report to the concerned departments. These reports need proper drafting, its impartiality and fairness. The continuous learning process helps the professionals to amend their report writing skills. The overall role of a forensic medical service provider is to provide to the client organization for which it provides services. The pathologists are involved in the examination of death scene, dead body examination and aspects of forensic science through which an investigation team works, examine and finalize its report. The whole process can be described illustrated with the help of following diagram where all the stake holders perform their assignments in a coordinated and directional manner with the objective to examine the case carefully by considering all the relevant details relating to the death. These details include causes of death, time of death, internal and external factors, and autopsy report including the sex of the deceased. A pathologist plays the following roles in homicide investigation on: a) Time of death During homicide investigation, the pathologist plays a very important role on the time of death for he is capable of offering an expert opinion putting into consideration the severity and duration of pain before death occurred.  In situations where the death was not witnessed, the pathologists offer opinion in the form of a range of time since it is not clear if the death occurred suddenly.  This range of time is narrow or broad depending on the specific circumstances leading to the death.  The nature and extent of the injury or injuries will obviously impact the degree and duration of pain and suffering the victim went through before the death. Additionally, a pathologist makes the time of death estimations based on eye witness accounts and also the changes in the appearance and characteristics on the victims’ body after death.  A recurring in the forensic medicine is the determination of time of death with in the limits of probability. It is clear that a wider time between the time of death and the time of examination, the limits of probability will be wider. The longer the post mortem interval there will be a probability of the environmental factors to leave their impacts and these factors will be helpful in determining the time of death. The survival intervals help in determining the time of death to the forensic pathologists. The survival intervals are determined by the number of injuries present and the deceased’s reaction to the injuries taking into account preexisting natural disease to the deceased. It is necessary at the autopsy to assess the evolution of inflammatory response and repair process in the skin and viscera (4). b) Cause of death. The causes of death may come from the following three sources: a. Environmental and associative causes , b. Corporal evidence that present in the body and c. Anamnestic evidence that is that based on the deceased’s ordinary movements, habits and day to day activities All these three sources should be examined, assessed and explored before offering an opinion by a pathologist when death or major injury had occurred. Pathologist while determining causes of death may examine the causes carefully and with evidence put a final report for its further legal use. C.)Establish the age, sex, and identity of the victim. i) To establish the age of victim. Forensic pathologists use different means to identify the age of victim at the time of death. One such method is the use of eyes to identify and determine the age of victim. Lifeless eyes of a potential murder victim may give hints to their age. The forensic pathologists use eyes for the purpose if determination is not fixed with the help of dental help, DNA testing and positive identification. Previously, radio carbon dating method was used to determine the half life of some elements and bodies. However, in recent past there is a trend to utilize the technique for determining the age of the victim by the forensic pathologist. It is possible as each of us during our course of life without knowing exposes to the radio active substances and their radiation and this helps the forensic scientist to determine the age of the victim. It is through the process of crystallization formation in the eyes and these crystals are helpful in determining the age. ii) To determine the sex of victim Sex, age and identity of the victim are very essential information required for further investigation of the case. The sex of the victim can be determined by the forensic pathologist with the examination of the other. The pattern of hair growth; mammary glands , testis and vagina are helpful in determining the sex of victim. In addition, the weight of remains the bones that belongs to men is heavier than those of female therefore the sex of victim can easily be determined with all these body remains. Moreover, DNA technique through the analysis of the chromosomal setup helps in determining the sex of the individual. Male human beings are having X, Y arrangement with total twenty three pairs of chromosomes as one sex pair and twenty two pairs of autosomes. In case of female there is XX chromosomal setup and the sex of the individual is determined with the use of DNA testing techniques. iii) Identification of the victim Identification of the victim is determined combining all the available factors for determining the identification. Remains of the victims, geographic location of the site height of the victim hair color are all helping factors. On the basis of all these factors along with external environmental conditions help in the process of identification. d. Autopsy The Autopsies generally have two routine when they are undertaken, among them being in the hospital cases and medico-legal also known as the forensic cases. III. Case study. (In Crime Science Methods of Forensic Detection, the death of Marilyn Monroe). The death of Marilyn Monroe highlights the importance of forensic science. There were several substances to look for the determination whether the death was an accident or a suicide. Marilyn Monroe was found dead from an overdose of chloral hydrate and Nembutal in 1962. A psychological analysis as well as a toxicological screening was done. These tests have suggested that she was a fit case relating to suicidal depression, however, a very promising cause of accidental death was ruled out; the drugs were used by the deceased as the packages were found on her nightstand. There were a number of conspiracy theories; however, the physical evidences have suggested that there were signs of accidental death as the same were explained in the autopsy results. A well known poison used for suicide that is carbon monoxide was found from an engine of a car although mixed doses of domestic medications are also used in addition to the situation relating to drug overdoses. An accident can result from the result of a drug overdose such as morphine, heroine, hyoscine and opium. Examples of poisons that are often used for murder are atropine, antimony, thallium, cyanide, arsenic and aconitine. IV. Conclusion: Forensic Pathologists are helping in the process of victims identification .Pathologist are essential component of human environment pf social setup. Their knowledge is continuously being updated. Forensic Pathologists are helpful in the identification of victims through the determination of their age, sex and their final identification. The knowledge of forensic pathologist is helpful in the investigation of crimes and it is expected that the same will grow and updated in the coming years and their knowledge will be utilized for the eradication of crime from the human society. Works Cited 1 McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. Copyright © 2003, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more 2. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company.  Read more 3. Vincent J.M. Daimio, M.D., Vincent J. M. Did (2001). Forensic Pathology, CRC Press (pp…4) 4. Watson, Forensic Medicine: A Handbook of Professionals (1989).Gower press Aldershot. Read More