A Medical Review is Needed to Determine an Accurate Underlying Cause of Death
Dr Andrew describes a case where a cause of Death may not be the Cause of Death In many cases, cause of death is not exactly shrouded in mystery. This “common knowledge” can be deceiving however, and much mischief can be done in legal proceedings by purported experts conflating a cause of death with the […]
Pitfalls in the Interpretation of Postmortem Toxicology
Numbers are Tools, Not Shackles Medico-legal experts are often confronted with the question in legal proceedings of the lethality of a given concentration of a drug detected in autopsy specimens. Regardless of their credentials, whether they be forensic pathologists, clinical toxicologists or other clinical specialists, some are willing to testify this or that concentration was […]
Expert Testimony: The Tragic Conundrum of Live-birth Versus Still-birth.
Dr Andrew discusses a pediatric case that offers A Cautionary Tale Regarding Dogmatic Certainty Particularly in the case of the death of a newborn infant, the investigation of every sudden, unexpected or violent death requires a holistic approach, utilizing historical and investigative data, statements of witnesses if available, the autopsy and all associated ancillary studies. […]
Murder on the High Seas?
Autopsy is the gold standard for determining cause of death Death at sea, particularly if jurisdictional issues are at play, can be difficult situations for all involved parties. This is greatly magnified if there is a suspicion of foul play. A 23-year-old Filipino male crew member of a 144-meter oil/chemical transport ship boarded in Venezuela […]
First Impressions Can Deceive – A Forensic Investigator Case Study
A bloody body was found next to the dead man’s tractor trailer. Was it a homicide or an accident? Motorcycle week in New Hampshire brings tens of thousands of motorcyclists to the state every June. There are numerous activities and races for the bikers. Overall, the event is peaceful, but gangs and drugs are included […]
Expert Opinion – Time of Death
Dr Andrew discusses the “Holy Grail” of Forensic Pathology and Forensic Medicine We have all seen the fictional death investigator take a brief look at the body and solemnly intone, “death was between 2:30 and 3:45 AM.” This, of course represents the magical thinking of Hollywood. In actual practice, time of death estimates are exactly […]
The Aftermath of a Crash: Interpreting Injury Patterns in Vehicular Crashes
Dr. Andrew is presenting at the Colby College Seminar on Forensic Sciences Haddon’s Matrix can be utilized by the crash investigator and forensic pathologist alike in an effort to interpret injury patterns and circumstances of vehicular crashes. The incident is divided into pre-crash, crash and post-crash phases with each subdivided into considerations of the victim, […]
Remains of Four Bodies Found Near State Park
A Forensic Investigator describes a decades long saga of murders and the search for the identification of the victims and their killer. In 1985, a hunter walking in the woods in Allenstown, NH found the decomposing remains of a woman and female child. It appeared that the bodies had fallen out of a nearby 55-gallon […]
Dr. Thomas Andrew and Kim Fallon to serve on multidisciplinary team for the National Institute of Justice
Over 25 death investigation professionals will revise the “Scene guide for death investigators”. The seminal scene guide for death investigators, originally released in 1999 and updated in 2011, is once again undergoing review and revision. The National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention […]
Blunt Impact Injuries
Dr Andrew describes various types of blunt force injury and gives Medico-legal examples. Blunt impact injuries is a commonly used term on death certificates when the fatality is due to extensive physical trauma such as seen in vehicular crashes, falls from height or beatings. The term “blunt force injuries” is also commonly seen but is […]
