The aims of death investigation are to answer the following questions: Who died? (identification of the deceased) Where? (place of death) When? (time of death) Why? (cause of death) How? (manner & mechanism of death)
Autopsy is only one part of death investigation. Body, History and Scene are equally important (diagnostic triangle).
Each of the three aspects of the death investigation process are equally important (like a three legged stool, which will fall over if one leg is removed or even shortened!)
1. Scene: Attendance by police officers, CID, family doctor, police surgeon, forensic pathologist, forensic scientists. The aim is to collect the maximum of information with the minimum of disturbance. Potential for professional conflicts. Photography, videos, trace evidence.
2. History: Social - from relatives, friends, police. Medical - from GP, hospital notes. Often indicates the likely cause of death Psychiatric - from GP, hospital notes. May indicate possibility of suicide.
3. The medico-legal autopsy: The medico-legal autopsy differs from the hospital autopsy in two major respects:
Purpose:- What happened? to Who, When, Where, Why, and How.
Technique:- The external examination assumes much greater importance, special dissection techniques and examinations, evidential materials, report formulation or commentary. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------