A medical mystery/crime fiction hybrid and second-in-series Matthias Kork novel featuring a humorous blend of lying, cheating, killing and domestic drama. An excommunicated Mennonite drug user is found dead in his locked apartment. He is heavily decomposed and is lying exactly parallel to a vintage Winchester rifle. The scene might have been staged, but there are no suspects or any apparent motive for murder. The decedent's attractive daughter is the beneficiary of his three-month-old life insurance policy, which a suicide verdict would invalidate. She is promoting a homicide verdict to the investigating coroner, and she is very persuasive. 54,202 words
A medical mystery/crime fiction hybrid and second-in-series Matthias Kork novel featuring a humorous blend of lying, cheating, killing and domestic drama. An excommunicated Mennonite drug user is found dead in his locked apartment. He is heavily decomposed and is lying exactly parallel to a vintage Winchester rifle. The scene might have been staged, but there are no suspects or any apparent motive for murder. The decedent's attractive daughter is the beneficiary of his three-month-old life insurance policy, which a suicide verdict would invalidate. She is promoting a homicide verdict to the investigating coroner, and she is very persuasive.
This publication reviews medicolegal investigation of sudden, unexpected pediatric deaths, focusing on systems and procedures in the United States and those deaths which remain incompletely understood or entirely unexplained. It discusses the evolution of our understanding and practice in the area of sudden, unexpected pediatric death investigation, covering the changing philosophies and medical theories as to causation and changing investigative and certification strategies. Procedural guidance for investigation, autopsy and ancillary testing, certification and reporting, and key considerations for prevention, research and working with family members and other professional team members are provided.The path to production of this publication began in 2016 when the National Association of Medical Examiners received a scientific grant from the SUDC Foundation called "Sudden Death in Pediatrics: Consensus for Investigation, Certification, Research Direction and Family Needs" to convene, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, an expert panel to identify and discuss the diverse issues and limitations surrounding these deaths and build a foundation for national consensus. The combined effort of a panel of medical examiners, pediatricians, and federal agency representatives, representing the diverse interests of death investigation, autopsy performance, certification, clinical subspecialties (pediatrics, neurology, cardiology, child abuse, injury prevention, infectious diseases, genetics, and metabolic diseases), family needs, prevention, and epidemiology, culminated in this publication.
Just as in life, circumstances and experiences in death investigation will be unexpected, unanticipated, confusing, and full of various possible interpretations to sort out. And what if there is no clear answer?"Could not Be Determined" is a very unsatisfying phrase for the death investigator of any era. It leaves a person with the feeling that something was missed, that perhaps one more test, one more witness, or some unknown piece of evidence would shed a final light of explanation for the circumstances behind the demise of the subject at hand. Yet, in spite of all modern advances, technology, or research, it is the very nature of the mysteries of living, that there will always be some mystery at the end. Some things in investigations, in spite of the impression given by the media, television, or theatrical productions, simply won't be solved to a tidy conclusion, with 'happily ever-after' or the thump of the gavel of final justice bringing closure.This text is a presentation and discussion of cases ruled "undetermined" in the files and database of Fremont County, Wyoming, from 1887 through 2015,in an attempt to educate and provide examples to the death investigator of the circumstances, issues, and reasoning that may lead to the conclusion of an undetermined manner of death. Like it or not, while statistically they are only a small percentage of the cases you will encounter in your career, you will have them, and find them frustrating.Seeing what was, or was not done, compared to what could be done, gives practice in the logic of case analysis. Seeing the historical progression of methods and circumstances helps in understanding the process of today's investigations.Sometimes, it just is what it is...
In the vein of Dr. Judy Melinek’s Working Stiff, an account of the hair-raising and heartbreaking cases handled by the coroner of Marin County, California throughout his four decades on the job—from high-profile deaths to serial killers, to Golden Gate Bridge suicides. Marin County, California is a study in contradictions. Its natural beauty attracts thousands of visitors every year, yet the county also is home to San Quentin Prison, one of the oldest and largest penitentiaries in the country. Marin ranks in the top one percent of counties nationwide in terms of affluence and overall health, yet it is far above the norm in drug overdoses and alcoholism, and comprises a large percentage of suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge. Ken Holmes worked in the Marin County Coroner’s Office for thirty-six years, starting as a death investigator and ending as the three-term, elected coroner. As he grew into the job—which is different from what is depicted on television—Holmes learned a variety of skills, from finding hidden clues at death scenes, interviewing witnesses effectively, managing bystanders and reporters, preparing testimony for court to notifying families of a death with sensitivity and compassion. He also learned about different kinds of firearms, all types of drugs—prescription and illegal—and about certain unexpected and potentially fatal phenomena such as autoeroticism. Complete with poignant anecdotes, The Education of a Coroner provides a firsthand and fascinating glimpse into the daily life of a public servant whose work is dark and mysterious yet necessary for society to function.
This practical text guides the reader in infant and child death investigation from the moment the phone rings to the final signature on the death certificate. Using an easily understood conversational writing style, the text imparts up-to-date, practice-based information on approaches to death investigation, clarifying misunderstandings and supplementing training gaps. Chapters also impart personal experiences relating to policy, procedure, standards, and the anticipation of problems during death investigations. Interspersed throughout the text are procedural standards from the National Association of Medical Examiners and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as high-quality images and observations of effective administrative and management strategies for offices involved with death investigations. The book is packaged with a password, giving users online access to all text and images. Pearls and Pitfalls in Forensic Pathology: Infant and Child Death Investigation is an essential resource for medicolegal death investigators, coroners, medical examiners, forensic pathologists, forensic laboratorians and attorneys.
For many years it has been the duty of coroners and medical examiners not only to investigate deaths of medicolegal interest but also to render an opinion as to the cause and manner of death. "Cause of death" is understood to be the primary disease, injury, or physiologic disturbance that brings about a person's death. "Manner of death" is ruled "natural" when death results solely from a disease process and "unnatural" when death results from unavoidable injury ("accident"), conscious intent of the decedent ("suicide"), or the act of another ("homicide").
