Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement

Check out the online course here: https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/Suicide-and-Self-Harm Victimology is the collection and assessment of any significant information as it pertains to the victim and his or her lifestyle. Investigators must know the victim and complete a victimology study on every suicide, you cannot properly investigate a death without it. Ultimately you need to find out, in detail, who the victim was and what was going on at the time of their death. The best source of information will be friends, family, employers, and neighbors. Your goal is to get to know the victim better than they knew themselves.

Check out the online course here: https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/Suicide-and-Self-Harm Suicide deaths account for nearly 46,00 deaths in the United States, about one death every five minutes. The number per year has continued to grow for the past several years. Investigators face many challenges in this death, including when to rule a death a suicide and what degree of certainty must be obtained before making that ruling. More information and statistics can be found on the website at: coronertalk.com To learn more about the Death Investigation Academy, go to ditacademy.org

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.

Put simply, IGG describes the process of using information about genetic similarities and known family relationships to generate investigative leads. The basic information used in IGG falls into two categories: genetic relative information, which is generated by a genetic genealogy database based on its internal comparison of SNP profiles in the database; and genealogical and other often publicly accessible information, such as information from census records and obituaries, that describes family relationships. Law enforcement integrates these two categories of information to develop family trees and then identifies and investigates high-likelihood suspects within those trees. Thus, IGG comprises two steps that are book-ended by standard police work. According to best practices, when an offender leaves a biological sample (e.g., blood or semen) at a crime scene, an accredited forensic laboratory first generates an STR profile from that sample, which is called the 'forensic sample.' If there are no suspects, the STR profile is then uploaded to CODIS to identify a possible match with any of the 18 million-plus profiles in the database. If the forensic STR profile matches a CODIS profile, following manual confirmation of the match to ensure no administrative errors occurred in connection with analysis of the CODIS sample, the name of the matching offender in CODIS is released to law enforcement as an investigative lead. Continue Reading HERE

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.

In this episode, Darren and Wendy discuss the Evolution and challenges of locating and notifying NOK in a transient society. With the modern age we live in it is getting harder to located next-of-kin in some cases. Issues such as homelessness and a transient lifestyle of a deceased can create huge obstacles. In addition to the victim being mobile, the family may not stay in one place for very long causing public records to search to be a failed lead. We give tips on locating NOK as well as some cautions to ensure you are not caught up in a legal backlash when new family members appear and want to know why they were not notified.

In this episode, Darren and Wendy discuss the good and bad of Social media as it relates to death investigations. Social media can be a big help in certain areas and a huge obstacle in others. We discuss the pros and cons and give some caution in how best to use and manage social media in your investigations.

Due to the very nature of sudden and/or violent deaths, many things can and do go wrong in the first few hours after discovery. Death scenes have a way of bringing together many individuals with various responsibilities and experiences. This unique group can consist of uniformed officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic experts, coroner investigators, medical examiner investigators, as well as prosecutors and police administrative staff. These scenes may also have fire and EMS staff or other agencies trying to do their jobs, not to mention families and onlookers. Because of this often chaotic scene, errors can happen. Let's look at the ten most common mistakes of a death investigation. 1. Improper Response and Arrival to the Scene First, responding officers may not correctly respond to and secure the scene and the immediate surrounding area. Uniformed officers may not stop or detain people leaving or milling around the scene. Further, while waiting for investigation and CSI teams to arrive, it's not uncommon for first responding officers to gather to close to, or directly in the crime scene, inadvertently contaminating evidence. Here are a few other examples of errors from the first responding officers. Failure to notify investigators soon enough, or at all; assuming the cause of death is a suicide or is natural, eliminating the need to treat the scene as a crime scene; failure to detain all persons present at the scene, which might include the suspect; or they may fail to separate possible witnesses and obtain initial statements. Also, failing to make an initial determination of the scene boundaries leads to an insufficient area of protection. 2. Failing to protect the Crime Scene In all death investigations, but even more so in a homicide investigation, crime scene contamination can be and is a significant problem. No other aspect of these investigations is more open to mistakes than the preservation and protection of the scene and subsequent evidence. Paramount to any investigation is ensuring by the first officers on the scene to isolate, protect, and maintain scene integrity as the investigation follows its standard path. This includes the monitoring of paramedics and EMS personnel in the scene as well as identifying them for a future interview. Officers must also watch family members or others in the area to ensure they are not contaminating the scene. After a perimeter is established and is locked down, officers should start a log of everyone entering and leaving the vicinity and the reason why they are there. Also, officers should be observing and taking notes of activities occurring in and around the scene. 3. Not Handling Suspicious Deaths and Homicides All unattended death should be looked at and treated as suspicious, and an experienced officer/investigator should go to the scene. These deaths should be treated as homicides and crime scenes until the facts prove otherwise. Too many departments allow untrained patrol officers to conduct basic death investigations with the assumption of suicide or natural death and with the idea that it is unlikely to be a homicide. Without training, officers could likely miss-interpret a staged or altered scene. If the scene is not handled correctly from the beginning and is later found to be a homicide, valuable evidence can be lost, and the integrity of the scene is compromised at best and at worst, non-existent. 4. Responding with a Preconceived Notion It is imperative that investigators not allow themselves to respond to a death scene with any preconceived conclusion about the case. It's common for investigators to get sent to a scene and given information based on the initial call. If the call came in as a suicide and the initial officer who responds arrives with the mindset of suicide, it is common to treat the death as a suicide and thus shortcut any other investigation. It looks like a suicide, so it must be a suicide, and no other investigation is conducted. This type of preconceived investigation results in fewer photographs being taken, witness statements not being completed, evidence not being searched for or collected, and the integrity of the scene is destroyed. It's not only suicide this can happen on, but reported natural deaths and accidents can also inadvertently be short cut if responding officers conclude their investigation based upon the initial reported call. If then, at a later time, the death becomes suspicious, the officer's reports and any investigative documentation will be lacking valuable information needed for future investigations. The tendency is for the uniformed officer to write the final report and collect the evidence necessary to fit the narrative given to him by the initial call. 5. Failing to Take Sufficient Photographs In today's world of digital photography, photos are cheap and easy to obtain. Back when I started in this business, we used Polaroid™ instant photography and 35mm film cameras. These were exp

In this episode, Wendy and Darren discuss the laws surrounding doctors prescribing suicide prescriptions and other forms of suicide assistance. Find all available training at. ditacademy.org

High altitude illness (HAI) is the current accepted clinical term for a group of disorders including acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), which occur in travelers visiting high-altitude locations. High-altitude illness is due to hypobaric hypoxia, is not associated with age or physical conditioning, and mild forms are easily treated. High-altitude cerebral edema and HAPE are medical emergencies that are fatal if not promptly treated and fortunately are uncommon. The cause of most high-altitude fatalities is not related to HAI and can be easily distinguished from HACE and HAPE; however, other causes of death may have symptoms and physical findings that overlap with HAI, making postmortem diagnosis challenging. Fatalities due to HAPE and HACE are diagnoses of exclusion. Medical examiners and coroners who work in jurisdictions with high-altitude locations should be aware of the risk factors, physiology, pathology, differential diagnosis, and classification of HAI to accurately recognize HAI as a cause of death. Medical examiners who do not work in jurisdictions with high-altitude locations may be asked to evaluate deaths that occur overseas associated with high-altitude trekking and mountaineering activities.

I wish you all a very happy and fun summer 2021. We are taking a break this year through the summer months and will return in September with an all-new line-up and shows. Be a blessing and be safe!

In this episode, I give my opinion on the Derek Chauvin Trial and I talk about truth in journalism and podcasting in particular. With permission, I play a portion of a podcast from my good friend Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting Podcast about media bias and how podcasting can help correct mistruth. The school of podcasting can be found at: https://schoolofpodcasting.com/ I also introduce a new survey being conducted by RTI International that addresses work-related stress in MDI jobs. This is a topic I have spent years discussing and I am so glad that it is starting to gain needed attention. Link to MDI work-related stress survey: https://forensicrti.org/understanding-work-related-stress-mdi-professionals/?fbclid=IwAR05eTElTSE7xNrL128nJBjdeKXd57kESN0vBBK6LoD2jSFooi6uC7obXnY

Several methods exist to properly identify a deceased person. It is critical that positive and accurate identification is made. This podcast is a portion of an online course about the identification of the deceased. This episode will give you several methods of identification and will warn you of pitfalls and mistakes to avoid in wrongful identification. If you would like to check out the full course you can follow the link below to learn more. https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/deceased-identification

In this episode, I read and give my answers to several questions that students in the MDI Academy or listeners have submitted relating to death investigation and scene management topics. Questions with several topics such as Dry Drowning, Next-of-Kin Notification, Evidence, Purge Fluid, Scene cooperation, and many more topics. Submit your Question If you have a question that you would like answered and possibly shared on the show simply click on the contact link and send us your question. I will answer your question directly by email and it may be shared on a future show. I will be careful not to reveal your name if shared on air.

Abusive head trauma (AHT), which includes shaken baby syndrome, is a preventable and severe form of physical child abuse that results in an injury to the brain of a child. AHT often happens when a parent or caregiver becomes angry or frustrated because of a child's crying. It is caused by violent shaking and/or with blunt impact. The resulting injury can cause bleeding around the brain or on the inside back layer of the eyes. Data shows: AHT is a leading cause of physical child abuse deaths in children under 5 in the United States. Babies less than one-year-old are at greatest risk of injury from AHT. AHT accounts for about one-third of all child maltreatment deaths. Crying, including long periods of inconsolable crying, is a normal behavior in infants. Shaking, throwing, or hitting a baby is never the right response to crying. Todays Guest Jim Twardesky https://twardeskyconsulting.weebly.com/ Jim has worked in law enforcement since 1999, serving as a cadet, patrol officer, field training officer, defensive tactics instructor, & detective. Since 2014, he has worked as a detective investigating violent crime, specializing in sexual assault & violent crimes against children. In that capacity, he has investigated hundreds of cases including multiple child homicides and serial rapists. A number of cases have received extensive local & national media coverage. Since 2017, he has lectured regularly at police academies, colleges, and professional conferences throughout the State of Michigan on the subjects of sexual assault, child molestation, child abuse & child homicide. Audiences have included; prosecutors, police officers, detectives, nurses, child protective services workers, social workers, and college students. Jim has also written articles for PoliceOne.com & ILEETA on those topics as well. Finally, Jim is an adjunct faculty member for the Macomb Community College Public Service Institute teaching undergraduate criminal justice classes both online & in-person. In addition, he has developed & taught advanced police training seminars for the Macomb Criminal Justice Training Center focusing on child abuse and sexual assault.

Understanding the Problem About 4,300 US infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year. We often refer to these deaths as sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID). Although the causes of death in many of these children can't be explained, most occur while the infant is sleeping in an unsafe sleeping environment. Researchers can't be sure how often these deaths happen because of accidental suffocation from soft bedding or overlay (another person rolling on top of or against the infant while sleeping). Often, no one sees these deaths, and there are no tests to tell sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) apart from suffocation. To complicate matters, people who investigate SUIDs may report the cause of death in different ways and may not include enough information about the circumstances of the event from the death scene.

In this episode, I read and give my answers to several questions that students in the MDI Academy or listeners have submitted relating to death investigation and scene management topics. Questions with several topics such as Dry Drowning, Next-of-Kin Notification, Evidence, Purge Fluid, Scene cooperation, and many more topics. Submit your Question If you have a question that you would like answered and possibly shared on the show simply click on the contact link and send us your question. I will answer your question directly by email and it may be shared on a future show. I will be careful not to reveal your name if shared on air.

In this episode, I highlight a conversation I had with a student of the MDI Academy where we discuss the training, finding internship programs, and general topics about the Medicolegal Field. This recording was made during a live office hours session where students can log in and ask questions or discuss topics they need help with. This recording is used at the permission of the student.

In this episode, I talk about the new MDI course as well as rant about some bad reviews. However, the meat of the show is about interviewing witnesses and how to get the information you want. To learn more about the new MDI course go to ditacademy.org/mldi Please consider leaving a rating and review for the show.

Is your loved one missing? Turn to Missouri Missing to help you navigate this path. Each path is different in the unknown but they have walked in your shoes. They can help you navigate the system. They can create a flyer for you and reach out to the media to bring awareness to your case. They are here to answer your questions. Theyare here to walk beside you from the missing phase until your answer comes in and beyond. From those that know. - National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) - National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) ​ ​- Missouri State Highway Patrol Missing Persons Clearinghouse - Kansas Bureau of Investigation Missing Persons Clearinghouse Missouri Missing approved resources. Missouri Missing is highly trained and experienced in the world of the missing. Most of our board members have or have had a loved one missing. Please contact us at [email protected] or (573) 619-8100. They have developed a list of suggestions that you may want to read: Missouri_Missing_Suggestions_for_when_a_loved_one_goes_missing.pdf

The International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners (IACME) has over 85 years of experience in the presentation of educational seminars for the purpose of assisting Coroners and Medical Examiners and other forensic specialists in the performance of their duties. This commitment is enshrined in the Association's mission statement, "Dedicated to the promotion of excellence in medicolegal death investigation through collaboration, education, and accreditation." In This Episode In this episode, I talk with John Fudenberg, Executive Director of IACME. We talk about the importance of being a member of IACME and how to have an accredited office, and why this is important. Contact IACME You can learn more about the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners at: https://theiacme.com/

Genetic or forensic genealogy combines direct-to-consumer DNA tests — like those purchased through 23andMe or Ancestry.com — with the age-old hobby of tracing a family tree with public records, such as birth certificates and land deeds. The technique relies on the simple principle that, if you go back far enough in history, everyone is related, and therefore has thousands of relatives. Assuming that an average family has 2 to 3 kids, then a typical person would — statistically speaking — have nearly 200 third cousins, 950 fourth cousins and 4,700 fifth cousins. If a genealogist can find a cousin of an unknown suspect who has left behind DNA at a crime scene, then they can use old school family trees — sometimes literally drawn on paper or whiteboards — to track down the perp. That's how the Golden State Killer and about 70 other suspects behind brutal cold cases — rapes, murders, and assaults — have been caught since April 2018 AdvanceDNA Services Learn more and contact AdvanceDNA at the link below: https://advancedna.org/ AdvanceDNA Forensic Genealogy Research Providing information leading to the identification of DNA contributors from violent crime. This may include the identification of victim and/or assailant DNA contributors. Decedent Identification Leverage our team of forensic genealogists to reunite an unknown decedent, such as a John or Jane Doe, with their identity. Our team accepts recommendations from the community, contact us to recommend a case. Living Identification Our team supports the effort to end human trafficking. Our team applies AdvanceDNA techniques to support victim identification for both reunification and law enforcement adjudication purposes. Projects AdvanceDNA supports small and large scale projects within the community that aligns with our values and mission. Contact us today with your ideas! Education & Training With combined training experience in both law enforcement and genealogy, AdvanceDNA can provide training tailored to meet the needs of our clients. Speaking & Events AdvanceDNA welcomes invitations to private or public events, contact us with your event details to learn more.

In this episode, I talk with Adam Kinakin of the ILET Network. Adam and I discuss the current state of law enforcement and public service professionals training, and what the future of training looks like. We go in-depth as to what we should all be expected when it comes to training going forward in the post CoVid world. ILET Mission Our goal is to create a collaborative network of instructors, trainers, organizations, businesses, and agencies around the world. Everything we do is to benefit our Men and Women of the Law Enforcement, Emergency Response, and Military Community. It's time to change the narrative about training. It's time to cut out the red tape and get the most practical, actionable training and knowledge out to the people who need it. Contact for ILET Network To contact the ILET Network or anyone on their team visit the web site at: https://www.ilet.network/

Many of us have one--a place where we store mementos that remind us of an earlier period in our lives--either happy or sad. Those ties to our past are commonly found in a similar place, hidden in a shoebox buried at the back of a closet shelf. It's called The Shoebox Effect--where you "forget", intentionally or unintentionally, about the contents of the box and what they represent. Marcie Keithley's shoebox contained a secret, one she kept for decades, one released when her shoebox was unexpectedly revealed in a moment of grief. A flood of memories and emotions were unleashed when the lid was knocked off. No longer able to deny what she had sequestered away in her closet and in her spirit, the revelation created challenges for Marcie, but it also did something positively unexpected. Releasing the truth began a cascade that resulted in a freedom Marcie did not know was possible. The dramatic story of this long-kept secret, which has been reported globally on major networks and in newspapers across America, will intrigue and enthrall you. But Marcie Keithley doesn't just make her story all about her. Now known as The Shoebox Sherpa, she helps people unpack their own shoeboxes, and teaches us how to face our truths, heal our pasts, and find the freedom we deeply desire. Be prepared to consider Marcie's question to all of us, "What's in your shoebox?" You can contact Marcie at her web site: https://marciejkeithley.com/

In this episode, I discuss my current top five books I recommend every investigator should own or have access to. That list can be found below. I also talk at length about whether C/ME investigators should carry firearms. I make the case for why they should and address some known objections to the contrary. Top Five Recommended Books to Own Top five books click here

In this growing attack on law enforcement by the far left and the mass media is it any wonder that police officers are suffering more mental health issues than ever before. Since the Michael Brown incident of 2014 in Ferguson Missouri, and the systematic destruction and division of the public trust toward police by then-President Obama and his staff, there has been a steady and growing attack on law enforcement by mass media. Truth is not necessary to the media companies when their goal is to destroy and divide a nation. The best place to start is race-baiting and making the very men and women who protect society the enemy. Combine the two along with a strong bend toward a socialist society and they have all the tools they need to start the fire. Law enforcement and other related role are suffering attacks both physical and mental at a rate never seen before. This buildup of hate and threats as well as actual harm is causing many officers to quit or at least back off from the front lines knowing they are not supported in their job duties. It's not long before this weighs heavy on the minds and health of a person. In the episode Anita Brooks and Darren Dake at length about this issue and how the media is adding to if not orchestrating this attack on law enforcement. This show contains strong opinions back by facts.

The role of the medicolegal death investigator is to investigate any death that falls under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner, including all suspicious, violent, unexplained and unexpected deaths. A death investigation is a process whereby a coroner or forensic pathologist seeks to understand how and why a person died. A coroner or forensic pathologist must answer five questions when investigating a death: Who (identity of the deceased) When (date of death) Where (location of death) How (medical cause of death) By what means (natural causes, accident, homicide, suicide or undetermined) Information may be obtained from several sources including, but not limited to family, co-workers, neighbors, doctors, hospital records, police and other emergency service workers. Contact with family is vital as they often have important information that can aid the investigation. In This Episode - Medicolegal Death Investigations In this episode, I talk with Dr. Mary Dudley about the field of Medicolegal Death Investigations and where the field is progressing. We discuss some 'best practices' and obstacles faced by medicolegal death investigators across the country, as well as what new and up coming investigators need to do to have a better chance of entering the field Mary H. Dudley, MD, is the chief medical examiner (retired 2015) for Jackson County in Kansas City, MO. She is board certified in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology. She completed a two-year fellowship in Forensic Pathology at the University of New Mexico following a four-year Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. She has a diploma, BS, and MS in nursing and also founded the first forensic nursing certificate program in the United States in 1994. Dr. Dudley originated the first Forensic Medical Investigation course in the United States in 1996. Dr. Dudley is a Board Member of the National Association of Medical Examiners, Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Science, co-chair of the Medical Examiner Advisory Board of Musculotissue Foundation, member of the Missouri Child Fatality Review Board, and member of the National Disaster Medical Systems (Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team). She is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology – University of Missouri-Kansas City and on the teaching faculty at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley Campus in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Features Includes an extensive section on injury recognition covering blunt, sharp, and patterned injury, forensic odontology, gunshot wounds, and craniocerebral injury Covers all the essential aspects relating to death investigations as well as investigations involving abuse and injury Illustrates concepts with graphic images throughout Summary Introducing the basic concepts of clinical forensic medicine and death investigation, this book covers the main areas of forensic investigation. It provides an introduction to forensic science and coverage of injury patterns, natural disease, accidental trauma, child injury and fatalities, and domestic violence. Anyone who has direct contact with death, crime, and the medicolegal system, including nurses, physicians, attorneys, death investigators, forensic pathologists, and police detectives, will find this an invaluable reference.

Nearly 40,000 people are killed in car crashes each year. In each of these crashes, there is evidence on the body in the form of injuries. It is important for investigators to understand vehicle crash dynamics and how impact and movement cause injury to a human body. Knowledge of the dynamics of these injuries and how they are inflicted will help the investigator come to some conclusions as to injury cause, seating position, and the crash type.

On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside of a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. The sole suspect, James Eagan Holmes, was arrested outside the cinema minutes later. It was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. The shooting occurred in theater 9 at the Century 16 multiplex (operated by Cinemark), located at the Town Center at Aurora shopping mall at 14300 E. Alameda Avenue. Police said the shooter bought a ticket, entered the theater, and sat in the front row; about 20 minutes into the film, he left the building through an emergency exit door, which he propped open with a plastic tablecloth holder. He allegedly then went to his car, which was parked near the exit door, changed into protective clothing, and retrieved his guns. About 30 minutes into the film, police say, around 12:30 am, he reentered the theater through the exit door. He was dressed in black and wore a gas mask, a load-bearing vest (not to be confused with a bulletproof vest), a ballistic helmet, bullet-resistant leggings, a bullet-resistant throat protector, a groin protector and tactical gloves. Initially, few in the audience considered the masked figure a threat. He appeared to be wearing a costume, like other audience members who had dressed up for the screening. Some believed that the gunman was playing a prank, while others thought that he was part of a special effects installation set up for the film's premiere as a publicity stunt by the studio or theater management. It was also said that the gunman threw two canisters emitting a gas or smoke, partially obscuring the audience members' vision, making their throats and skin itch, and causing eye irritation. He then fired a 12-gauge Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, first at the ceiling and then at the audience. He also fired a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, which malfunctioned after reportedly firing about 45 rounds. Finally, he fired a Glock 22 40-caliber handgun. He shot first to the back of the room, and then toward people in the aisles. A bullet passed through the wall and hit three people in the adjacent theater 8, which was screening the same film. Witnesses said the multiplex's fire alarm system began sounding soon after the attack began and staff told people in theater 8 to evacuate. One witness said that she was hesitant to leave because someone yelled that there was someone shooting in the lobby and that they should not leave. The first phone calls to emergency services via 9-1-1 were made at 12:39 am. Police arrived within 90 seconds and found at least three .40-caliber handgun magazines, a shotgun and a large drum magazine on the floor of the theater. Some people reported the shooting via tweets or text messaging rather than calling the police. Sgt. Stephen Redfearn, one of the first police officers on the scene, decided not to wait for ambulances and sent victims to area hospitals in squad cars. About 12:45 am, police apprehended Holmes behind the cinema, next to his car, without resistance. He was initially mistaken as another police officer because of the tactical clothing he was wearing. According to two federal officials, he had dyed his hair red and called himself "the Joker", although authorities later declined to confirm this. Three days later, at his first court appearance in Centennial, Colorado, Holmes had reddish-orange hair. The officers found several firearms in the theater and inside the car, including another Glock 22 handgun.Following his arrest, he was initially jailed at Arapahoe County Detention Center, under suicide watch. The police interviewed more than 200 witnesses. Investigators say that the shooter acted alone and was not part of a larger group or terrorist organization. Explosive devices When apprehended, Holmes told the police that he had booby-trapped his apartment with explosive devices before heading to the movie theater. Police then evacuated five buildings surrounding his Aurora residence, about 5 miles (8 km) north of the cinema. The apartment complex is limited to University of Colorado Medical Center students, patients, and employees. One day after the shooting, officials disarmed an explosive device wired to the apartment's front entrance, allowing a remotely controlled robot to enter and disable other explosives. The apartment held more than 30 homemade grenades, wired to a control box in the kitchen, and 10 gallons of gasoline. Neighbors reported loud music from the apartment around midnight on the night of the massacre, and one went to his door to tell him she was calling the police; she stated that the door seemed to be unlocked, but she chose not to open it. A law enforcement official said that a Batman

We have all heard about the science of Botany, but have you ever considered just how important it can be in solving your case? For instance; how plant cells from stomach contents can discredit an alibi, or how one seed in the shoelace of a suspect can bring an unknown serial murderer to justice, or just exactly what plant DNA can tell us about our victims last location. Using plants in criminal investigations is an underused forensic science , this may be that there are few forensic botanist in the United States, but it is certainly a science we all need to be reintroduced to. Forensic Botany Forensic botany applies the knowledge and techniques of plant science to legal matters. Here, the term macroscopic plant remains is given to those plant materials not included within forensic palynology or microbiology. Research centered on spores, pollen, and certain microorganisms is well developed and will not be discussed here. For decades, these materials have been used successfully by archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists, and botanists to determine the cause of death for prehistoric or modern humans. One of the early documented cases of forensic botany connected with macroscopic plant materials was the suicide death of Socrates. Plato described the death of his mentor as he attended the legally imposed suicide of Socrates. He was convicted of corrupting youth and disrespecting the state religion. Because Socrates was of high social standing, he was allowed to choose his own manner of death. He selected a deadly tea made from poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.: Apiaceae). In Plato's Phaedo (Plato and Gallop, 2009), we read of Socrates' symptoms after he drank the fatal brew. This narration agrees with contemporary descriptions of poison hemlock's effect on humans (Lewis and Elvin-Lewis, 1977). From that time to this, in most of the world's societies the knowledge of plants' effects on humans has appeared in courts (Simoons, 1998). Forensic botany became accredited in the courts of the United States in the trial of Bruno Hauptman who was accused of kidnapping and killing Charles and Anne M. Lindbergh's baby son in 1932 (Graham, 1997, 2006). Arthur Koehler, a wood anatomist with the US Forest Service, matched the wood from the ladder used to get into the second floor Lindbergh nursery with wood from Hauptman's attic. Hauptman was convicted of the crime and executed. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation called Koehler's evidence 'critical.' This crime also resulted in kidnapping becoming a federal offense. Collection of Evidence The collection of plant material for use in criminal investigations differs from techniques taught in plant systematic courses. Forensic collections are assumed to be legal evidence. Such materials need to be collected, if possible, either by officers of law enforcement organizations or by a botanist in the presence of officers. Rules surrounding evidence are strict. When significant vegetation is collected, a chain of evidence must be established at once. Notebook records of time and place and case numbers are required. It is wise, but not required, to assign your personal case number that will be linked to the number that will be used in court. This information must always remain attached to the evidence. Each person in possession of evidence must be clearly documented as the evidence passes among those involved in a case. Plant collections should be placed either in paper or cloth bags unless pollen analysis also is to be undertaken. Bags need to be the smallest size to accommodate the material. Evidence can be stored in laboratories or evidence lockers for long periods of time, even years. Evidence rooms always are short of space, so economy of collection without minimizing the value of the specimens is essential. Plastic bags, glass jars, and tin cans are unacceptable for long-term storage because they encourage decay. Download Full Paper Here: The Use of Macroscopic Plant Remains In Forensic Science J H Bock, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA ã 2013 Elsevier B.V. Episode Guest Jane Bock, PhD University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Member of Botanical Society of America. Founding member of Necrosearch International. 80+ refereed publications, 3 books. Book in press, Forensic Plant Science - Academic Press. publication 2015 or 2016.

Filicide is the deliberate act of a parent killing their own child. The word filicide derives from the Latin words filius meaning "son" or filia meaning daughter, and the suffix -cide meaning to kill, murder, or cause death. "Filicide" may refer both to the parent who killed his or her child, as well as to the criminal act that the parent committed. Episode In this episode, I share a conversation I had with Ron Martinelli Ph.D on his radio show A Thread of Evidence. In the conversation, I detail three cases where mothers killed their children and how the investigation was conducted and the truth was revealed. Ron Martinelli, Ph.D., CMI-V, BCFT, CFA America's Forensic Expert "Dr. Ron Martinelli is a nationally renowned forensic criminologist who is the only police expert in the country who is also a Certified Medical Investigator at the physician's level. Dr. Martinelli directs the nation's only multidisciplinary Forensic Death Investigations & Independent Review Team and specializes in forensic investigations including officer-involved and civilian self-defense death cases. Dr. Martinelli is a retired San Jose (CA) Police Department detective with a background in investigations, medicine and applied sciences including forensics, psychology & psychological profiling; physiology and human factors; violent crimes and death scene investigations. He has been referred to in the forensics and legal community as the "expert's expert." Dr. Martinelli provides forensic expert services to several State Attorney Generals' Offices, major metropolitan cities, the USMC Judge Advocate General's Office and numerous nationally prominent private law firms. He is also a contributing forensic investigations expert for FOX News, CNN, OANN, Discovery, History and Investigations Discovery channels and is a contributing writer to USA TODAY, POLICE Magazine, Law & Order Magazine, The Forensic Examiner, The Law Enforcement Executive Journal, PoliceOne.com and Officer.com.

Hoarding is a psychological condition that results in a person accumulating an enormous amount of trash and things of little-to-no value, or worse, more animals than can be properly cared for. Hoarding of any kind can pose several dangers to the occupant and neighbors, and certainly to animals if they are involved. These hazards can be deadly, and all the more reason people with hoarding disorder should have professional help to restore them to healthy living conditions. If children and animals are in the home, exposed to these perilous dangers, hoarding is also a crime. Dangers of Hoarding Structural Integrity The weight of debris and hoarded items are often more than the floors are able to withhold. The sheer volume of debris in a room can push up against walls, not only damaging their integrity, but also putting the ceiling and roof at risk of collapse. Likewise, the collapse of walls, floors or ceilings can cause gas lines and water pipes to break, resulting in fire and flood damage. Fire Large amounts of paper, such as newspapers, books, boxes, and discarded food wrappers and packaging, or improperly stored combustibles can pose extreme fire dangers. If space heaters are used, close proximity to any debris can also cause a fire. Collapse of Debris Often, hoarders will create precarious paths between large piles of debris, or will crawl over mountains of trash to get around in the house. If these trash piles collapse, they could trap the hoarder underneath, burying the person alive. This could result in death from suffocation or inability to notify anyone they need help. Decay/Decomposition As is often the case, hoarders not only collect relatively useless items, but they tend to not dispose of much of anything. The decay of spoiled food stuffs and waste can lead to terrible odors and airborne pathogens that can be harmful or even deadly. In a very unusual case in San Francisco, the mummified body of a 90-year-old woman was found in an extreme hoarding case. Officials believe she died 5 years previously. Harmful Biohazards In almost all hoarding scenes, biohazards are present. Biohazards can be toxic or infectious, even deadly, and can lead to any range of illnesses and dangers to the resident or neighbors. Common biohazardous materials include spoiled food, feces and urine, blood, bodily fluids, pet waste and dead animals. Infestations The decay and decomposition of organic materials and biohazards, undoubtedly attract pests. Rodents will leave waste and very often get trapped and die within a hoarding residence. This further increases the potential harm to the hoarder, as well as neighbors. This is why hoarding goes beyond an individual and becomes a community problem. Personal Hygiene and Nutritional Issues A hoarding situation can become so extreme that debris blocks access to a kitchen and bathrooms. When the kitchen is blocked or is overwhelmed by harmful waste, proper food preparation becomes impossible. And when bathrooms become blocked, makeshift alternatives are used, with an absence of hygiene. In the extreme hoarding case in San Francisco, police found over 300 bottles of urine on the premises. If a loved one or a neighbor is a hoarder and living in unsafe conditions, we can help with the cleanup and refer you to other helpful resources. If animals or children are at risk, we can also put you in touch with law enforcement agencies that can assist. Episode Guest – Michelle Doscher Ph.D A forensic scientist specializing in investigative psychology and crime scene investigation. Diversified experience as an investigator, interviewer, instructor, expert witness, and an analyst. Currently conducting research in the transference of psycholinguistic cues to handwriting during deception. The current quantitative method unites psychological and physical evidence for more concise investigative leads, with expected applications for criminal interrogations and loss prevention interviews.

Evidence collection in and around a death scene is conducted in much the same manner as any crime scene. We are going to look at some scene search methods, evidence collection techniques, and scene interpretation. There is a difference in personal property and evidence. Let's look at the definitions of each. Personal Property Is property on or near the body that belongs to the body (or decedent) and can be returned to next-of-kin. Evidence Is any material that may contribute to the cause and manner of death and is considered important in supporting facts of the case. What is determined evidence depends on the type and manner of death being investigated.

Crime scene investigation is an indispensable part of our work, which will have a direct impact on the success of the criminal investigation. With technological progress and changes in social situations, scene investigation work is facing unprecedented challenges. The standardization of the crime scene investigation should be the goal of all police agencies. Therefore, promoting the standardization of the crime scene investigation is necessary. As a criminal justice system, the crime scene investigation also has the basic rules and characteristics of the system. So the system can be applied in the field of the standardization of the crime scene investigation. Scientific investigation means applying the knowledge, methods and technology which is caused by the development of science and technology to the criminal investigation. Crime scene investigation is the work conducted on the physical evidence at the scene. An investigation is a traditional method, in addition to which, many other measures can be used in the crime scene investigation. Scene investigation needs to integrate the use of a variety of scientific and technical means to detect, collect, and store the evidence, which is the most concentrated expression of scientific investigation. Obstacles of Standardizing Crime Scene Investigations The biggest obstacle to standardizing crime scene investigations is funding. Many organizations and government committees are working on this issue of standardization and a lot of great ideas and methods are being adapted. However, with standards in place, funding will have to made available for proper, ongoing training. Many, if not most, police agencies will agree with the fundamental fact that a set of standards are needed, but they will also quickly say that budgets restrict the resources of time and money to set in place and train for these standards Why Standardizing Crime Scene Investigations is important We have all seen the issues when working with other agencies during an investigation or a new detective is hired into the department from another area. It becomes hard to work together for a while until both parties learn the other's way of doing things, neither may be right or wrong, but different. This costs time, money, and can stall an investigation. Another primary reason for Standardizing Crime Scene Investigations is that these standards will equip investigators with the latest in technology and methods which will clear cases faster, and prosecutions will be more successful. In the United States, there are over 21,500 police departments with 20 or fewer officers. These officers do the best they can with what they have, but many lack training and standardized approaches to criminal investigations. Everett Baxter Jr. has an Associate Degree in Applied Science – EMS and a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry. He has over 23 combined years in law enforcement. He is currently assigned to the Crime Scene Unit of the Oklahoma City Police Department. Mr. Baxter was previously employed with the Norman Police Department where he worked in the EMS and Patrol Divisions. Mr. Baxter has presented numerous lectures and seminars at conferences, educational groups, and various civic groups. Mr. Baxter has been court qualified as an Expert in Crime Scene Investigations, Crime Scene Reconstruction, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Shooting Scene Reconstruction, and 3D Sketches in both District Court and Federal Court. Mr. Baxter has written papers on the Effects of Cleaning Products on Bloodstains (co-authored), Alternate Light Source. Mr. Baxter has written the books the Complete Crime Scene Investigation Handbook and the Complete Crime Scene Investigation Workbook. Public Email address: [email protected]

Females in the United States accounts for 12% - 15% of ALL murders. Interestingly, women account for roughly the same percentage of serial murders. Most kill for gain - wives, Boarding-Home owners, etc, Caretaker killers - nurses and childcare workers. Family Annihilators - protecting their children Lust murder - extremely rare, usually at the urging of a man Female serial murderers generally do not stalk or torture their victims and usually use poison to kill. They generally kill close to home or workplace rather than showing mobility found in many male killers. The median age at arrest is 37.9 years, with a range of 40 years (19-59). The average age when kills begin is 32.9 years. (18-53) Everyday Murder Revenge Murder Revenge is defined as the act of committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is used to punish a wrong by going outside the law. •Victim did something to the suspect or his family •Suspect sees victim as the cause of some trouble or issue •The need to right a wrong •Killing of parents Anger Murder Anger murder is an act of killing based on high emotions of anger. Such as in a passion murder, domestic murder, or an immediate wrong that has resulted in intense anger. May be part of a revenge murder if planned. Usually not a planned event but rather an act of passion or circumstances. Concealment of Other Crime These murders are committed out of a need to conceal another crime such as; Rape or Sexual Assault - Theft or Burglary - Eliminating a Witness These are usually planned or at least determined to be a part of the crime event. Such as child assault/murder Infanticide The crime of killing a child within a year of birth. Usually for very select reasons: •Concealment of the birth •No longer wants the child •To save the child from danger or Hell

It is important for death investigators to have a working knowledge of all death scenarios. You should have a basic understanding of the characteristics and/or non-characteristic of what makes a serial killer, as opposed to a mass or spree kill. In this way, you can identify the need for more expert involvement or discern if you may have a death committed by a serial killer in your area or one that has passed through. Read more on the Coroner Talk web site HERE

Subsequent to the original murder case Cain vs. Abel, there has always been a small percentage of murders that were unsolved for a variety of case-specific reasons. There have also always been detectives who'd occasionally look back at "the one that got away," but the idea of dedicating a group of professionals to work solely on clearing these cases didn't originate until the 1980's. The Beginnings – Cold Case Investigation The first cold case investigation unit is widely credited to detectives within the Miami-Dade police in the 1980's. In 1995, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) used the Miami-Dade cold case protocols to staff and investigate the death of a U.S. Navy crew member in a two-year-old homicide in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. A task force of six NCIS Special Agents, five local detectives and a Deputy U.S. Marshal worked around the clock on this unresolved murder and 27 days later, the killer was taken into custody. Following this success, NCIS initiated a full-time cold case investigation program in 1995 based on the Miami-Dade protocols. This was the first cold case unit commissioned by a federal agency. Seasoned special agents were trained in the methodologies, forensics, and concepts. Since 1995, NCIS agents, along with local police partners, have resolved 62 cold murders. NCIS began teaching the cold case protocols to other federal, state and local police, as well as international partners with hundreds of officers trained each year. (excerpt from Law Officer Magazine) Cold cases are among the most difficult that investigators confront. For a variety of reasons? lack of evidence, strained resources, ineffective investigation. A case becomes cold when initial efforts to solve it prove futile. Clearance rates for homicides and other serious crimes are far below what they were 50 years ago. Lackluster rates of solution, combined with new technologies, such as (DNA) and automated fingerprint matching, have prompted the police to form cold-case units, designed to address cases that stubbornly resist solution. Todays Guest Joseph Giacalone – is a retired New York City Detective Sergeant and Commander of the Bronx Cold Case Squad. He is currently serving as a professor or criminal investigations and the author of The Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New Investigators. More about Joe and how he can help your agency can be found on his website at: joegiacalone.net On this show, Joe and I talk about the steps to take in opening and investigating a cold case. We discuss obstacles and management principles that are required to solve these old cases. Joe brings years of experience to the conversation and our discussion of actual cases.

Due to the very nature of sudden and/or violent deaths, many things can and do go wrong in the first few hours after discovery. Death scenes have a way of bringing together many individuals with various responsibilities and experiences. This unique group can consist of uniformed officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic experts, coroner investigators, medical examiner investigators, as well as prosecutors and police administrative staff. These scenes may also have fire and EMS staff or other agencies trying to do their jobs, not to mention families and onlookers. Because of this often chaotic scene, errors can happen. Let's look at the ten most common mistakes of a death investigation. 1. Improper Response and Arrival to the Scene First, responding officers may not correctly respond to and secure the scene and the immediate surrounding area. Uniformed officers may not stop or detain people leaving or milling around the scene. Further, while waiting for investigation and CSI teams to arrive, it's not uncommon for first responding officers to gather to close to, or directly in the crime scene, inadvertently contaminating evidence. Here are a few other examples of errors from the first responding officers. Failure to notify investigators soon enough, or at all; assuming the cause of death is a suicide or is natural, eliminating the need to treat the scene as a crime scene; failure to detain all persons present at the scene, which might include the suspect; or they may fail to separate possible witnesses and obtain initial statements. Also, failing to make an initial determination of the scene boundaries leads to an insufficient area of protection. 2. Failing to protect the Crime Scene In all death investigations, but even more so in a homicide investigation, crime scene contamination can be and is a significant problem. No other aspect of these investigations is more open to mistakes than the preservation and protection of the scene and subsequent evidence. Paramount to any investigation is ensuring by the first officers on the scene to isolate, protect, and maintain scene integrity as the investigation follows its standard path. This includes the monitoring of paramedics and EMS personnel in the scene as well as identifying them for a future interview. Officers must also watch family members or others in the area to ensure they are not contaminating the scene. After a perimeter is established and is locked down, officers should start a log of everyone entering and leaving the vicinity and the reason why they are there. Also, officers should be observing and taking notes of activities occurring in and around the scene. 3. Not Handling Suspicious Deaths and Homicides All unattended death should be looked at and treated as suspicious, and an experienced officer/investigator should go to the scene. These deaths should be treated as homicides and crime scenes until the facts prove otherwise. Too many departments allow untrained patrol officers to conduct basic death investigation with the assumption of suicide or natural death and with the idea that it is unlikely to be a homicide. Without training, officers could likely miss-interpret a staged or altered scene. If the scene is not handled correctly from the beginning and is later found to be a homicide, valuable evidence can be lost, and the integrity of the scene is compromised at best and at worst, non-existent. 4. Responding with a Preconceived Notion It is imperative that investigators not allow themselves to respond to a death scene with any preconceived conclusion about the case. It's common for investigators to get sent to a scene and given information based on the initial call. If the call came in as a suicide and the initial officer who responds arrives with the mindset of suicide, it is common to treat the death as a suicide and thus shortcut any other investigation. It looks like a suicide, so it must be a suicide, and no other investigation is conducted. This type of preconceived investigation results in fewer photographs being taken, witness statements not being completed, evidence not being searched for or collected, and the integrity of the scene is destroyed. It's not only suicide this can happen on, but reported natural deaths and accidents can also inadvertently be short cut if responding officers conclude their investigation based upon the initial reported call. If then, at a later time, the death becomes suspicious, the officer's reports and any investigative documentation will be lacking valuable information needed for future investigations. The tendency is for the uniformed officer to write the final report and collect the evidence necessary to fit the narrative given to him by the initial call. 5. Failing to Take Sufficient Photographs In today's world of digital photography, photos are cheap and easy to obtain. Back when I started in this business, we used Polaroid™ instant photography and 35mm film cameras. These were expe

Suicides account for over 40,000 deaths in the United States annually, ranked the 10th leading cause of deaths in America. This number has been on a steady increase since the turn of the 21st century. By far the most significant manner of death a patrol or investigating officer will be involved in The definition of suicide is; the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and a sound mind. Accidents are not suicides regardless of the level of danger or risk involved in the act. The need for continued advanced training in the area of suicide is the risk of becoming complacent in these investigations. Suicide deaths must be worked as a sudden, suspicious death until the facts and evidence available tell the investigator differently. Your investigation and case report must support a ruling of suicide. You should NEVER rule a death suicide unless your investigation proves it. Suicide is a ruling of exclusion of all other manners of death, and the ruling should be a joint conclusion of all investigators, coroner, and medical examiner. Implications in suicide rulings Family Denial Stigma of Suicide Insurance Issues As an investigator, you will need to understand these implications and why they exist. Your investigation will be scrutinized based on these implications. It is your responsibility to have completed a thorough investigation with the collaboration of all investigation parties. Implications may exist, but your report should identify how your ruling was determined. If others do not agree with the ruling, they must understand how you arrived at it. Here more about this topic on the podcast.

The scene of an autoerotic death can hold a wide variety of problems and issues for the investigator. Filled with deceiving information and abnormal behavior, these scenes offer challenges to even the most seasoned investigator. However, it is vital that you get these scenes worked correctly. First and foremost, it is your job to get the correct answers for the family, the victim, and any insurance companies needing the information. The stigma attached to suicide and the autoerotic can have devastating effects on survivors, proper determination can only be achieved through good scene work and investigation. Proper Scene Work As in any investigation, you should never rely solely on what you see. Without doing a complete investigation you will never find the truth. DO NOT go in with preconceived ideas or basis. If you can not properly work a sexually charged scene then remove yourself and let someone else take lead. The investigator must consider all aspects of the triangle of forensic investigation. There is an interdependence of all evidence, and none of these elements can be interpreted separately. Each of these elements are equally important. Read more on the web site HERE

The assisted suicide movement is, if anything, indefatigable. Not only is it undeterred by its failures, but it is now more energized than any other time in recent years. By the end of March of 2015, bills were introduced in twenty-five state legislatures to legalize assisted suicide. Defining the Subject Many people remain confused about the exact nature of assisted suicide advocacy, sometimes confusing it with other medical issues involving end-of-life care. Thus, to fully understand the subject, we must distinguish between ethical choices at the end of life that may lead to death and the poison of euthanasia/assisted suicide. 1. Refusing unwanted medical treatment is not assisted suicide: Fear of being "hooked up to machines" when one wishes to die at home has traditionally been a driving force behind the assisted suicide movement. But we all have the right to refuse medical interventions—even if the choice is likely to lead to death. Thus, a cancer patient can reject chemotherapy and a patient dying of Lou Gehrig's disease can say no to a respirator. Indeed, in 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the right to refuse medical treatment is completely different from assisted suicide.[9] 2. Assisted suicide/euthanasia is not the same as a medical treatment for pain control: Because pain control may require strong drugs, which can cause death, assisted suicide advocates often claim that palliation and euthanasia are ethically the same under the "principle of double effect." But this is all wrong: Any legitimate medical treatment can unintentionally lead to death, including pain alleviation. In assisted suicide death is the intended effect. We would never say that a patient who died during open-heart surgery was euthanized. Similarly, a patient who dies from the unintended side effects of pain control has not been assisted in suicide or euthanized. Pain control experts state that aggressive pain control generally does not shorten life. 3. Assisted suicide/euthanasia is antithetical to hospice: Hospice was founded by the great medical humanitarian Dame Cicely Saunders in the late 1960s as a reform movement to bring the care of the dying out of isolated hospitals and into patients' homes or non-institutional local care facilities. Its purpose is to provide dying people with proper treatment of pain and other disturbing symptoms as well as to render spiritual, psychological, and social support toward the end that life be lived as fully as possible until natural death. In contrast, assisted suicide is about rushing death, making it happen sooner rather than later through lethal actions. Or to put it another way: Hospice is about living. Assisted suicide/euthanasia is about dying. As the noted palliative care expert and assisted suicide opponent Dr. Ira Byock has written, "There's a distinction between alleviating suffering and eliminating the sufferer — between enabling someone to die gently of their disease and ending that person's life with a lethal pill or injection." 4. Assisted suicide/euthanasia are acts that intentionally end life: In contrast to the above, the intended purpose of assisted suicide and euthanasia is to end life, e.g., to kill. In assisted suicide, the last act causing death is taken by the person who dies, for example, ingesting a lethal prescription of barbiturates. In euthanasia, the death is a homicide, an act of killing taken by a third person, such as a doctor injecting a patient with poisonous drugs. From an Investigators Standpoint Read More HERE