Autopsies
The medical term for determining cause of death through external and internal examination of a body
What is an autopsy?
This legal official often orders a forensic autopsy in suspicious deaths
Who is the medical examiner or coroner?
Sharp-force injuries typically come in two forms: stab wounds and these slicing injuries
What are incised wounds?
The formal legal document produced after an autopsy
What is an autopsy report?
In court, a forensic pathologist usually appears in this role to explain autopsy findings
What is an expert witness?
A patterned injury, like a tire tread or belt mark, help to identify this aspect of a crime
What is the instrument or object used?
This letter shaped incision is standard for opening the chest cavity
What is a Y-incision?
A homicide investigation may rely on this written summary of autopsy findings submitted to legal authorities
What is the cause and manner of death determination?
This term describes the presence of soot or gunpowder around a gunshot wound
What is stippling or soot deposition?
These two types of autopsies are distinguished by their purpose: one for medical study, the other for legal investigations
What are clinical and forensic autopsies?
When a forensic pathologist must disinter a body for re-examination, the process is known as this
What is exhumation?
The ability to determine whether an injury occurred before, during, or after death is known as assessing this aspect of wounds
What is wound vitality?