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1. A human body is in ______ mortis when the muscles/joints become stiff.
a. algor
b. rigor
c. livor
d. hemor
b. rigor
6. Cold cases are difficult because ______.
a. victims’ families have moved on
b. witnesses tend to be unreliable
c. the perpetrator may be deceased or immune from charges
d. new technology helps very seldom
c. the perpetrator may be deceased or immune from charges
11. Police arrive at the scene of a dead body. There are no stab wounds or gunshot wounds on the body. The victim has raccoon eyes and some bruising to the body. It can be inferred from the body that the victim ______.
a. could have slipped and fallen to their death
b. could have been involved in a fight
c. had a skull fracture and some other blunt force injuries
d. was not well-rested or nourished
c. had a skull fracture and some other blunt force injuries
16. The police find a dead body that has what looks to be an entry gunshot wound, with no exit wound. There is no gunshot residue or shell casing. There are other slash marks on the victim. What else could have caused the gunshot like damage?
a. gunshot from a long distance
b. stabbing with a screwdriver or knife
c. blunt force trauma with an unknown weapon
d. injection of some kind of poison
b. stabbing with a screwdriver or knife
21. Which is an indicator of suicide?
a. indication of behavioral changes
b. signs of a struggle
c. organized scene of death
d. the presence of defensive wounds
a. indication of behavioral changes
2. A person is found stabbed to death. There are cuts all over the fingers and forearms. What do these marks tell about the moments before the victim died?
a. These marks are staging to throw off police from the suicide.
b. These marks appear to be defensive wounds, it is likely the victim tried to defend against the attack.
c. The marks are defensive wounds, it is likely the victim was surprised by the attacker.
d. The marks inconclusive, more information is needed before making any assumptions.
b. These marks appear to be defensive wounds, it is likely the victim tried to defend against the attack.
7. During ______ mortis, blood begins to pool in the body based on gravity.
a. algor
b. rigor
c. livor
d. hemor
c. livor
12. The police are at the scene of a burned down house with a body inside. The police examine the body. They find smoke stains and ash around the lips and nostrils of the victim. From this little piece of evidence, the police can assume that the person ______.
a. was murdered
b. committed suicide
c. was alive while the fire was burning
d. was dead before the fire started
c. was alive while the fire was burning
17. The postmortem interval (PMI) refers to ______.
a. the time between death and discovery of the body
b. pattern migration information
c. the relationship between the victim and the offender
d. DNA analysis results
a. the time between death and discovery of the body
22. Which of the following activities is included in the internal examination of an autopsy?
a. photographing of the victim's clothes
b. examining the victim’s wallet
c. opening of the skull
d. photographing victim’s tattoos
c. opening of the skull
3. After death, when the temperature of the body starts to cool, this is known as ______ mortis.
a. algor
b. rigor
c. livor
d. hemor
a. algor
8. Following death, the body goes through which series of changes, first to last?
a. hemor mortis, rigor mortis, algor mortis
b. algor mortis, livor mortis, rigor mortis
c. rigor mortis, livor mortis, algor mortis
d. livor mortis, hemor mortis, rigor mortis
b. algor mortis, livor mortis, rigor mortis
13. The police find a body that has no external signs of damage. Autopsy reveals that several ribs are broken, one of which punctured the heart and killed the victim. Where the body was found there were signs of a struggle.
a. The victim was murdered.
b. The victim died of an accident.
c. The victim died of blunt force injuries.
d. The victim committed suicide.
c. The victim died of blunt force injuries.
18. What is an indicator of autoerotic death?
a. evidence of multiple partner sexual activity
b. the presence of a suicide note
c. prior evidence of depression
d. evidence of sexual fantasy aids
d. evidence of sexual fantasy aids
23. Which of the following is a consideration when determining the manner of death?
a. victim’s occupation
b. the characteristics of the decedent
c. victim’s financial status
d. the investigator's gut reaction to the scene
b. the characteristics of the decedent
4. All death can be explained in one of the four ways, which are natural causes, suicides, homicides, and ______.
a. murder
b. accidents
c. manslaughter
d. execution
b. accidents
9. Homicides most often occur as a result of ______.
a. gang wars
b. stranger confrontations
c. drive-by shootings
d. argument
d. argument
14. The police find a dead body that has no signs of physical trauma. The police only found that the person had trauma to their tongue. What is a likely cause of death?
a. hanging
b. blunt force injury
c. asphyxia
d. poison
c. asphyxia
19. When is DNA and physical evidence most often used effectively during a criminal investigation?
a. in determining cause of death
b. in identifying the victim
c. after the suspect has been identified
d. in searching for a suspect
c. after the suspect has been identified
24. Which of the following is a method used to estimate the time of death?
a. age of the victim
b. potassium levels found in bone grafts
c. the degree of decomposition
d. weather exposure
c. the degree of decomposition
5. Analysis both of entrance and exit wounds and the distance of the gun from the body at the time of the shooting can ______.
a. reveal if the gunshot residue will be found
b. illustrate how the gun was held in the shooting
c. tell who was holding the weapon at discharge
d. help the police determine suicide versus homicide
d. help the police determine suicide versus homicide
10. It is usually most difficult to differentiate suicides from ______.
a. defense wounds
b. natural causes
c. accidents
d. self-defense
c. accidents
15. The police find a dead body that has no signs of physical trauma. The police only found that the person had small red dots on the whites of their eyes. What is a likely cause of death?
a. hanging
b. blunt force injury
c. asphyxia
d. poison
c. asphyxia
20. When staging occurs at a homicide crime scene, it is most common that a(n) ______.
a. murder is made to look like death by natural causes
b. suicide is made to look like murder
c. accident is made to look like murder or suicide
d. murder is made to look like an accident or suicide
d. murder is made to look like an accident or suicide
25. Which of the following is a way to establish motive?
a. analyzing the victim's diary
b. knowing where the victim worked
c. performing a geospatial analysis
d. inspecting the body
a. analyzing the victim's diary