Equivocal Death

Investigating Suicide, Accidental, and other Questionable Deaths
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-44773-5
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 290 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 232 mm, Gewicht: 454 g

Equivocal Death: Investigating Suicide, Accidental, and other Questionable Deaths refocuses the attention of first responders and investigative personnel to the concept of treating every death as a homicide, until sufficient evidence is discovered to validate another manner of death and eliminate the possibility of a staged homicide.

All death investigations should include a well-documented and examined crime scene and a thorough preliminary investigation. It is a well-established, unwritten “rule” when conducting death investigations to initially treat every death as a possible homicide. This includes the examination of the body, the recovery scene, the autopsy, collection of forensic evidence, and subsequent laboratory analysis. Police and investigators are often confronted with a death scene that they cannot initially determine the manner of death; these instances are known as equivocal death.

Coverage focuses on the basics of death investigation and the how to’s rather than dwelling on extraneous and unnecessary detail. By example, it is generally more important for the detective or CSI to understand how to properly pick up forensic evidence at the scene, and how the resulting analysis relates to their investigation, rather than the mechanics of how the evidence is extracted and analyzed at the lab. For suicide and equivocal deaths, it is likewise important that detectives also understand the importance of such things as a victimology assessment, risk factors, and/or ante mortem behaviors of the victim, cues that may provide clues that would be consistent with someone contemplating suicide. The book also features several aspects of criminal investigation that are not found in similar books, including coverage of victimology, including crime scene staging, the notion of psychology autopsy, and how to identify those risk factors or behaviors that are consistent with suicide including motive, intent, and ability.

Equivocal Death: Investigating Suicide, Accidental, and other Questionable Deaths serves as an essential reference for the detective, crime scene investigators, coroners and medical examiners, medicolegal investigators, and prosecutors actively involved in these types of cases.

Zielgruppe

Undergraduate Core

Autoren/Hrsg.

Chancellor, Arthur S.

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Kriminalsoziologie
• Rechtswissenschaften Allgemeines Verfahrens-, Zivilprozess- und Insolvenzrecht Zivilprozessrecht
• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Kriminologie, Strafverfolgung
• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Rechtsmedizin, Forensik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction to Death Investigations

2. The Initial Response and Preliminary Investigation for Suicides

3. Staged Crime Scenes

4. The Crime Scene

5. Forensic Autopsy

6. Victimology

7. The Latent Investigation

8. Notes or Last Communication

9. Atypical or Special Suicides

10. Accidental Deaths

11. Accidental Death Latent Investigation

12. Common Investigative Mistakes.

Appendix: Homicide Staged as a Suicide

Über Autor(innen)

Arthur  S. (Steve) Chancellor retired as a Supervisory Special Agent  with the US Army CID after a 50-year career in law enforcement, including 43 years as a detective or CSI.  Steve is a recognized expert in the field of violent crimes and crime scene examinations. He has written several textbooks on Death Investigation, Sex Crimes, and Staged Crime Scenes and still provides training to detectives across the United States.