Death Investigations

Death Investigations
Name
Institutional Affiliation

Death Investigations
Categorizing death helps in ensuring that justice is served to the family of the deceased if it is shown that there was a foul play that led to the death of the deceased. A pathologist is usually called upon to do the tests to show the cause of death. There are different categories of death named after the cause. They include suicide, natural causes, accidental death, and homicide.
Suicide
It refers to the deliberate killing of oneself due to different reasons like extreme emotional distress. It is a crime to attempt to kill oneself and punitive measures depend on the particular states. Law enforcement officers are required by law to ensure that a person caught attempting to commit suicide goes through mandatory mental checkup to evaluate whether he or she is a risk to oneself or others. Helping someone to commit suicide is also a crime.
Natural Causes
It occurs mostly in old age. It refers to death, which results when the body ceases to function because of factors like terminal illness, heart attack among others. It is called death by natural causes because the body ceases to function on its own without some external interference.
Accidental death
Accidental death occurs when there is an external interference but without the intention to take life. For example, one may take many pills and die although taking his or her life was not his or her intention. Sometimes accidental death may also be referred to as death by misadventure.

This occurs when the deceased dies when taking a risk. For example, when participating in extreme sports, one might die. This does not occur deliberately.
Homicide
It refers to death caused by another person, directly or indirectly. It can be criminal or non-criminal in nature but the aspect of premeditation has to exist for death to be considered a homicide.
Article on Homicide
One of the famous cases, that took place recently, in which the murderers tried to get away with murder and make it look like it was a case of suicide, is the case of Barry and Honey Sherman. Barry and Honey Sherman were rich Canadians who engaged in numerous philanthropic activities. On 15, December 2017, the couple was found dead in their home. At first, the police had thought that it was a case of double suicide (Alexander 2018). However, after investigations, they recently said that they believe it was a case of homicide. One of the factors that led the police to the latter conclusion was the fact that they discovered the death was caused by ligature neck compression. The nature of the death proved that it was not logical for a victim to do that to himself or herself. Also, in investigating a homicide case, the place where the body is found is crucial in reaching a conclusion. The bodies of the victims were found in a semi-seated position. This shows that they had been murdered first and then the murderers tried to make it appear like suicide. Another factor that should have helped the police officers in reaching the conclusion is checking whether there was some kind of misunderstandings between the two. Witness information is very important during investigations (Orthmann, 2013). The police should have listened to the information of the family members, which showed that there were no misunderstands between the two. As such, it was illogical to think that that was a case of double suicide. The couple had a good life. They did not have a reason to commit suicide.
Fundamental differences in investigating a death case versus other types of crimes
One example of the main differences in investigating a death case versus other types of crimes is the need to conduct victimology (Orthmann, 2013). For a murder case to succeed in court, the mens rea and actus reus has to be proved. A death case requires an investigator to conduct victimology to establish the mens rea or the motive. After conducting victimology, the investigator will conclude whether the victim had a reason to commit suicide. If the investigator cannot establish the victim’s motive, it may be because he or she was murdered. Conducting victimology also helps to establish the reason that led the murderer to kill the victim. For example, if while conducting victimology the investigator finds a connection between the suspect and the victim, which shows that the two had had a argument before the incident, such information would help in establishing the mens rea of the suspect.
The goal and the main procedure of a preliminary death investigation
The primary objective of conducting a preliminary death investigation is to see whether the death was as a result of a person’s act or omission and who that other person is (Orthmann, 2013). The steps to follow while conducting preliminary death investigation that leads to success include ensuring that there is safety on the scene of crime as the first step. The second step is to give first aid to the victim if he or she is not dead. Arresting the suspect should follow if he or she is in the scene. The body is then taken to a morgue for an autopsy if the victim is dead.
References
Alexander, H. (2018, January 26). Billionaire Canadian couple’s mysterious death being treated as murder, Toronto police say. The telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/26/billionaire-canadian-couples-mysterious-death-treated-murder/
Orthmann, C. H. (2013). Criminal Investigation, 10th Edition. [Strayer University Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://strayer.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781305561885/