CRIM 355

• Rule out criminality
• Determine cause of death

Deaths to be reported

• Investigative powers:
• Take possession and examine the body
• Enter and inspect any place relating to death
• Seize anything that is pertinent to the investigation

If a coroner hands over a blood sample to police in regards to a criminal prosecution, the accused has had his/her charter rights violated.

• Deaths that occur in police custody
• Deaths that require public airing of the circumstances or involve issues around public safety

A person who has reason to believe that an individual has died in regards to any of the deaths in s. 2 may not alter the body in any way until the coroner directs

• Who
• How - Medical Cause of Death
• Where
• When
• WHAT means ? Mechanisms

• Pooling of blood
• Happens within 2 hours of death - fixed at 8 hrs
• Blood will not pool where compressed against a firm surface

• Stiffening of muscles (caused by enzyme released into...)
• Apparent within 2 hours
• Take up to 12 hours for full rigor
• Accelerated in warm conditions and presence of stimulants (cocaine)

• 1. Gather evidence
• 2. Assess admissibility
• 3. Formulate reasonable grounds to arrest or obtain warrant
• 4. Formulate reasonable grounds to lay an information
• 5. Prove identity of the suspect
• 6.Prove the remaining facts in issue
• 7. Prove offender intended to commit the crime
• 8. Prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt

• Locate, record, and recover items (most done through photography)
• Also collect and preserve materials!

• Classification and filing of fingerprints into pattern types
• Allows for database searching

Fingerprints - still the mainstay of forensics

Requires crown an defense to advise court and other party that an expert witness will be called to testify

Only one opportunity to perform this job correctly

• Spiral - focal point, and spiral manner
• Zone/quadrant - concentrate in specific area
• Grid - Similar to zone, used for searching foor small areas 
• Strip or line - ditch or road