ABMDI Registry cheat sheet

Medicolegal death investigation is a statutory function that investigates deaths in legally defined categories, including violent, unexpected, unattended, and suspicious deaths.

Jurisdiction is defined by state and local law; coroner systems, medical examiner systems, and hybrid systems differ in authority, qualifications, and appointment.

The investigator's authority does not extend beyond the office's legal jurisdiction; cases outside that jurisdiction are referred to the proper agency.

Cause of death is the disease or injury that produces the fatal outcome; manner is the classification of how the death arose.

Standard manner categories are natural, accident, suicide, homicide, and undetermined; pending is an interim status, not a final manner.

Pronouncement of death is a medical act performed by a physician or other legally authorized clinician; the investigator's role is investigation and documentation.

Chain of custody begins when evidence or specimens are first received and continues through every transfer until final disposition.

The investigator coordinates with law enforcement, EMS, fire, public health, and prosecutors while preserving the office's independent medicolegal role.

Initial notification records include the date and time, notifying person and agency, decedent information known, location, and reported circumstances.

Jurisdiction is confirmed before response by matching the location and circumstances to the office's statutory authority.

Scene safety assessment precedes entry and considers structural, chemical, biological, electrical, traffic, animal, and weapon hazards.

Personnel entering the scene are limited and logged; eating, drinking, smoking, and unnecessary contact with surfaces are avoided.

First responder and witness interviews establish who found the decedent, when, what actions were taken, and what was moved.

The initial scene assessment documents decedent position, clothing, visible trauma, medical devices, lividity, rigor, and environmental conditions.

Scene control is coordinated with the lead law enforcement agency; the investigator does not assume criminal investigative authority.

Next-of-kin notification is not initiated from the scene until identity and the appropriate contact are verified.

Scene photography follows a sequence of overall, midrange, and close-up views, with a photo log recording each image and the photographer.

A scale is placed in close-up photographs before the item is moved, and the scale's placement is documented.

The scene sketch uses fixed reference points and measured distances; it states whether it is drawn to scale and includes a north arrow.

Evidence is documented in place before collection; packaging and collection method are recorded.

Biological evidence is handled with PPE and packaged according to policy to preserve DNA and avoid cross-contamination.

Chain of custody records item description, collector, date and time, location, and every subsequent transfer.

Digital devices are preserved without altering data; content searches require legal authority or policy authorization.

Witness statements are recorded with the speaker's identity, date and time, and verbatim content when possible.

External examination documents general appearance, clothing, identification, medical intervention, trauma, and postmortem changes.

Livor mortis is the settling of blood in dependent vessels; its distribution can indicate position after death and possible movement.

Rigor mortis progresses from small to large muscles and resolves over time; environmental temperature and activity affect its timing.

Body temperature, livor, rigor, and environmental context are used together for postmortem interval estimates; no single finding is precise.

Injuries are described by type, size, shape, location, margins, and relationship to other findings, with photographs and measurements.

Petechiae are pinpoint hemorrhages that may appear in skin or conjunctivae and are documented by location, not treated as a diagnosis.

Postmortem artifacts such as drying, marbling, and animal activity can mimic injury and are distinguished from antemortem trauma.

Medical devices and tubes are documented in place; removal follows office protocol and chain of custody.

Identity is established by scientific methods such as fingerprints, dental comparison, DNA, or radiographic comparison when visual recognition is unreliable.

Visual identification is documented but corroborated when trauma, decomposition, or facial alteration limits reliability.

Identity is confirmed before next-of-kin notification to avoid mistaken notification and legal consequences.

Next-of-kin notification is conducted in person by trained personnel when practicable and follows the legal order of kinship.

Notification content includes the decedent's name, fact and location of death, and a contact point; cause and manner are stated only when confirmed.

Graphic detail is limited during notification unless the family requests it or protocol requires disclosure.

When no next of kin is located, the office follows policy for public administrator, medical examiner, or legal referral.

Release of the decedent's name to media follows agency policy, privacy law, and confirmation of notification.

Manner categories are natural, accident, suicide, homicide, and undetermined; pending indicates investigation is not complete.

Homicide is a medicolegal classification meaning death caused by another person's act; it does not establish criminal intent or guilt.

Suicide classification requires evidence of intent, such as a note, prior statements, method, and scene findings, interpreted together.

Accident classification applies to unintentional injury deaths; natural disease contributing to the death is documented.

Undetermined is used when evidence is insufficient or conflicting after reasonable investigation, with the rationale documented.

Child death investigation includes scene analysis, caretaker interviews, medical and social history, and child fatality review where required.

Overdose investigation documents prescriptions, paraphernalia, and toxicology; cause is not attributed to a drug without test results.

Special circumstances include custody deaths, officer-involved deaths, disasters, elder abuse, and deaths involving public health reporting.

Reports record date, time, location, persons present, notifications, scene findings, evidence, and disposition in chronological order.

Observations are separated from opinions, and statements are attributed to the person who made them.

Reports use plain, precise language with correct names, dates, and identifiers; slang and unexplained abbreviations are avoided.

Corrections are made with a single line, initials, and date; erasures and obliteration are not used.

Laboratory submissions and chain of custody are documented and linked to the report.

Record retention and release follow statute and office policy; requesters' identity and legal right are verified.

Interagency contacts are documented with agency, name, time, and information exchanged.

Testimony is limited to personal knowledge, reviewed records, and qualified opinion; speculation is avoided.

Legal authority is limited to statute and office policy; entry, search, and seizure require consent, warrant, or another legal basis.

Decedent information is confidential and released only under law, court order, or policy.

Conflicts of interest, including financial or personal interests, are disclosed and managed to preserve impartiality.

Ethical practice requires honesty, confidentiality, competence, and respect for the decedent and family.

Bias based on race, culture, socioeconomic status, or personal belief is avoided; conclusions rest on evidence.

Chain of custody integrity is both an evidentiary and ethical obligation.

Certification maintenance and continuing education are professional obligations.

Falsification, perjury, and unauthorized disclosure are prohibited and subject to legal and disciplinary action.