ABMDI Registry key terms

The official process of inquiring into deaths that fall under legal authority, including scene examination, documentation, identification, and determination of cause and manner of death.

The legal authority of a specific office or official to investigate a death, usually based on where the body was found or where the fatal event occurred.

A physician, typically board-certified in forensic pathology, appointed to investigate certain deaths and empowered to perform autopsies and certify cause and manner of death.

An elected or appointed public official, not necessarily a physician, who has legal authority to investigate qualifying deaths and may rely on pathologists for autopsy services.

A death that law or regulation requires be reported to the medicolegal authority, such as deaths that are violent, unexplained, unattended, or occur in custody.

The structured first look at a death scene to identify hazards, establish boundaries, note obvious findings, and decide what resources and steps are needed.

The practice of evaluating and controlling hazards at a death scene, such as weapons, chemicals, structural damage, or hostile persons, before beginning investigation.

Protective gear such as gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection worn to reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other hazards at scenes and during examinations.

The formal declaration by an authorized person that death has occurred, which starts legal processes such as notification and completion of the death certificate.

A documented, unbroken record of who handled an item of evidence, when, and for what purpose, from collection through final disposition.

Any tangible item, such as a weapon, medication, or biological material, that may help explain the death and must be documented and preserved.

The systematic photographing of the scene, the body, and relevant items to create an accurate visual record that supports later analysis and testimony.

A scaled or roughly scaled drawing showing the layout of a scene and the positions of the body and key items relative to fixed reference points.

The estimated time between death and discovery or examination, inferred from body temperature, stiffening, discoloration, and decomposition.

The reddish-purple discoloration caused by blood settling in dependent vessels after death; its pattern and blanching help estimate time since death and body position.

The stiffening of muscles after death as chemical energy is depleted; it develops and later resolves in a roughly predictable pattern used to estimate time since death.

The gradual cooling of the body after death toward ambient temperature, used with other findings to estimate how long the person has been dead.

A postmortem medical examination that may include external inspection, internal dissection, and laboratory testing to determine disease, injury, and cause of death.

Laboratory testing of blood, tissue, or other specimens to detect and measure drugs, alcohol, poisons, and other substances that may have contributed to death.

The person or persons with the closest legal or familial relationship to the decedent, usually the first to be notified and consulted about releases.

Confirmation of a decedent's identity by a reliable scientific method such as fingerprints, dental comparison, or DNA, rather than by visual recognition alone.

A tentative identity based on circumstantial information such as personal effects, location, or family statements, which must be confirmed by scientific means.

The use of dental records and tooth characteristics to identify deceased persons, especially when remains are fragmented, burned, or decomposed.

The in-person, compassionate communication of a death to the family or next of kin, including known facts, offered support, and referral to resources.

The specific disease or injury that initiated the chain of events leading to death, stated as a medical diagnosis rather than a legal conclusion.

The classification of how a death came about, such as natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined, assigned by the medicolegal authority.

The physiologic derangement produced by the cause of death, such as cardiac arrest or exsanguination, that directly ends life.

A death caused solely by disease or internal bodily failure, without injury, poisoning, or other external contributing event.

A death caused by an unintended injury or external event, such as a fall, motor vehicle crash, or unintentional poisoning, without intent to harm.

A death resulting from a self-inflicted act intended to end one's own life, as determined from the injury pattern and investigative information.

A death caused by another person's act, whether or not criminal intent or legal charges are established; it is a medicolegal classification, not a legal verdict.

A manner of death used when available information is insufficient or conflicting, so no classification can be supported with reasonable confidence.

The sudden, unexpected death of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a complete investigation, including autopsy, scene review, and history.

The official legal record of a death that includes identifying details, date and place, cause and manner of death, and the certifier's signature.

A chronological written account of the investigator's actions, observations, and information gathered, forming the core factual record of the case file.

The ethical and legal duty to protect sensitive death investigation information from unauthorized disclosure, sharing it only with those who have a legitimate need.

A court order requiring a person to appear for testimony or to produce documents or records relevant to a legal proceeding.

Opinion evidence given by a qualified witness whose specialized knowledge helps the court understand technical matters such as injury patterns or time of death.

A situation in which a personal, financial, or professional interest could improperly influence an investigator's judgment or compromise the appearance of impartiality.