This document discusses various modes of death that forensic investigators must be familiar with, including gunshot wounds, cutting/stabbing injuries, blunt force trauma, asphyxiation, poisoning, and death by fire. It provides detailed descriptions of the characteristics of different types of gunshot wounds, cutting injuries, stabbing wounds, signs of strangulation, hanging, drowning, and autoerotic asphyxiation. The document emphasizes that investigators must understand how different manners of death, such as homicide, suicide, or accident, can be determined based on clues left behind by the mode of death.

1. South Puget Sound Community College
Forensic Homicide Investigation

2. Modes of Death
Investigators must be familiar with manner, means, causes and modes of
death
GSW
Cutting wounds
Stabbing wounds
Blunt force injuries
Poisons
Asphyxia (autoerotic)
Arson/fire

3. Modes of Death
 GSW:
Weapon discharged four things happen:
1. Fire/flame emitted from barrel
2. Smoke follows flame
3. Bullet emerges
4. Additional smoke/grains of unburned powder follow.
Material spreads out like a funnel
As distance from gun increases density of pattern decreases

5. Modes of Death
PROJECTILE STRIKING THE BODY: Two basic wounds
1. Entrance:
a. Generally smaller than exit
b. Typically round neat hole w/abrasion collar
c. Comparatively small amounts of blood
2. Exit:
a. Generally larger than entrance
b. Ragged/torn in appearance/tissue extruding
c. Generally more blood

6. NATURE/EXTENT OF GSW:
Number of factors=characteristics
-distance
-ricocheting
-type of ammo
-passage thru body
-passage thru clothes
-type of weapon
-part of body

7. Modes of Death
Human skin-
-elastic/resistant
-bullet causes indentation
-perforates/bores thru skin:
1. circular hole
2. abrasion collar/blackening effects around edges
3. stretched skin then closes back
Once inside body:
-generally travels in straight line
-contact w/bone deflects

8. Modes of Death
SMUDGE/SMOKE:
-smoke/soot deposited into wound
-wound is dirty/grimy looking
-easily wiped off
-close but not in contact
-hold clothes for exam
SEARING:
-yellow singed effect due to flame from gun
TATTOOING/STIPPLING: (2-4 feet away)
-pinpoint hemorrhages from powder
-unburned powder in skin
-cannot be wiped off

10. CONTACT WOUNDS: (stellate wounds)
-muzzle is held directly against skin
-shape is the result of bullet/flames/gases
-larger than diameter of bullet
-wound gaping/dirty
-edges ragged/torn
-tissue charring
-large tissue destruction
-muzzle stamp/brand

14. Modes of Death
CUTTING INJURIES:
-incision/straight cut
-minimum bruising
-longer than deep
-freely bleeding
-no indication of type of instrument
STABBING INJURIES:
-piercing wounds
-deeper than wide
-damage to organs underneath
-internal bleed w/little or no external blood
-possible indication of type of instrument
-

15. Modes of Death
BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA:
-usually evident by external trauma
-laceration-jagged edged wound
-bruising-bleeding under the skin

16. Modes of Death
CHOPPING INJURIES:
-heavy objects with sharp edges
-axes
-injury to skin and heavy damage underneath

17. Modes of Death
ASPHYXIA:
I. Strangulation
a. manual-hand, body parts
b. Ligature-anything-impression marks
Investigative considerations-
1. Presence of abrasions/bruising
2. -petechial hemorrhages
3. Possible trauma to tongue
II. Hanging
-generally suicidal or accidental

18. Modes of Death
 Considerations:
 1. body need not be completely off the floor
 2. Small/ropelike ligatures leave deep grooves across neck-higher up
 3. black and blue lines appear w/in groove line
 4. lividity will be prominent in head/legs

19. Modes of Death
III. DROWNING
-liquid gets into air passages and prevents air from getting to lungs
-mouth/nose only covered
IV. INHALATION OF POISON
-most common carbon monoxide
-pink skin
V. SUFFOCATION-passage of air through mouth/nose blocked
-smothering
-choking
-inhalation
-mechanical asphyxia

21. Modes of Death
FIRE:
-generally from smoke first
-pugilistic pose
-cracks open from heat
-white froth from mouth-alive at time of fire
-ME is only one who can determine fire or other cause of death

22. Modes of Death
AUTO EROTIC:
-each unique to due to fantasy
FIVE CRITERIA:
-evidence of self-release mechanism
-evidence of solo sex activity
-evidence of sexual fantasy aids
-evidence of prior practice
-no apparent suicidal intent