Forensic Nurse Death Investigator : Crime Scene Investigation

1. Forensic Nurse Death Investigator :Crime Scene Investigation

2. Case Study : Crime Scene Investigation You, as a FNDI, are notified of a 911 call and are dispatched to a residential home on 15 Maplewood Road. The 911 call was made by Cindy, a resident of the home Upon your arrival, you find neighbors crowded in the street, and Cindy crying hysterically with law enforcement officials. You are directed around to the back of the house, all the while making notes of the environment. You find a woman floating face down in a hot tub. Law enforcement officials also notify you of a male body found inside a bathroom in the home.

3. Case Study : Crime Scene Investigation (cont.) Cindy states she is unaware of the identity of the woman in the hot tub, but that the man in the bathroom is her fiancé Greg, with whom she owns the home. Law enforcement officials share the following information : Residence owned by Cindy and Greg for past 6 months Cindy and Greg have been engaged for 2 ½ years, have been together for 10 years. Cindy is 31 years of age, Greg is 30. Cindy was away on business in Baltimore – which is verified by her boss and coworkers. Cindy came home to find her fiancé and an unidentified woman dead. You begin by taking photographs of the scene…………….

10. Case Study : Observations Unidentified woman – in bathing suit Two glasses, with liquid in each, on edge of hot tub Eye glasses on the edge of the hot tub Two towels hanging up Pair of flip flop sandals by the stairs Beer can on stair, cigarette butt in grass Hair clip on deck Beer cans by the grill Bottle of wine, cork and corkscrew on small table Greg – in bathing suit – dried Blood pooled on the floor with trail of blood from edge of toilet bowl Temperature outside – 62 degrees Hot tub water temperature – 92 degrees

11. Case Study : Physical Findings Unidentified woman removed from hot tub – red/ruddy complexion, no external injuries or bruising noted Greg – 2 inch laceration, mid forehead, 2 ½ inches from bridge of nose, pale complexion No other outward signs of injury Autopsy Report : External examination-same as above Eyes of both victims – extremely reddened, pupils dilated Unidentified woman – internally: some tissue bright pink in color, stomach revealed petechial hemorrhages in mucosa, skull cavity and stomach contents significant for odor of bitter almonds. Otherwise unremarkable Greg – essentially unremarkable

12. Case Study : Lab findings DNA swabs Beer cans-Greg wine glasses on edge of hot tub, one –Greg; on unidentified cigarette butt - Cindy, in addition to hair in clip on deck Fingerprints on wine glasses-one Greg, other- unidentified woman Eye glasses on edge of hot tub-unidentified woman’s Blood work ETOH – detected in both samples (Greg, unidentified woman)

13. Case Study : Autopsy Report : External examination-same as previous Unidentified woman – internal examination : tissue bright pink in color, stomach lining with areas of erosion/mucosal petechial hemorrhages, skull cavity significant for odor of bitter almonds BAL 0.02, routine drug toxicology screen negative, lactic acid 10.1, cyanide level 61.6 mg/L Greg – internal examination : tissue pale in color, stomach lining bright red in color, no ulcerations or hemorrhages noted, skull cavity unremarkable BAL 0.04, routine toxicology screen negative, lactic acid 7.8, cyanide level 22.8 mg/L