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Project #2: Case Study: Internal Briefing Report

Assignment:

As a medico-legal death investigator, you will be expected to complete reports regarding the cases that you have been assigned. These reports may be sent to a prosecuting agency, the law enforcement agency, special investigators, or governmental oversight boards. If you are an investigator in a small office, you may be able to get by with informal briefings given person-to-person or during meetings; however, if you work in a large metropolitan office with many cases, you will need to present your reports in written form.

For this assignment, you will be given a case study to review. You will write an internal final case briefing to be attached to the case report and the autopsy report. This briefing will go to the chief medical examiner (ME). Include the following:

    All aspects of the death scene, including location, conditions, and pertinent information
    All aspects of the property of the deceased that either was on the decedent when he or she was taken to the medical examiner's office or was taken from the scene for evidence, and the disposition of any other property, such as residence
    All information collected from family members, witnesses, and/or other agencies regarding the death
    Information you still need from the family and how would you like to get that information

    Explain and describe the investigative procedures which may have been or were used during the investigation (based on information discussed and learned in class)

In writing this report, be mindful of your audience. What information will the chief ME need in order to sign off on the case? How should you present this information? Do any aspects of the case pose concerns or cause uncertainty? Be mindful of ethical disclosure, legal implications, and level of discretion when writing your report.

The report should be organized in a logical manner and written with professional language with the following requirements:

  * The audience is the boss of the organization, most probably the Chief Medical Examiner; make sure you are writing this report with that audience in mind.