Coroner Talk™ | Death Investigation Training | Police and Law Enforcement

MWT - Report Writing

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

MWT - Preparation Mindset

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

MWT - Police Functions v. MDI Functions

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

MWT - Perception Can Be Our Reality

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

MWT - Do you inspire or manipulate?

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

Genealogy DNA Case Study

Put simply, IGG describes the process of using information about genetic similarities and known family relationships to generate investigative leads. The basic information used in IGG falls into two categories: genetic relative information, which is generated by a genetic genealogy database based on its internal comparison of SNP profiles in the database; and genealogical and other often publicly accessible information, such as information from census records and obituaries, that describes f...

MWT-External Body Exams

Mid-Week tips are short episodes designed to give advice, tips, and ideas that can make your job easier and make you a better investigator. Some may be practical, and others may be experience-based opinions. To learn more about the podcast go to coronertalk.com To learn about our Academy and what courses we have that can prepare you for a career in the area of death investigation or to hone skills you currently have, go to ditacademy.org to learn more.  

Challenges of location NOK in transent society

In this episode, Darren and Wendy discuss the Evolution and challenges of locating and notifying NOK in a transient society. With the modern age we live in it is getting harder to located next-of-kin in some cases.  Issues such as homelessness and a transient lifestyle of a deceased can create huge obstacles.  In addition to the victim being mobile, the family may not stay in one place for very long causing public records to search to be a failed lead.  We give tips on locating NOK as we...

Challenges of social media in death investigations

In this episode, Darren and Wendy discuss the good and bad of Social media as it relates to death investigations.   Social media can be a big help in certain areas and a huge obstacle in others.  We discuss the pros and cons and give some caution in how best to use and manage social media in your investigations.

Avoiding Scene Mistakes

Due to the very nature of sudden and/or violent deaths, many things can and do go wrong in the first few hours after discovery.  Death scenes have a way of bringing together many individuals with various responsibilities and experiences.  This unique group can consist of uniformed officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic experts, coroner investigators, medical examiner investigators, as well as prosecutors and police administrative staff.   These scenes may also have fire ...

Death with Dignity- Rx

In this episode, Wendy and Darren discuss the laws surrounding doctors prescribing suicide prescriptions and other forms of suicide assistance. Find all available training at.  ditacademy.org       

High Altitude Deaths

High altitude illness (HAI) is the current accepted clinical term for a group of disorders including acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), which occur in travelers visiting high-altitude locations. High-altitude illness is due to hypobaric hypoxia, is not associated with age or physical conditioning, and mild forms are easily treated. High-altitude cerebral edema and HAPE are medical emergencies that are fatal if not pro...

Re-start

Summer Break 2021

I wish you all a very happy and fun summer 2021.  We are taking a break this year through the summer months and will return in September with an all-new line-up and shows.  Be a blessing and be safe!

Truth in Podcasting

In this episode, I give my opinion on the Derek Chauvin Trial and I talk about truth in journalism and podcasting in particular.  With permission, I play a portion of a podcast from my good friend Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting Podcast about media bias and how podcasting can help correct mistruth.   The school of podcasting can be found at: https://schoolofpodcasting.com/   I also introduce a new survey being conducted by RTI International that addresses work-related stre...

Establishing Decedent Identification

Several methods exist to properly identify a deceased person. It is critical that positive and accurate identification is made. This podcast is a portion of an online course about the identification of the deceased. This episode will give you several methods of identification and will warn you of pitfalls and mistakes to avoid in wrongful identification. If you would like to check out the full course you can follow the link below to learn more. https://www.ditacademyonline.org/courses/de...

Detecting Deception Part 2

Detecting Deception Part 1

Student Questions March 2021

In this episode, I read and give my answers to several questions that students in the MDI Academy or listeners have submitted relating to death investigation and scene management topics. Questions with several topics such as Dry Drowning, Next-of-Kin Notification, Evidence, Purge Fluid, Scene cooperation, and many more topics. Submit your Question If you have a question that you would like answered and possibly shared on the show simply click on the contact link and send us your question...

Investigating Abusive Head Trauma

Abusive head trauma (AHT), which includes shaken baby syndrome, is a preventable and severe form of physical child abuse that results in an injury to the brain of a child. AHT often happens when a parent or caregiver becomes angry or frustrated because of a child’s crying. It is caused by violent shaking and/or with blunt impact. The resulting injury can cause bleeding around the brain or on the inside back layer of the eyes. Data shows: AHT is a leading cause of physical child abuse death...

Lisa Mayhew- Child Death Investigation

Understanding the Problem About 4,300 US infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year. We often refer to these deaths as sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID). Although the causes of death in many of these children can’t be explained, most occur while the infant is sleeping in an unsafe sleeping environment. Researchers can’t be sure how often these deaths happen because of accidental suffocation from soft bedding or overlay (another person rolling on top of or against the infant whil...

Student Questions

In this episode, I read and give my answers to several questions that students in the MDI Academy or listeners have submitted relating to death investigation and scene management topics. Questions with several topics such as Dry Drowning, Next-of-Kin Notification, Evidence, Purge Fluid, Scene cooperation, and many more topics. Submit your Question If you have a question that you would like answered and possibly shared on the show simply click on the contact link and send us your question...

Student Chat

In this episode, I highlight a conversation I had with a student of the MDI Academy where we discuss the training, finding internship programs, and general topics about the Medicolegal Field. This recording was made during a live office hours session where students can log in and ask questions or discuss topics they need help with. This recording is used at the permission of the student.

Interviews and Rating Rant

In this episode, I talk about the new MDI course as well as rant about some bad reviews. However, the meat of the show is about interviewing witnesses and how to get the information you want.  To learn more about the new MDI course go to ditacademy.org/mldi Please consider leaving a rating and review for the show.     

Missouri Missing and Scarlett's Sunshine Act

Is your loved one missing?   Turn to Missouri Missing to help you navigate this path.  Each path is different in the unknown but they have walked in your shoes.  They can help you navigate the system.  They can create a flyer for you and reach out to the media to bring awareness to your case.  They are here to answer your questions. Theyare here to walk beside you from the missing phase until your answer comes in and beyond.   From those that know.   - National Missing and Unidentifi...

Why IACME - International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.

The International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners (IACME) has over 85 years of experience in the presentation of educational seminars for the purpose of assisting Coroners and Medical Examiners and other forensic specialists in the performance of their duties. This commitment is enshrined in the Association’s mission statement, “Dedicated to the promotion of excellence in medicolegal death investigation through collaboration, education, and accreditation." In This Episode In ...

Genealogical DNA - Solving Cases

Genetic or forensic genealogy combines direct-to-consumer DNA tests — like those purchased through 23andMe or Ancestry.com — with the age-old hobby of tracing a family tree with public records, such as birth certificates and land deeds. The technique relies on the simple principle that, if you go back far enough in history, everyone is related, and therefore has thousands of relatives. Assuming that an average family has 2 to 3 kids, then a typical person would — statistically speaking — ...

ILET Network - Its time to change the narrative about training

In this episode, I talk with Adam Kinakin of the ILET Network. Adam and I discuss the current state of law enforcement and public service professionals training, and what the future of training looks like. We go in-depth as to what we should all be expected when it comes to training going forward in the post CoVid world. ILET Mission Our goal is to create a collaborative network of instructors, trainers, organizations, businesses, and agencies around the world.   Everything we do is to...

The Shoe Box Effect

Many of us have one--a place where we store mementos that remind us of an earlier period in our lives--either happy or sad. Those ties to our past are commonly found in a similar place, hidden in a shoebox buried at the back of a closet shelf. It's called The Shoebox Effect--where you "forget", intentionally or unintentionally, about the contents of the box and what they represent. Marcie Keithley's shoebox contained a secret, one she kept for decades, one released when her shoebox was une...

Top 5 books you should own and should C/ME's carry

In this episode, I discuss my current top five books I recommend every investigator should own or have access to. That list can be found below. I also talk at length about whether C/ME investigators should carry firearms. I make the case for why they should and address some known objections to the contrary. Top Five Recommended Books to Own Top five books click here

Effects of Mass Media Bias on Police

In this growing attack on law enforcement by the far left and the mass media is it any wonder that police officers are suffering more mental health issues than ever before.  Since the Michael Brown incident of 2014 in Ferguson Missouri, and the systematic destruction and division of the public trust toward police by then-President Obama and his staff, there has been a steady and growing attack on law enforcement by mass media. Truth is not necessary to the media companies when their goal i...

My Disappearance and SUIDI Update

Medicolegal Death Investigations - With Dr. Mary Dudley

The role of the medicolegal death investigator is to investigate any death that falls under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner, including all suspicious, violent, unexplained and unexpected deaths. A death investigation is a process whereby a coroner or forensic pathologist seeks to understand how and why a person died. A coroner or forensic pathologist must answer five questions when investigating a death: Who (identity of the deceased) When (date of death) Where (lo...

Motor Vehicle Crash Injuries

Nearly 40,000 people are killed in car crashes each year. In each of these crashes, there is evidence on the body in the form of injuries.  It is important for investigators to understand vehicle crash dynamics and how impact and movement cause injury to a human body. Knowledge of the dynamics of these injuries and how they are inflicted will help the investigator come to some conclusions as to injury cause, seating position, and the crash type.    

Aurora Colorado Shooting - First Episode Rewind

On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside of a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. The sole suspect, James Eagan Holmes, was arrested outside the cinema minutes later. It was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999...

Using Plants to Solve Crime

We have all heard about the science of Botany, but have you ever considered just how important it can be in solving your case? For instance;  how plant cells from stomach contents can discredit an alibi, or how one seed in the shoelace of a suspect can bring an unknown serial murderer to justice, or just exactly what plant DNA can tell us about our victims last location. Using plants in criminal investigations is an underused forensic science , this may be that there are few forensic botanis...

Moms Who Murder-Rewind

Filicide is the deliberate act of a parent killing their own child. The word filicide derives from the Latin words filius meaning "son" or filia meaning daughter, and the suffix -cide meaning to kill, murder, or cause death. "Filicide" may refer both to the parent who killed his or her child, as well as to the criminal act that the parent committed. Episode In this episode, I share a conversation I had with  Ron Martinelli Ph.D on his radio show A Thread of Evidence. In the conversation,...

Dangers of Hoarding Behavior Rewind

Hoarding is a psychological condition that results in a person accumulating an enormous amount of trash and things of little-to-no value, or worse, more animals than can be properly cared for. Hoarding of any kind can pose several dangers to the occupant and neighbors, and certainly to animals if they are involved. These hazards can be deadly, and all the more reason people with hoarding disorder should have professional help to restore them to healthy living conditions. If children and ani...

Evidence v. Personal Property Collection

Evidence collection in and around a death scene is conducted in much the same manner as any crime scene. We are going to look at some scene search methods, evidence collection techniques, and scene interpretation.  There is a difference in personal property and evidence. Let's look at the definitions of each. Personal Property Is property on or near the body that belongs to the body (or decedent) and can be returned to next-of-kin. Evidence Is any material that may contribute to the ca...

Assessing and Documenting a Scene

Crime Scene Investigation Standards - It's up to you

Crime scene investigation is an indispensable part of our work, which will have a direct impact on the success of the criminal investigation.  With technological progress and changes in social situations, scene investigation work is facing unprecedented challenges. The standardization of the crime scene investigation should be the goal of all police agencies. Therefore, promoting the standardization of the crime scene investigation is necessary. As a criminal justice system, the crime sce...

Women Who Kill and Everyday Murder

Females in the United States accounts for 12% - 15% of ALL murders. Interestingly, women account for roughly the same percentage of serial murders. Most kill for gain - wives, Boarding-Home owners, etc, Caretaker killers - nurses and childcare workers. Family Annihilators - protecting their children Lust murder - extremely rare, usually at the  urging  of a man      Female serial murderers generally do not stalk or torture their victims and usually use poison to kill. They generally k...

Killer Typologies

It is important for death investigators to have a working knowledge of all death scenarios. You should have a basic understanding of the characteristics and/or non-characteristic of what makes a serial killer, as opposed to a mass or spree kill. In this way, you can identify the need for more expert involvement or discern if you may have a death committed by a serial killer in your area or one that has passed through. Read more on the Coroner Talk web site HERE

Structuring for Cold Cases

Subsequent to the original murder case Cain vs. Abel, there has always been a small percentage of murders that were unsolved for a variety of case-specific reasons. There have also always been detectives who’d occasionally look back at “the one that got away,” but the idea of dedicating a group of professionals to work solely on clearing these cases didn’t originate until the 1980’s. The Beginnings – Cold Case Investigation  The first cold case investigation unit is widely credited to de...

Stop Letting This Happen at Your Scenes

Due to the very nature of sudden and/or violent deaths, many things can and do go wrong in the first few hours after discovery.  Death scenes have a way of bringing together many individuals with various responsibilities and experiences.  This unique group can consist of uniformed officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic experts, coroner investigators, medical examiner investigators, as well as prosecutors and police administrative staff.   These scenes may also have fire ...

Investigating Suicide - Overview

Suicides account for over 40,000 deaths in the United States annually, ranked the 10th leading cause of deaths in America. This number has been on a steady increase since the turn of the 21st century. By far the most significant manner of death a patrol or investigating officer will be involved in The definition of suicide is; the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and a sound mind. Accidents are not suic...

Interpreting an Autoerotic Death Scene

The scene of an autoerotic death can hold a wide variety of problems and issues for the investigator. Filled with deceiving information and abnormal behavior, these scenes offer challenges to even the most seasoned investigator. However, it is vital that you get these scenes worked correctly. First and foremost, it is your job to get the correct answers for the family, the victim, and any insurance companies needing the information. The stigma attached to suicide and the autoerotic can have...

Assisted Suicide - Investigating Planned Suicides Pt2

The assisted suicide movement is, if anything, indefatigable. Not only is it undeterred by its failures, but it is now more energized than any other time in recent years. By the end of March of 2015, bills were introduced in twenty-five state legislatures to legalize assisted suicide. Defining the Subject Many people remain confused about the exact nature of assisted suicide advocacy, sometimes confusing it with other medical issues involving end-of-life care. Thus, to fully understand th...

Assisted Suicide Plan - Investigating Planned Suicides pt1

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects data about mortality in the U.S., including deaths by suicide. In 2017 (the most recent year for which full data are available), 47,173 suicides were reported, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. On average, someone in the country dies by suicide every 12 minutes.   With those totals, we are all bound to be involved in investigating suicides.  Suicides can be acute, meaning short term or spur of the mome...

The Evil Guardian - Dr. Scott Bonn

Serial killers hold the fascination of the public, whether in true crime news accounts of individuals such as Ted Bundy or fictional depictions such as the television shows Dexter and Criminal Minds or popular movies such as the “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” or “Silence of the Lambs.” Serial killers seem so purely predatory and unremorseful that our society cannot help but display a macabre interest in them. Although they account for no more than 1% of the approximately 15,000 homicides i...