Case Study: External Briefing Report

Assignment:

As a medico-legal death investigator, you will work with many agencies and members of the public while performing your duties. An important consideration to keep in mind as you progress in your criminal justice career is the respect and understanding due to victims, family members, and next of kin. The interactions you have with these parties will shape the public’s opinion and support of forensics and law enforcement.

For this assignment, you will be given a case study to review. You will write an external briefing to be attached to the case report and the autopsy report. The briefing will go to the family of the deceased. 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
• Condition of the body as regarding the possibility of a funeral and options available to the family regarding funeral contacts, services, and methods
• 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 do you think a family member would need to know or want to know, and how should the information be presented? 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:

• Between 3 and 5 pages in length.
• Business letter or memorandum format.
• Double-spaced, 1” margins, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, indented paragraphs, appropriate headers.
• First person, past tense, active voice.