PASSI CITY COLLEGE

City of Passi, Iloilo

SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

CML 6 – LEGAL MEDICINE

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

MODULE 9 - MEDICO-LEGAL INVESTIGATION OF DEATH

OVERVIEW:

Death is the state of complete and persistent cessation of respiration, circulation, and
other vital functions of the body. It is the return of the body to a stable equilibrium, chemically and
physically. While on the other hand, Life, in the medico – legal viewpoint, is the sum of all the vital
processes by which the physical integrity of the body is maintained.
The legal importance of determining death is not only the fact that the civil and criminal
liability of a person is extinguished by death, but also a dead person’s property is transmitted to
his/her heirs as well as his/her civil case for claim which does not survive is dismissed upon the
death of the defendant.
There are two (2) stages of medico-legal investigation, namely, 1) crime scene
investigation.

MODULE OUTCOMES:

At the end of the lesson, students should be able –

1. To know what should be done in the crime scene.
2. To know when and when not to conduct autopsy.

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

MODULE CONTENT:

INTRODUCTION:
In the identification of the medico-legal aspect of death, it is important to know the different
types of death, its signs including the various methods to confirm death, the different changes in
the body following death. It is also important to investigate the medico-legal aspect of death
through crime scene investigation and autopsy.

LECTURE/DISCUSSION:
The Inquest Officers are government officials charged with the responsibility of
investigation as to the nature or cause of death of a person.

1. Provincial and City Prosecutor

2. Judges of the RTC, MTC
3. Director of NBI
4. Solicitor General – he is the nation's chief attorney. He represents "the People of the
Philippines, the Philippine Government, its Agencies and Instrumentalities, Officials and
Agents" before SC and the Court of Appeals.

Stages of Medico-Legal Investigation:

1. Crime scene investigation

▪ Investigation of place of commission of the scene

▪ Investigation of the body of the crime
▪ Place where the essential ingredients of the crime took place
▪ The Search Team

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

2. Autopsy – comprehensive study of a dead body, in addition to the external

examination. The team is composed of a physician MLI trained, a
photographer and an assistant, evidence collector, and a note taker.

An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia

cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a
corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to
evaluate any disease or injury that may be present for research or educational
purposes.
There are two types of autopsy: forensic and clinical.
Forensic autopsies are done to define the cause and manner of death, and are
often done to serve legal issues: in the U.S., deaths are classified as either
natural, accidental, homicidal, suicidal, or undetermined.be present for research or
educational purposes.
Throughout the autopsy, the pathologist records everything on a body
diagram and in recorded verbal notes. If a complete internal examination is called
for, the pathologist removes and dissects the chest, abdominal and pelvic organs,
and (if necessary) the brain.

Post-mortem examination – external examination without an incision being made.

Purpose of Autopsy –

. 1. Determine the cause of death

2. Correlate the clinical diagnosis & symptoms.
3. Determine the effectiveness of treatment.
4. Study the natural cause of the disease.
5. Educate students & physicians

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

The Medico-legal or Official Autopsy

1. Determine the cause, manner and time of death.

2. Recovering, identifying, preserving evidentiary material.
3. Provide interpretation and correlation of facts elated to death.
4. Provide factual and objective report.
5. Separating death due to disease from external causes
6. Dead belongs to the state for cases that requires medico-legal autopsy.

Difference between Pathological from Medico-Legal Autopsy as to –

1. Requirement - consent: next of kin versus law

2. Confirmation – clinical findings of research versus correlate tissue changes to
criminal act.
3. Emphasis – notation at all abnormal factors versus effect of wrongful act
4. Conclusion - summation of all abnormal factors versus specific to the purpose
5. Minor - need not be mentioned versus included if useful

The following manner of death should be autopsied -

1. Death of violence
2. Accidental deaths
3. Suicides
4. Sudden death of persons who are in good health
5. Death unattended by physician
6. Dead on arrival with no clinical diagnosis
7. Death occurring in an unnatural manner

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

Mistakes in Autopsy are due to –

1. Errors or omission in the collection of evidence for identification
2. Errors or omission in the collection of evidence required for establishing the time
of death.
3. Errors or omission in the collection of evidence required for the medico-legal
Examination.
4.Errors or omission result in the production of undesirable artifacts or in the
destruction of valid evidence.
Negative Autopsies – gross, microscopic toxicological analysis fail to reveal the
cause of death.
Negligent autopsy – no cause of death is found due to imprudence, lack of skill
or foresight.

ACTIVITIES:

9.1 – Who are the persons qualified to make technical investigations necessary in the
solution of the crime. What is/are the legal basis of it?

9.2– Watch the autopsy video. (the link was sent in our group chat)

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

SUMMARY:

Autopsies may be done for several reasons, including the following: When a suspicious
or unexpected death occurs. When there's a public health concern, such as an outbreak with an
undetermined cause. When no doctor knows the deceased well enough to state a cause of death
and to sign the death certificate.
The Inquest Officers are government officials charged with the responsibility of
investigation as to the nature or cause of death of a person. They may direct any person qualified to
make technical investigations necessary in the solution of the crime. These inquest officers are the
Provincial and City Prosecutor, Judges of the RTC or MTC, Director of NBI and the Solicitor
General. The investigation into the cause of death is covered on Secs. 983, 984 and 1687 of the
Revised Administrative Code and Republic Act No. 409, Sec. 38 as amended by Rep. Act No.
1934.
The primary purpose of medico-legal autopsy is to determine the cause of death of a
person. Hence an autopsy is a comprehensive study of a dead body, it should be done by a trained
medico-legal physician taking into consideration the following rules in post-mortem examination.
1)Look before you cut, 2) Never cut unless you know exactly what you are cutting, and 3)
Weigh and measure everything that can be weighed or measured.

ASSIGNMENTS:
9.1 – What are the different manners of death that should be autopsied?

9.2 – Write a reaction paper about the autopsy video. Your answer should not be less than
50 words

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

RUBRICS FOR ESSAY:

Your answer will be rated using rubrics below

Features 4 (40 pts) 3 (30 pts) 2 (20 pts) 1 (10 pts)
Answer Write clearly answered Writer answered all Writer answered Writer attempted to
all parts of the parts of the some parts of the answer part of the
questions in complete questions in question but left question, but answer
sentences. Student complete other parts is unclear to the
referred to the sentences, but the incomplete. reader and not
question in their answer may not be Answer may be in complete sentences.
answer. clear. complete
sentences.
Cite Writer cited evidence The writer cited Writer may have Writer did not cite
for all parts of their evidence for some cited evidence for evidence from the
answer directly from parts of the answer part of their text in any part of
the text, it is clear to directly from the answer. Most their answer.
the reader to which text. Some parts of parts of the
part of the text the the answer do not answer do not
writer is referring. have evidence. have evidence
from the text.

Explain/expand Writer explained all Writer explained Writer explained Writer did not explain
parts of their answer in most parts of their some parts of or expanded upon
clear terms to their answer in clear their answer, but their answer.
reader. Writer terms. Some parts most of the
expanded their idea of the answer are answer does not
beyond simply answer left unexplained. have an
the question. Writer may not have explanation as to
expanded ideas. why the writer
believes that is
the answer.

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

RUBRICS FOR FEEDBACK THROUGH WRITTEN:

Your answer will be rated using rubrics below

Criteria Excellent (20 pts) Meet standard (10 pts) Below standard (5 pts)
Clarity Contributes to discussion Contributes valuable Sporadically
with clear, concise information and provides communicates information
comments formatted in an main idea or theme with by providing a clear main
easy-to-read style. support and details. Some idea or theme with
Consistently communicates signs of inconsistency, lack sufficient support and
information by providing a of support and or /swaying details. Communicates in
clear main idea or theme from main idea/theme friendly courteous and
with support that contains helpful manner with some
significant and meaningful errors in clarity.
details

Content Post correct, reflective, and Post information that is Post information that is
contribution substantive contribution; factually correct with factually correct. Lacks full
advances discussion in development or concept or development of concept or
insightful ways thoughts thoughts

Grammar Sentence structure and Sentence structure and Some correct uses of, but
and grammar excellent; correct grammar, generally strong, also problems in sentence
punctuation use of punctuation and no with only occasional lapses structure, grammar,
spelling errors. in punctuation and spelling. punctuation and spelling.

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

RUBRIC FOR FEEDBACK THROUGH CHAT:

Your answer will be rated using rubrics below

Excellent Average Needs Improvement Below Expectations

Criteria
20pts 15pts 10pts 5pts

Student proactively Student proactively

Student rarely
contributes to class by contributes to class by Student never contributes to
Level of contributes to class by
offering ideas and offering ideas and asking class by offering ideas and
Engagement offering ideas and asking
asking questions more questions more one per asking questions.
questions.
than one per class. class.

The speaker is generally

The speaker is anxious The speaker appears
anxious and The speaker is somehow
and comfortable, anxious and comfortable,
comfortable, anxious and comfortable,
presentation is in the presentation is too short or
Style presentation is decent presentation is short and
right length, and the entire paragraphs were
length, and the student’s most of the words were
student demonstrates read verbatim from the
own words were used for taken from the article.
ability to speak. article.
the summary.
Response shows a
Shows complete Shows substantial Response shows some
complete lack of
Demonstrated understanding of the understating of the understanding of the
understanding of the
Knowledge questions, concept of questions, concept of the questions, concept of the
questions, concept of the
the subject matter. subject matter. subject matter.
subject matter.

Student uses a clear

Student’s voice is clear Student’s voice is low.
voice and correct, Student mumbles,
student pronounces Student in correctly in
precise pronunciation incorrectly pronounces
most words correctly. terms. Audience
Elocution of terms so that all terms, and speaks to quietly
Most members can hear members have difficulty
audience member can for majority of students to
the presentation or hearing the presentation
hear the presentation hear.
explanation or explanation
or explanation.

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

References:

Solis, Pedro P. Textbook in Legal Medicine, 1986 Ed., pp. 142-153

https://www.google.com/search?q=autopsy&oq=autopsy&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i433j0l3j46j0l2.
10040j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhgazgHwt-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P9UW7LvYlI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMFfmhmMbYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajSXKeBpkIg

https://www.google.com/search?q=autopsy+procedure&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjx0r2iw4vtAhXhLq
YKHQLTCMYQ1QIoB3oECCgQCA&biw=1366&bih=600

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W.Silubrico, M.D., DIH Module 9
CML 6 – Legal Medicine