ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the history of pathology and death investigations. The roles of forensic pathologists will be delineated for standard investigations as well as their management for dealing with fatalities in a mass disaster or terrorist attack. Forensic pathology is the application of the medicinal science of pathology to the investigation of death. Under the tenure of both Drs Norris and Gonzales, the New York office became the training ground for pathologists who wished to focus in forensic pathology. With the advancements in forensic pathology came the growth in the medical examiner system. The discipline of forensic pathology and death investigations has come a long way from the "an eye for an eye" approach. Forensic pathology is a subspecialty of pathology, which deals primarily with examinations of deceased individuals. Forensic pathology can be broken into two components: documentation and interpretation.
