ABSTRACT
When a death investigation occurs, there is a person who is primarily responsible for conducting the investigation. Who this person is depends on the circumstances. For deaths that do not involve injuries and that occur in hospitals, the person is usually a doctor (physician) called a
pathologist
who works at the hospital. For deaths that occur outside of a hospital or that involve an injury or are unexplained, the responsible person usually has the title of
medical examiner
or
coroner
and works for the local, county, or state government, and may or may not be a physician. These various types of people will be discussed in later chapters. Regardless of which type of person is responsible for the death investigation, there are certain steps that are usually followed or considered during the investigation (Figure 2.1).
