Forensic Nurse Death Investigator :

Crime Scene Investigation

Case Study : Crime Scene Investigation

You, as a FNDI, are notified of a 911 call and are dispatched to a residential home on 15 Maplewood Road.

The 911 call was made by Cindy, a resident of the homeUpon your arrival, you find neighbors crowded in the street, and Cindy crying hysterically with law enforcement officials.

You are directed around to the back of the house, all the while making notes of the environment.

You find a woman floating face down in a hot tub. Law enforcement officials also notify you of a male body found inside a bathroom in the home.

Case Study : Crime Scene Investigation (cont.)

Cindy states she is unaware of the identity of the woman in the hot tub, but that the man in the bathroom is her fiancé Greg, with whom she owns the home.

Law enforcement officials share the following information :

Residence owned by Cindy and Greg for past 6 monthsCindy and Greg have been engaged for 2 ½ years, have been together for 10 years. Cindy is 31 years of age, Greg is 30.Cindy was away on business in Baltimore – which is verified by her boss and coworkers.Cindy came home to find her fiancé and an unidentified woman dead.

You begin by taking photographs of the scene…………….

Case Study : Observations

Unidentified woman – in bathing suitTwo glasses, with liquid in each, on edge of hot tub

Eye glasses on the edge of the hot tubTwo towels hanging up

Pair of flip flop sandals by the stairsBeer can on stair, cigarette butt in grass

Hair clip on deckBeer cans by the grill

Bottle of wine, cork and corkscrew on small tableGreg – in bathing suit – dried

Blood pooled on the floor with trail of blood from edge of toilet bowl Temperature outside – 62 degrees

Hot tub water temperature – 92 degrees

Case Study : Physical FindingsUnidentified woman removed from hot tub – red/ruddy complexion, no external injuries or bruising notedGreg – 2 inch laceration, mid forehead, 2 ½ inches from bridge of nose, pale complexionNo other outward signs of injury

Autopsy Report : External examination-same as aboveEyes of both victims – extremely reddened, pupils dilatedUnidentified woman – internally: some tissue bright pink in color, stomach revealed petechial hemorrhages in mucosa, skull cavity and stomach contents significant for odor of bitter almonds. Otherwise unremarkableGreg – essentially unremarkable

Case Study : Lab findingsDNA swabs

Beer cans-Greg

wine glasses on edge of hot tub, one –Greg; on unidentified

cigarette butt - Cindy, in addition to hair in clip on deck

Fingerprints on wine glasses-one Greg, other- unidentified woman

Eye glasses on edge of hot tub-unidentified woman’s

Blood work

ETOH – detected in both samples (Greg, unidentified woman)

Case Study :Autopsy Report : External examination-same as previousUnidentified woman – internal examination :

tissue bright pink in color, stomach lining with areas of erosion/mucosal petechial hemorrhages, skull cavity significant for odor of bitter almonds

BAL 0.02, routine drug toxicology screen negative, lactic acid 10.1, cyanide level 61.6 mg/LGreg – internal examination :

tissue pale in color, stomach lining bright red in color, no ulcerations or hemorrhages noted, skull cavity unremarkable

BAL 0.04, routine toxicology screen negative, lactic acid 7.8, cyanide level 22.8 mg/L