Q&A Hero

Q: An unlawful attack by one person on another in order to inflict severe bodily injury and which often involves use of a dangerous weapon and is a felony is called a. aggravated assault. b. mayhem. c. attempted murder. d. assault with a deadly weapon.

Q: Physical evidence that indicates the severity of an assault may include all but which of the following? a. broken dishes b. overturned furniture c. bruises and lacerations d. the mental state of the offender

Q: One-third of the women killed in the United States are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends, and as many as 90 percent of women are stalked before the murder. This is a clear example of a. mass murder. b. target hardening. c. femicide. d. fratricide.

Q: Premeditation would be a requirement in which case? a. first-degree murder b. second-degree murder c. excusable homicide d. justifiable homicide

Q: Which of the following statements is not true with regard to death investigations? a. Body temperature drops 2 to 3 degrees in the first hour after death. b. Rigor mortis appears first in the smaller muscles, such as those of the face. c. After about 36 hours, rigor mortis usually disappears in the same sequence as it appeared. d. Maximum lividity occurs within 15"20 hours after death.

Q: The type of "lust murderer" who is usually of above-average intelligence, methodical and cunning, and socially skilled, and who tricks victims into situations in which he can torture and then murder them, is called a(n), a. serial killer. b. organized offender. c. disorganized offender. d. mass murderer.

Q: Which of the following factors can assist in establishing time of death? a. victim's clothing b. presence of weapons c. rigor mortis d. hair color

Q: Discuss the difference between defense wounds and hesitation wounds.

Q: Describe the difference between expressive violence and instrumental violence.

Q: How is investigating a murder committed by a serial killer different from investigating any other type of homicide?

Q: What were the lessons learned by the Miami-Dade homicide unit in their investigation of the "Moonberry Pond Murder"?

Q: What are some factors that can help in determining time of death?

Q: What similarities exist regarding the killer in both school and workplace mass murders?

Q: Discuss the importance of the case of Flippo v. West Virginia (1999), and how it relates to searches at homicide scenes.

Q: Why do you think the police have such a high suicide rate within their profession?

Q: Compare the key difference between murder and involuntary manslaughter or criminal negligence. What are two key elements that are missing from the latter two items?

Q: Describe some of the signs of death that officers can use to determine if a victim is dead when they arrive at the scene.

Q: Describe the postmortem interval and its effect on an investigation.

Q: Describe autoerotic asphyxiation.

Q: Compare the different indicators in gunshot wounds in an apparent suicide versus a homicide.

Q: What are some examples of an equivocal death situation?

Q: How can police departments address homicide proactively?

Q: After 9/11, _______ analysis is the preferred method ofidentification of human remains from mass disasters.

Q: Postmortem lividity, also referred to as ______________, is a dark blue or purple discoloration that can be seen on a dead body.

Q: Violence that stems from hurt feelings, anger or rage is called ___________ violence.

Q: "Heat of passion" is the alternative to premeditation and assumes an act was committed when the suspect suddenly became extremely emotional. It is commonly referred to as _____________ rather than murder.

Q: Killing an individual as part of a legally ordered execution is considered ____________ homicide.

Q: Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy and Andrew Cunanan were well-known ____________ murderers.

Q: In ____________ asphyxiation, sexual gratification is sought by placing a rope around the neck and causing just enough restriction to result in semiconsciousness.

Q: A forensic ____________ can examine various types of insects to assist in estimating the time of death.

Q: A key difference between first- and second-degree murder is the element of ____________.

Q: ____________ is the killing of one person by another.

Q: Criminal ____________ involves creating a situation that results in an unreasonable risk of death or great bodily harm.

Q: Unfortunately, the U.S. Justice Department does not have a national program to help law enforcement agencies, medical examiners and others identify missing persons who have been murdered or have died of other causes.

Q: Unlike workplace violence, school violence usually occurs without warning.

Q: Insects can offer valuable clues as to the time a body was left or buried.

Q: It is not common procedure to exhume a body for medical examination.

Q: All murders are homicides.

Q: The cornea clouds more rapidly if the eyes remain closed after death.

Q: In general, decomposition is increased by lower temperatures and decreased by higher temperatures.

Q: Lack of a note generally precludes the possibility of suicide.

Q: Equivocal death investigations are those inquiries that are open to interpretation as to the cause of death.

Q: Profiles of serial killers show they are usually sane; they know right from wrong but simply do not care.

Q: More officers lose their lives to suicide than homicide.

Q: First-degree murder requires premeditation and the intent to cause death.

Q: A person who is addicted to or uses crack cocaine regularly may have what is called a "crack thumb."

Q: More Americans die by suicide than homicide.

Q: In Flippo v. West Virginia the Supreme Court determined that there is a general "murder scene exception" to the search warrant requirements of the Fourth Amendment.

Q: Two of the more difficult kinds of cases for a criminal investigator to handle are those related to missing persons and those involving unidentified human remains.

Q: Examples of involuntary manslaughter include handling a firearm negligently; leaving poison where children may take it; and operating an automobile, boat or aircraft in a criminally negligent manner.

Q: The key element distinguishing manslaughter from murder is premeditation.

Q: A lust murder is a sex-related homicide involving a sadistic, deviant assault.

Q: Investigators are more likely to clear a homicide if they arrive within 30 minutes of being notified.

Q: Researchers have identified more than 100 compounds that are linked to decomposition in buried bodies.

Q: Staging refers to a. the positioning of the victim's body. b. the manipulation of the scene around the victim's body. c. both the positioning of the victim's body and the manipulation of the scene around the victim's body. d. neither the positioning of the victim's body nor the manipulation of the scene around the victim's body.

Q: In assessing victim-offender relationships (VOR,), violence that is goal-directed predatory behavior used to exert controlsuch as a carjacker who shoots his victim before stealing the vehicleis referred as what type of violence? a. expressive violence b. instrumental violence c. constructive violence d. cognitive violence

Q: The poison known as the King of Poisons and the Poison of Kings is a. arsenic. b. strychnine. c. cyanide. d. anthrax.

Q: The study of poisons can determine the type of poison, the amount ingested, the approximate time ingested and the effect on the body. This field is referred to as a. toxicology. b. odontology. c. homeopathy. d. entomology.

Q: What type of murder usually includes the killing of three or more separate victims with a "cooling off" period between the killings? a. mass murder b. spree murder c. serial murder d. disorganized killing

Q: The criminal or noncriminal, felonious or nonfelonious taking of life by another human or by an agency, such as a government, is called a. murder. b. homicide. c. manslaughter. d. crime against nature.

Q: A study of 800 homicide cases found that investigators are more likely to clear a homicide if a. there is at least one witness to the crime. b. they arrive at the scene within 30 minutes of being notified. c. the incident is reported within 30 minutes to a 911 dispatcher. d. at least one detective assigned to the case attended the postmortem examination.

Q: The postmortem cooling process of the body is called a. adipocere. b. lividity. c. rigor mortis. d. algor mortis.

Q: Shotgun wounds produce __________ than single bullets. a. smaller exit wounds b. smaller entry wounds c. both smaller exit and smaller entry wounds d. neither smaller exit nor smaller entry wounds

Q: Most cases of hanging are a. homicides. b. accidents. c. suicides. d. accidental homicides.

Q: Murder is classified as a. excusable homicide. b. nonfelonious homicide. c. criminal homicide. d. justifiable homicide.

Q: Which of the following is not an indication of suicide? a. defense wounds b. hesitation wounds c. wounds under clothing d. weapon tightly clutched

Q: If death is caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, lividity is a. white. b. dark blue or purple. c. absent. d. cherry red or strong pink.

Q: It can be assumed that a victim has died on land if a. the victim's eyes glisten when the body is brought out of the water. b. diatoms are found on the body. c. half of the victim's eye looks dry when the body is brought out of the water. d. none of these choices.

Q: Premeditation would be a requirement in which case? a. first-degree murder b. second-degree murder c. excusable homicide d. Manslaughter

Q: What may occur if a body is exposed to an extremely hot and dry climate? a. decomposition b. disarticulation c. mummification d. skeletonization within 24 hours

Q: A stiffening of portions of the body after death is referred to as a. desiccation. b. rigor mortis. c. adipocere. d. livor mortis.

Q: Noncriminal homicide includes a. justifiable homicide. b. suicide. c. voluntary manslaughter. d. involuntary manslaughter.

Q: Most medical examinations of a deceased person are conducted primarily to a. prepare the body for burial. b. determine the deceased's identity. c. determine the time and cause of death. d. satisfy the state's legal requirement.

Q: A common indicator of suicide using a knife is a. no weapon present. b. defensive wounds. c. wounds made through clothing. d. hesitation wounds.

Q: The first priority in a preliminary homicide investigation is to a. render aid to the victim. b. keep the media away from the area. c. identify the suspect. d. secure the safety of the scene.

Q: A dead body that sinks in water usually remains immersed for a. 5 to 7 days in warm water and 3 to 4 weeks in cold water. b. 8 to 10 days in warm water and 2 to 3 weeks in cold water. c. 2 to 3 weeks in warm water and 5 to 6 weeks in cold water. d. none of these choices.

Q: Deaths are classified by type as a. natural, accidental noncriminal, suicide, homicide noncriminal and criminal. b. natural, accidental, suicide, murder. c. Accidental, suicide, murder, voluntary. d. either by accident or by the hands of another.

Q: Rigor mortis is at its maximum at about ____________ hours after death. a. 6 to 8 hours b. 8 to 9 hours c. 12 to 24 hours d. 36 to 48 hours

Q: Briefly outline some of the ways that surveillance can aid an investigation.

Q: If a suspect is at the scene of a crime, what methods can an officer use to identify the suspect at the scene?