Throughout this horrific ordeal, I have been able to learn from experts around the country. Alec’s death scene investigation is a text book example of what happens around our country daily.
One such expert which I have the utmost respect is Vernon Geberth. Vernon J. Geberth is a retired Lieutenant-Commander of the New York City Police Department with almost forty years of law enforcement experience. He retired as the Commanding Officer of the Bronx Homicide Task Force, which handled over 400 murder investigations a year.
We reviewed Alec’s case and he shared with me that the reason that he writes and teaches law enforcement is because of the impact on the families and friends when an investigation does not take their pain into consideration. The Seven Major Mistakes in Suicide Investigation opened my eyes in Alec’s case and was the beginning of my study of death scene criminology.
As we document the investigation, references to these 7 mistakes will be made
The below is included with Mr. Geberth’s permission. (Special thanks for all of your guidance and direction)
The Seven Major Mistakes in Suicide Investigation
By Vernon J. Geberth, M.S., M.P.S. Homicide and Forensic Consultant
Introduction
There may very well be miscommunications, which result in serious errors that affect the outcome of the case due to the various responsibilities uniform officers, detectives, medical examiners to forensic experts, prosecutors as well as others in the process. This is especially true in the investigation of suicide.
Mistake#1 Assuming the Case is A Suicide Based on the Initial Report
If the case is reported as a “Suicide,” the police officers who respond as well as the investigators automatically tend to treat the call as a suicide. It is a critical error in thinking to handle the call based on the initial report. The immediate problem is that psychologically one is assuming the death to be a suicide case, when in fact this is a basic death investigation, which could very well turn out to be a homicide. The investigator cannot “assume” anything as a professional law enforcement officer.
Any preconceived theories or notions are dangerous in professional death investigation. In addition to errors of assuming a “suicide” or natural death other preconceived notions may include deaths, which appear to be drug related and/or domestic violence. One must keep an open mind and not be influenced either by the initial reports or the presentation in the crime scene.
Mistake#2 Assuming “The Suicide Position” At the Crime Scene
It has been my experience that when police officers or detectives hear the word “Suicide” they go into what I describe as the “Suicide Position.” Suicides are non-amenable offenses that are not recorded in the UCR and therefore are considered less important than other events.
Without a doubt investigators take “short-cuts” when they hear the word suicide. I have reviewed many suicide cases where it was apparent that the investigators did not take each point to its ultimate conclusion. Sufficient photographs were not taken and certain tests were not conducted. In some instances the deaths were suicides, but the incomplete and insufficient preliminary investigation raised legitimate concerns.
Death investigations of the elderly are oftentimes assumed to be naturals and there is a tendency on the part of uniforms and detectives to rush-through the crime scene process. Many investigators, who have “bought-into” the initial call and treated the case like a routine suicide or a natural death, have been greatly embarrassed when the medical examiner’s finding showed the death to be a homicide. They then find themselves in the unenviable position of having to explain how they missed crucial evidence or failed to take important crimes scene photos.
Mistake#3 Not Handling “The Suicide” as a Homicide Investigation
According to Practical Homicide Investigation®, “All death inquiries should be conducted as homicide investigations until the facts prove differently. The resolution of the mode of death as Suicide is based on a series of factors which eliminate Homicide, Accident and Natural Causes of death.
I recommend that an investigator be assigned to every unattended death case. Some agencies have mistakenly allowed patrol officers to conduct basic death investigations with the assumption that such deaths are generally not criminal incidents and don’t require detective investigation. On the contrary, these cases may very well be homicides, which have been staged to appear to be suicide, accidents or natural causes. In equivocal death investigations there is the potential for major errors. If in fact, the death is later attributed to be homicide valuable evidence will have been lost or contaminated because the scene was not handled as a homicide case. The critical interviews and interrogations as well as crime scene documentation and photographs are irretrievable.
Currently, with all the forensic programming available to the general public, which focuses on police procedure and forensic medicine, many people have come to believe that they are well versed and knowledgeable to the point that we have the “CSI Effect.”
The C.S.I. Effect refers to the phenomenon of the impact that crime scene and forensic criminal investigation television shows on the general public. The fictional aspects of these programs provide the entertainment component. However, there are a number of legitimate investigative techniques as well as tactical police procedures revealed to the viewing audience that contribute to the C.S.I. Effect. The problem is that criminals read the same books and watch the same TV shows as everyone else and therefore gain insight into the investigative process as well as the value of trace evidence.
It is not unlikely that someone who wanted to kill might “Stage-the-Scene” to make a death appear to be a suicide to cover up the murder.
Mistake#4 Failure to Conduct Victimology
One of the most significant factors to consider in any death investigation is victimology. Victimology as it pertains to both suicide and homicide investigations is significant in ascertaining motives, suspects and risk factors. In suicide cases, this becomes paramount in determining Motive and Intent. Does the victim fit a “Suicide Profile?” Was there any evidence of marked depression or suicide ideations? Did the victim have both short and long term plans?
Victimology is the collection and assessment of all significant information as it relates to the victim and his or her lifestyle. Personality, employment, education, friends, habits, hobbies, marital status, relationships, dating history, sexuality, reputation, criminal record, history of alcohol or drugs, physical condition and neighborhood of residence are all pieces of the mosaic that comprise victimology. The bottom line is “Who was the victim and what was going on in his or her life at the time of the event.” The best sources of information will be friends, family, associates and neighbors and that will be the initial focus of the investigation.
Mistake#5 Failure to Apply the Three Basic Investigative Considerations To Establish if the Death is Suicidal in Nature
The investigator should be aware of three basic considerations to establish if a death is suicidal in nature.
- The presence of the weapon or means of death at the scene.
- Injuries or wounds that are obviously self-inflicted, or could have been inflicted by the deceased.
- The existence of a motive or intent on the part of the victim to take his or her own life.
Mistake#6 Failure to Properly Document any Suicide Notes
If the victim left a note, and even if you are sure that the case is a suicide, obtain an exemplar (An example of the victim’s handwriting from some document that was known to have been written by the deceased.) This is necessary especially when later on there is a dispute over the classification of the death as a suicide.
The presence of a Suicide Note certainly suggests suicide. However, there are a number of investigative considerations to determine whether or not the note is genuine.
- Was it written by the deceased?
- Was it written voluntarily?
- Does the note indicate suicidal intent?
Suicide notes oftentimes have mixed emotional content including “positive” and “negative” feelings. Suicide ideations, which are the formation and conception of ideas in the mind of the deceased, present suicide as a viable option. There may be reference to an “afterlife” or being with a loved one “looking down”, etc. The Suicide Note is a direct communication indicating intent to commit suicide. The letters and notes may be addressed to relatives and friends or left at the death scene, which indicate severe depression and or anger. The notes are often coherent and legible unless written under the influence of alcohol or drugs and may be instructional and/or admonishing. These notes should be collected in a manner to preserve any latent fingerprints and exemplars should be obtained for comparison. The note oftentimes provides a basis of inquiry into the background of the deceased.
Mistake#7 Failure to Take Each Factor to its Ultimate Conclusion
In order to conduct an efficient and effective investigation, the detective first concentrates on the mechanical aspects of the death, i.e. motives and methods, wound structures, crime scene reconstruction, bloodstain pattern analysis, the cause, manner and time of death as well as other factors that provide clues to the dynamics of the event. The detective then accesses various sources, which can be applied to his or her investigation. In suicide cases the application of a “Psychological Autopsy” might be useful in drawing conclusions but only if the information obtained for this instrument is taken concurrent with the event and not after people have formulated an opinion.
“Remember, Do It Right The First Time. You Only Get One Chance.”
Quote from Lt. Cmdr. Vernon J. Geberth,
From 1980 in Law & Order Magazine
Conclusion
It should be noted that the final determination of suicide is made by the medical examiner/coroner after all the facts are evaluated. However, the investigation at the scene and an inquiry into the background of the deceased may indicate the presence of life threatening behavior or activities that suggest suicidal intent. Of course, the medical examiner/coroner is supposed to avail him or her of the input of the investigators, who were present at the scene and conducted the death investigation.
The Illusion of Justice 