Illuminating Dark Cases

Abstract

by 34% between 2000 and 2012. 6 People care deeply about animal welfare, and society demands that perpetrators of animal crueltybeprosecuted,forasinthewordsofthe18th-centuryBritish philosopher Jeremy Bentham, ‘‘The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?’’ Forensic pathologyknowledgeandskillsarecrucialindeathinvestigations forproperinterpretationofthedeathscene,assessmentofthetime of death, evaluating the consistency of witness statements with injuries, and interpreting patterns of injury. Animal abuse cases take on added importance when one realizes that animal abuse is but one facet of interpersonal violence. More than 70% of battered women who own pets report that their batterer threatened, injured, orkilled family petsas a form ofrevenge or to psychologically control the victim. Disturbingly, 75% of these acts of violence towardanimalsoccur in thepresenceofchildren. 2 Multiple studiessuggestthatasmanyas2in3violentadultoffendershave ahistoryofchildhoodanimalabuse,underscoringtheimportance of recognition and intervention in cases of animal abuse by juveniles. 1 Veterinary pathologists must develop a leadership role in the emergingdiscipline ofveterinaryforensic pathology andtake advantage of upcoming educational opportunities to develop additionalexpertiseinthisimportantareaofveterinarypathology. Investigation of suspicious human deaths is the legally mandated responsibility of the medical examiner (ME) or equivalent, depending on the jurisdiction. The ME is a physician who has completedapathologyresidencyandanadditional1-yearfellowship to specialize in forensic pathology. The death investigation typicallybeginswithavisittothescene bytheME,prior tomoving the body. The ME will then evaluate the medical history, reviewthecrimesceneevidenceandwitnessstatements,perform the autopsy to find evidence of injury or disease, and collect medical and trace evidence for further analysis. Finally, the ME evaluates the autopsy results, in light of all available evidence, to render an opinion as to the cause, manner, and mechanism of death. The results are communicated to prosecutors, defense counsel, judges, and juries. The judicial system then decides if a crime was committed and sets an appropriate punishment.