The First Use of Postmortem 3D Computed Tomography Images as Evidence in U.S. Criminal Courts: A Report of Four Cases

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) is an imaging technique that has assumed an increasingly important role in clinical medicine since its invention in 1972 and has been admissible as evidence in court for many years. A recently introduced scientific application of CT, enabled by major advances in high-resolution imaging, postmortem CT (PMCT) allows unprecedented three-dimensional (3D) visualization of the whole body after death. As a novel scientific tool, PMCT may be subject to scrutiny for admissibility in court under Federal Rule of Evidence 702 and the Daubert standard. We present four cases of criminal prosecution for vehicular manslaughter where PMCT, including images generated with 3D reconstruction techniques, was admitted as evidence to demonstrate victim injuries to the jury in 2012. The use of PMCT for demonstrative proposes in court enabled the triers of fact to better understand and visualize injuries allegedly caused by the accused. Not only is PMCT a useful forensic tool, but it may also provide powerful and easily comprehensible visual evidence before a judge or jury. These cases may be used as precedent for future testimony in U.S. courts.