An autopsy can document injuries or disease. The scene investigation helps explain the circumstances in which those findings arose. The Institute of Medicine’s 2003 workshop summary describes medicolegal death investigation as a process that draws on both kinds of evidence, alongside case history and laboratory testing.
What each record contributes
Scene photographs and notes document conditions investigators observed before the body was moved. The autopsy report records findings from the examination and may identify specimens collected for testing. The toxicology report describes which substances were tested for or measured in those specimens. Reading the records together helps show which observations support an explanation and which questions remain open.
For example, finding a drug in a specimen establishes an analytical result for that specimen. Assessing whether the drug contributed to death requires the broader case record, including the circumstances, medical history and other findings. The workshop summary provides a framework for understanding how those sources of evidence fit together.
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