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ABMDI EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
A 30-year-old male dies of AIDS; it is permissible for the death investigator to: a. Release property taken at the scene to the family b. Disclose information about the death to interested parties c. Inform the media as to the cause of death d. Amend the death certificate for the emotional well being of the family e. Release the cause and manner of death to friends and associates a. Release property taken at the scene to the family When attempting to assist a coworker dealing with job-related stress, it is most appropriate to show: a. Sympathy b. Empathy c. Indifference d. Sarcasm e. Tenacity b. Empathy After you have completed an investigation at a private residence, the family calls your office to report the theft of personal property from their residence. How should you handle the situation?: a. Adamantly deny the theft of personal property b. Place blame on the first responders c. Refer the caller to your immediate supervisor d. Fax a copy of the property receipt to the family e. Refer the caller to the family's funeral director c. Refer the caller to your immediate supervisor
All death scenes should be treated as ______________ until proven otherwise: a. Accidents b. Conspiracies c. Natural d. Suicides e. Homicides e. Homicides All of the following are considered common errors investigators make when collecting evidence EXCEPT which one?: a. Removal of evidence before photographing b. Not collecting enough evidence c. Not collecting a standard of comparison d. Collecting too much evidence e. Not recognizing evidentiary value d. Collecting too much evidence The application of science to law describes: a. Criminological science b. Criminal science c. Criminal defense law d. Medicolegal law e. Forensic science e. Forensic science A body with a bullet wound through the chest is found almost 50 feet from the weapon. Should the investigator rule out suicide as a manner of death?: a. Yes; a serious chest wound would prevent the person from moving that distance
Request that the officer(s) remain at the residence and direct the husband to call the investigator's office at that time Death due to contact with an electrical device is primarily related to: a. The number of volts received by the victim b. The number of amps received by the victim c. The number of watts received by the victim d. The number of joules received by the victim e. Prolonged contact over one minute b. The number of amps received by the victim A death investigator may experience symptoms of emotional trauma. What is the best means available to assist these individuals?: a. The National Association of Clergy b. Contact the employee union representative c. The Association of Chaplains and Counselors d. Appropriate local employee assistance programs (human resource departments, crisis response team, etc.) e. Counseling from peers in their office d. Appropriate local employee assistance programs (human resource departments, crisis response team, etc.) The decedent was the victim of a severe beating six days prior to death. At the autopsy, it is revealed that the decedent died as a result of a pulmonary embolus that originated in the femoral vein. No trauma to the lower body was incurred. The victim had remained in bed at home due to soreness and swelling in his face. The death was best certified as: a. Accidental b. Natural
c. Homicide d. Manslaughter e. Undetermined c. Homicide A distant-range gunshot wound is identifiable by: a. Bullet wiping surrounding the wound b. No bullet wiping surrounding the wound c. Soot surrounding the wound d. Powder residue outside the entrance wound e. An absence of gunshot residue surrounding the wound and/or clothing e. An absence of gunshot residue surrounding the wound and/or clothing An expert witness is permitted to testify about: a. Observations and his/her factual opinions based on those observations b. Any topic related to his/her area of expertise, related or unrelated to the case c. Opinions based on speculation, related to the facts of the faces of the case d. Only those observations and findings related to the case e. Only those scientific findings proven through forensic investigation and comparison b. Any topic related to his/her area of expertise, related or unrelated to the case A funeral director contacts you concerning the death of a local physician's spouse. Upon discovering her dead, the physician called the funeral director and requested that the body be immediately removed to the funeral home. You should do all of the following EXCEPT: a. Follow your agency's policy consistent with home deaths b. Instruct the funeral director not to remove the body c. Explain your agency's home death procedures to the physician
a. Expedite the family's request for immediate viewing by taking them directly to the viewing area without delay b. Refuse their request to view the remains under any circumstances; viewing will take place after the funeral director assures the investigator that the body is appropriately prepared c. Prepare the family before viewing with a verbal explanation and possibly photographs of the remains d. Gather all pertinent information from the family after they view the remains e. Explain to the family that the body is unrecognizable as the person they knew and that they should hold the memories of the decedent as they knew them c. Prepare the family before viewing with a verbal explanation and possibly photographs of the remains If you are called to a hospital's emergency department to begin the medicolegal death investigation of a death caused by a firearm, the medicolegal "scene" is: a. The emergency department b. The emergency department and any part of the hospital leading from the street to the room c. The whole hospital d. Any location the decedent may have been prior to death e. Any location the decedent may have been within the past 24 hours a. The emergency department Important supplemental items for your digital camera may include all of the following EXCEPT: a. Film b. Additional batteries c. External flash d. Alternative lens e. Additional memory cards
a. Film In a court of law, handling evidence in a "legally acceptable manner" refers to: a. Documenting your collection process b. Documenting the chain of custody c. Fingerprinting and identification of the decedent d. Making the jury understand evidence collection procedures e. Teamwork b. Documenting the chain of custody The intensive care unit nurse calls to report the death of a male who died after being found unconscious at his residence; multiple empty prescription medication containers were found nearby. The MOST important evidence to retain from the hospital would be the: a. Decedent's clothing b. Police report c. Post transfusion blood specimen d. Hospital medical records e. Admission blood specimens e. Admission blood specimens In the auto processing graphic below, each of the numbered areas are: a. Searched separately b. Checked only if physical evidence is present c. Checked in the order indicated d. Searched only if trace evidence is present e. Processed by different investigators a. Searched separately
c. Sternum d. Ribs e. Femur c. Sternum In the graphic of the skeletal system, what does "F" represent?: a. Tibia b. Fibula c. Cervical spine d. Lumbar spine e. Sternum d. Lumbar spine The leading cause of death from cancer in the US is: a. Lung cancer b. Adenocarcinoma of the colon c. Leukemia/lymphoma d. Renal cell carcinoma e. Pancreatic cancer a. Lung cancer Loose bones (skeletal remains) found at the scene, should be packaged in: a. Paper bags or boxes b. Body bags c. Plastic zip-lock type bags d. It does not matter for bone tissue e. Clean cotton sheet(s) a. Paper bags or boxes
Medical examiner/coroner authority at death scene comes from: The medical examiner/coroner office policy derived from state statutory authority The medicolegal death investigator and a police officer arrive at a death scene within minutes of each other: a. The police officer is in charge and directs the work b. The death investigator is in charge and directs the work c. The best approach is a "team" approach to performing the work d. Each has specific responsibilities to perform, and they should not interact e. Work together only if necessary, you represent different agencies c. The best approach is a "team" approach to performing the work Obtaining information regarding the decedent's medical history is a priority. When discussing this history with family members, which of the following is least important to consider?: a. Interview family members in the appropriate language b. Verification of the information received c. Avoid questions that may embarrass the family d. Consideration of language, cultural, religious, and/or ethnic diversity of the family e. Verify medical personnel who recently treated the decedent c. Avoid questions that may embarrass the family One of the first things you should do to manage the collection of evidence at a homicide scene would be to: a. Look for appropriate clothing to wear at the scene b. Determine a safe and clean area from which you can coordinate the scene c. Enlist volunteers to assist in the collection of evidence d. Wait at the scene until you can contact certified evidence technicians
c. Judaism d. Mormon e. Catholic c. Judaism Proper distribution and use of investigative reports include all of the following EXCEPT which ONE?: a. Preparing cases for court b. Keeping other involved parties informed c. Anticipating future needs for information d. Providing medical information to the news media e. Helping a forensic pathologist determine the cause and manner of death d. Providing medical information to the news media The public information officer (PIO) for your jurisdiction requests information regarding an investigation for exclusive release. The investigator should: a. Advise the PIO of office policy and decline to provide information that would not otherwise be provided to other news agencies b. Provide the information because the PIO understands your departmental policies and is usually fair in releasing information to all news outlets c. Advise the PIO of the information with added request that the information not be released until a later specified date d. Decline to provide information stating that the office will make its own news release at a later time e. None of the above a. Advise the PIO of office policy and decline to provide information that would not otherwise be provided to other news agencies
A recent infant death you investigated has been termed a SIDS death on the preliminary autopsy report. You, as the investigator, must contact: a. The police chaplain who will relay the findings to the family b. The local SIDS Center and the local police agency c. The local police agency; wait on calling the SIDS center until the cause of death has been finalized d. Child protection services e. The district attorney's office b. The local SIDS Center and the local police agency The recovery team at a mass disaster should include three individuals. One is a photographer to take overall photographs of the bodies in a scene context, and two are team members, often referred to as an evidence tech and scribe, to perform all the following functions EXCEPT: a. Fix markers at the site b. Number and tag the bodies, body parts, and property c. Prepare the bodies for removal d. Determine the agency in charge e. Collect evidence at the scene d. Determine the agency in charge Refer to the branches of arteries graphic to identify which artery is represented by the letter "F"?: a. Iliac b. Femoral c. Aortic d. Subclavian e. Carotid b. Femoral
b. 30 to 40% c. 50 to 60% d. 60 to 70% e. 70 to 80% b. 30 to 40% When investigating a death, it is best to: Use all available resources When investigating a homicide you discover the victim and surviving family members are of orthodox Jewish faith. Because of their religious beliefs, the family objects to an autopsy being performed. Which of the following would be the best recommended procedure to follow?: a. Tell the family, "It's a homicide case, and therefore an autopsy must be performed" b. Have the homicide detective in charge of the case talk with the family c. Counsel the family. Explain the circumstances surrounding the investigation and why the autopsy must be performed (criminal prosecution, etc.) d. Have the family's rabbi talk with the family and the detective in charge e. Explain to the family that its your job and that you have no control over the state law c. Counsel the family. Explain the circumstances surrounding the investigation and why the autopsy must be performed (criminal prosecution, etc.) When one is writing descriptive information about a death scene, the nae, address, and telephone number of the decedent are all part of the ____________ to be included in the case file: a. Family history information b. Chronological data
c. Demographic information d. Medical data e. Graphic information c. Demographic information When packaging items for the laboratory, you should: a. Use standard-size containers b. Place items in separate packages c. Place items from the same location in the same package d. Place like items in the same package e. Use plastic to preserve biological evidence b. Place items in separate packages Which ONE of the following is FALSE? If a coworker uncharacteristically starts telling death-related jokes, this may be viewed as: a. His/her inability to handle job-related stress b. His/her coping mechanism c. Inappropriate behavior that must be reported d. An indicator of how stressed the coworker is e. Appropriate investigator behavior e. Appropriate investigator behavior Which ONE of the following is NOT an acceptable method of shielding a body from curious onlookers?: a. Place a car between the body and the onlookers b. Use a clean sheet to cover the body c. Have volunteers from the crowd act as a human shield d. Have law enforcement ask onlookers to move back an appropriate distance e. Ask law enforcement to widen the scene perimeter using yellow tape
You are called to the scene of a carbon-monoxide suicide. Several law enforcement members complain of feeling ill after being in the home. You should: a. Wait until firefighters/rescue personnel deem the residence safe by measuring carbon monoxide levels b. Use your best judgment about when it is safe to enter the residence c. Wait until the smell is gone; then you may conclude it is safe to enter the residence d. Place large fans in the home for 15 minutes to ensure scene safety e. Secure the scene and leave for a minimum of 24 hours before continuing your investigation a. Wait until firefighters/rescue personnel deem the residence safe by measuring carbon monoxide levels You are called to the scene of an apparent suicide. The victim is a bachelor who lived alone. The maid entered the apartment using her key, as all doors were locked. The victim suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, and a revolver is lying next to him on the bed. There is also an apparent suicide not on the nightstand next to the bed. As an investigator, yo should: a. Investigate the case as a homicide until you prove it is a suicide b. Stop the investigation immediately because it is a suicide c. Conduct a thorough suicide investigation d. Declare the death a suicide and proceed with the investigation e. Conduct a brief scene inspection and inform the family that you feel the death is a homicide a. Investigate the case as a homicide until you prove it is a suicide You arrive at a death scene where an ET tube and gloves are noticed next to the body. You should:
a. Take photos of the scene after removing the ET tube and gloves b. Take only close-up photos of the body, avoiding the medical devices c. Not take photos of the scene as it has already been disturbed by medical personnel d. Ask emergency personnel to remove their equipment before taking your photos e. Take photos of the scene and document what medical personnel did in your narrative report e. Take photos of the scene and document what medical personnel did in your narrative report You arrive at the scene of a suspicious death and are informed that the law enforcement crime scene team has taken photos and videotaped the scene. You have also noticed that several portions of wall and carpeting have already been removed by law enforcement crime scene members. As a medicolegal death investigator, you should: a. Take your usual photos/videotape, and document in your narrative what was done before your arrival b. Avoid gathering any more photographic documentation, as the scene has already been altered c. Speak to the law enforcement agent in charge and inform him that no modifications of the scene will be permitted in the future d. Call your immediate supervisor to come to the death scene as you do not feel you can adequately perform your investigation e. Tell law enforcement to put all piece of the evidence they removed back in the place and position where they found them so you can take all your photographs a. Take your usual photos/videotape, and document in your narrative what was done before your arrival
