Critical Thinking in Death Scene Investigation
 

The groundbreaking Winterim course called Critical Thinking in Death Scene Investigation is back! The course, offered by the Criminal Justice Department, is a collaborative concept created by Dr. Janamarie Truesdell, PHD, College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies Dean Peggy James, and the Theatre Department.

Centered around Francis Glessner Lee’s Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Deaths, this course seeks to challenge your investigative skills through critical thinking and attention to detail. To this end, each day of the week will focus on one of the five manners of death (natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, and undetermined), with lecture-style presentations from local experts in the morning. You will work in groups, with the “Nutshells” themselves in the afternoon.

Topics will include forensic history and touchstone cases, body examination and signs of death, autopsy and pathology, overdose deaths, accidental deaths, blood pattern analysis, trauma analysis, poisons, fatal fire analysis, SUIDI deaths, and the importance of thorough investigation in the context of the courtroom. A “life-sized” recreation of one of the “Nutshells” will then be presented for you to put your skills to the test on the final day of class. While rigorous, this course is meant to be an introduction to both the theory and practice of death scene investigation and will benefit both beginners and professionals alike.

The Critical Thinking in Death Scene Investigation course is offered each Winterim, selecting a different life-size diorama each time. For more information about the course please contact Dr. Truesdell at truesdej@uwp.edu.