Natural Death or ???

 

Determining the manner of death is like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece represents a different factor—some are shaped by natural conditions while others are influenced by external events. When a piece that signifies an injury is placed alongside one that indicates a pre-existing condition, it offers a complete picture of how the final image—representing the manner of death—comes together. Just as the image may change dramatically based on the arrangement of the pieces, so too can the classification of death shift depending on the interaction of natural and external factors.

 Principle :

Even if a natural condition predisposes a person to death, the introduction of an external factor (such as an injury) disrupts the natural progression of the individual's health condition, thereby altering the manner of death from natural to unnatural.

When determining the manner of death:

• Investigation of Events: Investigators conduct a comprehensive investigation, considering whether external factors (like a fall, trauma, or asphyxiation) accelerated or caused the death.

• Medical Cause of Death: The immediate cause (e.g., drowning, head injury) is identified, alongside contributing conditions (e.g., pre-existing illness).

Classifying the manner of death is a process that is based on whether the cause was purely 

1) internal (natural) or involved 

2) external factors like

 

A) accidental,

B)  homicidal, 

C) Murder Plot

D) suicidal, or 

E) undetermined

The Role of Injury in Changing the Manner of Death

• An injury alters the natural course of a person's health. Even if the individual was already in a fragile state due to illness, the injury becomes a significant contributing factor or the direct cause of death.

Example: A person with a heart condition who drowns in a bathtub has died due to the drowning, not their heart condition.

• • Here, the injury (drowning) is an external cause, and the death is classified as not natural.