Following are articles published by the National Institute of Justice
Postmortem CT Scans Supplement and Replace Full Autopsies
As medical examiner and coroner offices nationwide face a severe shortage of forensic pathologists, New Mexico has pioneered the use of CT scans to reduce autopsy numbers and reduce costs.
New Screening Method to Detect Drugs and Poisons Postmortem
The Miami-Dade medical examiner’s office has developed a quick method to screen fluids for hundreds of drugs simultaneously, improving workflow.
Is It an Accident or Abuse? Researchers Develop Predictive Models for Pediatric Head Injuries
NIJ-supported research has enabled biomechanical experts to improve predictive models of head injuries in children, helping physicians and law enforcement to better distinguish between accidental injury and abuse.
The Impact of Drugs on Human Decomposition: What Insect, Scavenger, and Microbial Evidence Tells Us
OsteoID: A New Forensic Tool to Help Identify the Species of Skeletal Remains
NIJ-supported researchers developed a free web tool to help forensic investigators and others interested in bone identification.
Supporting Law Enforcement and Prosecution of Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths
An Examination of Cuyahoga County’s Heroin Involved Death Investigation (HIDI) Protocol
The Effects of Temperature on Blowfly Colonization of Decomposing Human Bodies
Development of blowflies on a body is a standard forensic measure of time since death, but temperature variations can alter that development and mislead investigators.
Scientists Seek Connection Between Toxin-causing Bacterium and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Researchers believe a bacterium that causes food poisoning and other diseases may underlie some SIDS cases.
The Search for a Microbial Death Clock
Criminal investigators use physiological changes and insect development to determine how long a body has been dead, but scientists are using the trillions of microbes involved in human decomposition to find more accurate postmortem intervals.
Algorithm Quantifies What Experts See When They Examine Skeletons
Researchers created an open-access computer program for estimating the age of skeletal remains that outperforms current methods. The algorithm is based on 20 age-related skeletal changes identified by experienced forensic anthropologists.
New Method for Measuring Human Decomposition Could Significantly Impact Medicolegal Death Investigations
Improving postmortem interval estimation with standardized and simplified protocols could significantly impact medicolegal death investigations by providing more accurate and reliable data for determining time since death.
NIJ Journal Issue 267, Winter 2010
Research-based information that can help inform policy decisions and improve understanding of the criminal justice system.
Quantifying Error Rates for the Measurement of Human Skeletal Remains
In response to the National Academy of Sciences’ call for scientific data to support forensic evidence, researchers revised forensic anthropology procedures to include an “error metric” for the measurement of human skeletal remains.
Can CT Scans Enhance or Replace Medicolegal Autopsies?
Researchers look into the utility of postmortem X-ray computed tomography in supplanting or supplementing medicolegal autopsies.