An autopsy is always performed on a body that is removed from a crime scene. Before this can be done, the body has to be taken to the morgue and logged in. In their book, Postmortem, Dr Steven A Koehler and Dr Cyril H Wecht describe the process of admitting a body to a morgue.
What Happens When a Body Arrives at the Morgue
A body is normally transported from a crime scene by the coroner’s van. At the morgue, it will be weighed and photographed and information will be recorded in the log-in book. Details required include the name, age, race and sex of the victim and the time the body was brought in.
The body is then taken from the van stretcher and placed on a morgue gurney. An ID tag is attached to the big toe and a matching one to the body bag. A block is placed under the head to lift it and allow the blood to drain away. Then the body is placed in a cooler.
How do Coolers at the Morgue Function
Once the body has been tagged and registered, it needs to be refrigerated to prevent decomposition. Most morgues have two types of chambers:
· Short term chambers are cooled to 40°F and are used to store a body for a few days or a couple of weeks. The body will decompose slightly at this temperature · Long term chambers are cooled to as much as -10°F. At this temperature a body will freeze and will not decompose at all
Some coolers are walk-in facilities while others are wall units with pull-out drawers. Some morgues have separate areas for bodies that are contaminated, infected or in an advanced state of decomposition.
Preparing for an Autopsy on a Homicide Victim
After being processed at the morgue, a body will be autopsied to identify the cause of death. An autopsy is normally attended by an autopsy technician, an autopsy photographer and a forensic pathologist. Before performing the autopsy, they will examine the paperwork and reports.
There are two types of autopsy and these are an external examination only or a complete examination. A complete examination is required in a homicide. In some cases there may be religious requirements such as a rabbi being present at the examination of an Orthodox Jew.
All bodies from crimes scenes will be transported to the morgue where they are tagged and photographed. Once the paperwork is done, the body will be refrigerated pending an autopsy that will usually reveal or confirm the cause of death.
Reference:
Koehler, Dr Steven A and Dr Cyril H Wecht, Postmortem, Elwin St Limited, 2006.