Page 139 - CFDI Guide

Certified Forensic Death Investigator (CFDI) Program
Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI, CFDI-Expert and Karen S. Beers, BSW, CCDI, CFDI-SME
Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council (CDITC) Accredited

important information requiring further investigation and documentation to support your claim. As an
example, if the decedent was the causing factor, such as being an intoxicated driver who paralyzed a

pedestrian, but was killed in the resulting collision.

Case Studies from Associates in Forensic Investigations

Not all of these cases are criminal defense, or favorable to the defense – some are suicides and others are
disfavorable to the defense. We share these, as they further demonstrate the importance of the CFDI, and

any fatal or non-fatal event may become a criminal defense, and others have important factors which

should also be looked for in criminal defense. In all cases, only the evidence is the factor in any final
determination. Not all of these will be covered in the webinar and presentations.

Multiple Juveniles Charged in Homosexual Survivalist’s Murder (Expert Consultation)

Our agency was retained by the attorney representing the decedent’s family in a civil wrongful death;
there was a concurrent criminal homicide. The juveniles reported going to the decedent’s junkyard several

times after school and on weekends. They reported it was well known he was homosexual for younger
boys in the community. On the occasion of the event, they were invited to his ‘survivalist bunker’. In this

bunker he provided alcohol and marijuana, as well as watch homosexual pornography. During their time in
the bunker, the decedent made sexual advances towards one or more of the juveniles. In the course of the

physical altercation, they each grabbed a semi-automatic rifle and shot the decedent multiple times as he
came at them, killing him.

The private investigator conducted the scene investigation and provided photographs and reports of the

incident for review. In review of the scene investigation, including by law enforcement, and with the
autopsy reports and photographs, it was determined the trajectory of the gunshot wounds came from at

least two different locations – one to the right of the decedent, and one directly behind, and both were
below the decedent – going from his lower back and right torso flank towards the front and chest.

Anatomically – from back to front, upward at a sharp angle, and one from right to left and the other
without much side-to-side deviation. This information determined the decedent was not moving towards

the juveniles, but away. Next it was determined he was climbing up the ladder to exit the bunker – the
only manner of ingress and egress. Additional information from the private investigator determined the

decedent was a homosexual with a live-in partner of 20 years until recent to the incident. In addition,

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