Page 31 - 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

of the insured party leading up to the covered event. These are most often for attorneys, and also other
investigators. We also provide services in select private family cases of questioned deaths.

We will review, and then if substantiated, investigate starting with the official investigation records,

reports and photographs. These are numerous, and much more than the standard police report or autopsy

report – which are no different than our own – they are reports of findings based on evidence. We want to
see the evidence, and possibly – most often – find more evidence. We will analyze and review the official
investigation and provide an expert opinion if standard protocols and practices were followed, and if the

official findings are consistent with the evidence. We will then make recommendations if further

investigation is warranted by our agency, and/or our consulting forensic pathologist and consulting
forensic toxicologist, including other experts.

Cause and Manner is not exclusive to death investigations. Similar processes and findings are used in SBI

cases, and also civil and criminal cases, fire investigations, motor vehicle collisions, and more.
Understanding these two components, and their differences, is necessary to understanding the roles of

involved investigators and experts.

In death investigations, the Cause of Death is a medical finding and opinion – and is the medical reason for
death. These are based on a medicolegal probability conclusion – not a legal certainty. In other cases, such

as fire or motor vehicle collisions it would be the series of events giving the reason for the fire or collision.
This is determined from investigative and forensic evidence, direct and circumstantial. This may be

determined by any combination of, or only: autopsy (medical or forensic), investigation, or review of the
medical records.

Next is the Manner of Death – which is a medicolegal finding – and is a category: Natural – a medical or

health factor; Accident – due to the person’s or another’s actions without intent; Suicide – due the
person’s actions with knowledge and/or intent; Homicide – due to another person’s actions with

knowledge and/or intent; and Undetermined – in which the evidence is inconclusive as to a specific
Manner. The same Cause of Death – such as an overdose, gunshot wound, or motor vehicle collision – may

have different applicable Manners due to the circumstances within the Cause. A person may die or have a
SBI due to an overdose, gunshot wound, or motor vehicle collision and the Manner be Accident, Homicide

(or attempted), Suicide (or attempted), or Undetermined. A motor vehicle collision could be due to a

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