Page 55 - 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

During this review is the time to have the photographs side-by-side to a working document of case

notes specific to this review. It is helpful to have dual monitors or a split screen monitor to work
easily through the photographs during the detailed note taking. This will also ultimately prepare

you for your report – be as detailed as possible. To further our review process we also color code

our documents – witness statements, what the evidence tells, and items of importance to be
asked or for additional research.

4. Detailed Review the Records and Reports

With the benefit of having reviewed the photographs in detail and documented observations,
including questions, this is putting the final edit to our movie. Like the Detailed Review of the

Photographs, this Detailed Review has more foundation and greater growing detail. Even more
questions should be answered, and perhaps even more questions needing answers. Review the

marked and saved records and reports to look for the information and details you have previously
found, observed, and developed, in this review protocol. Correspond what is in the photographs to

what is in the records and reports – again with special attention to detail for injury types and sub-
types, concentrating on areas describing the events of injury causation and the injury is the focus.

Similarly, during this review is the time to have the records and reports side-by-side to a working

document of case notes specific to this review. Your marked materials will make it easier to focus
on what you already found important, and as with the photograph notes, prepares you for your

report – be as detailed as possible, and use color codes to your documents – witness statements,
what the evidence tells, and items of importance to be asked or for additional research.

5. Consider the Circumstances of the Incident

Several hours into this process, it is now time to get the “director’s cut” of your developing movie
of what did and did not happen in the incident, and specifically to the death / SBI. This is where

the Part 2, above, comes into focus and becomes part of the review and analysis:
• How – Did the event happen as reported (i.e. Cause)?

The CFDI is not making a determination of Cause of Death / SBI – they are asking if the event
happened how the records and reports describe. Do the photographs support this? Is there

more information needed? Are there factually plausible alternatives?

43 | P a g e