Page 73 - 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

Every official investigative report should have a summary, conclusion or case disposition. This is not
typically an ‘Executive Summary’ section, it is usually a work-flow in which the reporting officer,

investigator, etc. provides their concluding role, or the case disposition. The most relevant case summary
are the affidavits and warrants for search and arrest.

Of importance here is did the elements presented reach a factual conclusion and case disposition as
reported. Additionally, are the summary and case dispositions reported by other personnel consistent with
each other with a factual foundation, or perhaps too consistent without factual foundation. Any items

found in any summary and case disposition not previously presented and supported by the evidence

should be further scrutinized. At times, what may be seen as an inconsistency is simply different personnel
roles and one supporting their findings with those of another. For example, a supplemental report
disposition reporting on the laboratory or autopsy report will have no previous entry for these reported

results and findings. As another example, the role of a first responding officer, or coroner’s investigator

will be limited and may include information shared with them by others, and provided as additional
information in their own.

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