Word Journals

Criminal Investigations - Homicide

Word

Page/Internet
315

Definition
The cooling of the
body after death

Own Words
The bodys
temperature after
death

Examples
When somebody dies
their body drops or
rises to room
temperature

The reason someone

dies

What caused the

death

Disease, physical
injury, stroke, heart
attack

Cessation or end of
life

No longer living

Someone is dead if
their body no longer
functions

Rotting of all tissues

and organs

The body begins to

rot

When a body
decomposes its
breaking down

The study of insects

as they relate to legal
matters

Studying insects in
investigation

A blowfly is the first

to arrive on a dead
body, depending on
how old the bug is,
you can tell how long
the bodys been
there

Algor Mortis

Cause of Death
311

Death
310

Decomposition
317

317
Forensic entomology

Word

Page
312

Livor mortis

Manner of Death

Definition
The pooling of the
blood in tissues after
death resulting in a
reddish color to the
skin

Own Words
Pooling of blood after
death that changes
the skin color

Examples
The blood all goes
towards the ground,
telling you what
position the person
couldve died in

One of four means by

which someone dies

The classification of
how someone died

Natural, homicidal,
suicidal, accidental

Specific body failure

that leads to death

What in the body

caused the actual
death

Heart stopping,
bleeding out

The deliberate and

unlawful killing of
one person by
another; murder

One person kills

another

Jim stabs Jane

because he caught
her cheating

A grayish waxy
substance formed by
the decomposition of
soft tissue in dead
bodies subjected to
moisture

Waxy substance
formed when the sot
tissues in dead
bodies are exposed
to moisture

A dead person found

in the rainforest
might look a bit gray

311

Mechanisms of death

homicide

adipocere

311

Word

asphyxiation

Felony Murder

Manslaughter

Defense wounds

Justifiable homicide

Excusable homicides

Page

Definition
To kill or make
unconscious through
inadequate oxygen

Own Words
Killing someone by
strangling

When an offender
kills in the
commission of a
dangerous felony

When someone is
killed in commission
of a felony

Killing a human being

without malice or
forethought

Killing someone in
the heat of the
moment

Am injury received by
the victim of an
attack while trying to
defend against the
assailant
The killing of a
person in
circumstances that
allow the act to be
regarded in law as
without criminal guilt
Homicide done by
accident or
misadventure or in
self-defense and
without criminal
intent

Injury received
defending yourself

Examples
If someone died from
being choked, the
medical way to say it
would be that they
passed from
asphyxiation
Someone is robbing a
bank and a banker is
killed in the process

It wasnt planned, but

it wasnt an accident.
The offender meant
to kill, but didnt plan
it
A cut across a palm
received while trying
to block the attackers
blows

Homicide that can be

excused in the eyes
of the law

Someone was killed

in defending yourself

Accidental homicide

Trying to miss a dog

that ran into the
road, you accidently
killed a pedestrian

Criminal Homicide

Word

First degree murder

Second degree
murder

Poisoning

Stabbing

Page

Murder,
manslaughter, or
criminally negligent
homicide

Killing on purpose

Killing someone for

crashing into your car

Definition
Unlawful killing that
is willful and
premeditated

Own Words
Planning and
executing a kill

Examples
Planning to kill
someone because
they made you angry

Intentional killing
that is not
premeditated or
planned, nor
committed in heat of
passion
Administer poison
either deliberately or
accidently

Killing that is not

planned

Trying to hurt
someone but they
end up dying

Poisoning someone

Putting poison in
someones tea

To thrust a knife or
other pointed
weapon into
someone as to
wound or kill
A shot fired from a
gun

Putting a knife in
someone with bad
intentions

If someone put a
knife in you, youve
been stabbed

A bullet released
from a gun

If someone receives a
gunshot wound,
another person took
a shot with a gun

The practice of
hanging condemned
5

Hanging someone for

punishment

The kkk used to hang

people

Gunshot

Hanging

people as a form of
capitol punishment