Course Description: Death investigation requires a team effort consisting of detectives, crime scene technicians and forensic personnel. Positive outcomes are best realized when these components work together to collect, evaluate, reconstruct and derive meaning from the available evidence.
This challenging 5-day (40 hour) course is designed and presented by field veterans for detectives, crime scene technicians and others involved in death investigation. Through both lecture and practical exercises, investigators may expand their skill sets by learning and practicing methodologies for objective investigation and analysis of death scenes. Key concepts are reinforced through practical exercise. This is not a “checklist” course. Attendees use critical thinking skills to work, “hands on”, historically based homicide investigations. 
Classroom instruction and practical exercises include:
- Basic procedures for managing crime scenes and addressing constitutional issues.
- Case management techniques to assess, organize, plan, and delegate investigation.
- Methods for identifying and evaluating physical and biological evidence, wounds, bloodstains, ballistics, witnesses and other evidence.
- Evidence associated with child deaths, self-inflicted death, domestic violence, and accidental deaths.
- Capabilities and limitations of forensic analysis.
- Identifying basic bloodstain pattern characteristics in a crime scene.
- Identifying and evaluating evidentiary relationships to reconstruct events.
- Evaluating subjective and objective evidence through application of critical thinking.
- Flowcharts and timelines as investigative and analytical tools.
- Interview techniques to increase subject cooperation.
- Behavioral characteristics of violent crime offenders.
- Presenting investigations for prosecutorial evaluation.
Course Requirements:
Course is designed for detectives and crime scene personnel currently working or moving into death scene investigations. Course materials are provided in electronic format. Attendees should bring an electronic device with USB connection, basic office suite software, preferably a laptop computer, to access/save handouts, case materials, and fillable forms used in both lecture and practical exercises. No prerequisites, but prior law enforcement or crime scene experience is helpful.
Note: The Death Investigation Course is sponsored through TriTech Forensics, the training partner for the International Association of Identification (IAI). Visit www.tritechtraining.com or contact Phil Sanfilippo, 954-806-2123 phil@tritechusa.com to host or register for a course. 
Student Comments:
“This was one of the best training courses I have ever taken. Both instructors were extremely knowledgeable and have extensive experience to back it up” TC, Arlington Co PD
“Wide coverage of the full investigative process. Both instructors were very knowledgeable” Fairfax Co PD
“Everything was extremely valuable. Instructors were fantastic” Alexandria PD
Student Comments:
“This was one of the best training courses I have ever taken. Both instructors were extremely knowledgeable and have extensive experience to back it up” TC, Arlington Co PD
“Wide coverage of the full investigative process. Both instructors were very knowledgeable” Fairfax Co PD
“Everything was extremely valuable. Instructors were fantastic” Alexandria PD