DCSIMG
Skip to local navigation | Skip to content
Office of Justice Programs (OJP) banner
National Institute of Justice (NIJ): Research, Development, Evaluation
 

Forensic Death Investigation Symposium Agenda

NIJ does not exercise control over external Web sites. Read our Exit Notice.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Michael G. Sheppo, Director, Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. Watch video of his remarks: Video (Flash), Video (WMV).

Keynote Address

  • Moderator: Ronald S. Reinstein, Judge (retired), Superior Court of Arizona, Arizona Supreme Court, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Presenter: James Downs, Coastal Regional Medical Examiner, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Savannah, Ga.

Watch video of the keynote address or see presenter slides:

Panel Discussions:

National Academy of Sciences Report
Panelists:

  • Moderator: Joseph P. Bono, President, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Indianapolis, Ind.
  • O'dell M. Owens, President, International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Lakschmanan Sathyavagiswaran, Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Jay Siegel, Director, Forensic and Investigative Science Program, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis, Ind

Read a summary of the panel.

Watch video of presentations or see presenter slides:

National Missing and Unidentified Persons (NamUs) in the Limelight (Working Lunch)
Panelists:

  • Billy Young, NamUs Coordinator, National Forensic Science Technology Center, Largo, Fla.
  • Bruce E. Anderson, Forensic Anthropologist, Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, Tucson, Ariz.

Watch video of presentations or see presenter slides:

Forensic Death Investigation: A Systematic Approach for Enhancing Policy and Practice
Panelists:

  • Moderator: Christine M. Cole, Executive Director, Program in Criminal Justice, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Mass.
  • Barbara A. Butcher, Chief of Staff and Director of Forensic Science Training Program, Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, N.Y.
  • P. Michael Murphy, Coroner, Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • James Downs, Coastal Regional Medical Examiner, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Savannah, Ga.
  • Chris E. Taylor, Supervisory Chemist, U.S. Army Investigation Laboratory, Forest Park, Ga. and Co-chair, Certification, Accreditation and Licensing Interagency Working Group, National Science Technology Council, Committee on Sciences, Subcommittee on Forensic Science

Read a summary of the panel.

Watch video of presentations or see presenter slides:

Breakout Sessions:

Navigating Legal and Ethical Issues in Death Investigation
Facilitators:

  • Scott M. Grim, Coroner, Lehigh County Coroner's Office, Allentown, Pa.
  • Mark Fischione, Chief Medical Examiner, Maricopa County, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • George "Woody" Clarke, Judge, San Diego Superior Court, San Diego, Calif.
  • Moderator: Ronald S. Reinstein, Judge (retired), Superior Court of Arizona, Arizona Supreme Court, Phoenix, Ariz.

Read a summary of the session.

See presenter slides or read the session agenda:

Leveraging R&D and Technology in the Death Investigation Community
Facilitators:

  • Jeffrey Salyards, Program Manager, Science and Technology, U.S. Criminal Investigations Laboratory, Ft. Gillem, Ga. and Co-chair, Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation Interagency Working Group, National Science Technology Council, Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Forensic Science
  • Debra L. Karch, Lead Behavioral Scientist, Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.
  • Edward L. Mazuchowski, Deputy Medical Examiner, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Rockville, Md.
  • Kurt B. Nolte, Assistant Chief Medical Examiner, New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, Albuquerque, N.M.
  • Douglas H. Ubelaker, Curator, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
  • Moderator: Gregory G. Davis, Associate Professor of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.

Read a summary of the session.

See presenter slides or read the session agenda:

Forensic Death Investigation: Communication Break Down
Facilitators:

  • Frank DePaolo, Director of Special Operations, Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, N.Y.
  • Julie Howe, Executive Director, American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Lakschmanan Sathyavagiswaran, Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Louis A. Tosti, Investigative Consultant, Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Moderator: P. Michael Murphy, Coroner, Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner, Las Vegas, Nev.

Read a summary of the session.

See presenter slides or read the session agenda:

Education, Training and Certification Programs for Death Investigators
Facilitators:

  • Barbara A. Butcher, Chief of Staff and Director of Forensic Science Training Program, Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, N.Y.
  • David P. Corey, Executive Director, Ohio State Coroner's Association, Columbus, Ohio
  • Mary Fran Ernst, Director of Forensic Education and Associate Professor of Pathology, St. Louis University Medical School, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Gregory A. Schmunk, Chief Medical Examiner, Polk County Medical Examiner's Office, Des Moines, Iowa
  • Chris E. Taylor, Supervisory Chemist, U.S. Army Investigation Laboratory, Forest Park, GA and Co-chair, Certification, Accreditation and Licensing Interagency Working Group National Science Technology Council, Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Forensic Science
  • Moderator: O'dell M. Owens, President, International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, Cincinnati, Ohio

Read a summary of the session.

See presenter slides or read the session agenda:

Keynote Address: Lessons Learned in Mass Fatality Management

  • Frank DePaolo, Director of Special Operations, Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, N.Y.

Breakout Session Reports

  • Moderator: Christine M. Cole, Executive Director, Program in Criminal Justice, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Mass.

Watch video of presentations or see presenter slides:

Closing Remarks

  • Brigid O'Brien, Program Manager, Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
  • Michael G. Sheppo, Director, Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences, National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

Watch video of the closing remarks: Video (Flash), Video (WMV).

Next section: National Academy of Sciences Report

Date Created: June 15, 2011