65321 Homicide and Human Remains Investigation

Description

This subject introduces students to a variety of disciplines that can assist in investigating forensic cases involving human remains with a particular focus on homicides. Homicide is one of the most complex crimes to investigate. The victim(s) may be recently deceased, may have undergone degrees of decomposition, or may be completely skeletonised by the time of discovery and recovery.

Overall, the aims of the investigation are to: search for and locate the deceased, process the complex scene and recover their remains and any associated traces, establish the identity of the deceased, understand the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it.

At the completion of the subject, students should have a greater understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of human remains investigations when recently deceased, decomposed or skeletal remains are located. This is achieved by presentations from guests speakers with different background and expertise during the lectures and workshops.

This subject expands on the skills and knowledge introduced in 65342 Crime Scene Investigation while complementing the content covered in 65316 Criminalistics. It is designed to get students to utilise the skills learned in 65342 while introducing the principles, concepts and complexities that are specific to a homicide crime scene and human remains investigation.