The medical examiner had to perform an autopsy on the body of the deceased victim in order to ascertain the cause of death.
autopsy
Definition
A medical examination of a corpse to determine disease, injury, and cause of death, especially in a criminal investigation. Also termed postmortem; postmortem examination; necropsy; obduction.
Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary
A physician's examination of the body of a deceased person to determine the cause of death.
Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.
August 19, 2010, 5:11 pm
“With nothing more than Tucker’s testimony linking Gray to the Sorrell murders, the trial court then allowed the prosecutor to introduce the testimony of Detective Slezak and Doctor Presswalla, as well as crime scene and autopsy photographs and the victims’ autopsy reports.” C.J. Rehnquist, Gray v. Netherland, 518 U.S. 152, 176-177 (1996).
