Reflection 2

I have had finished four revised annotations when Cheryl and I met with Emma. As far as the one and two revised annotations are concerned, I didn’t do a good job. Especially the first one, it was written in list! I planned to take advantage of form to make readers realize my annotation easier, whereas, it creates unlikeliness between the appropriate one. So I have to rewrite it again. On the other hand, the third and fourth annotations have to be shortened due to my overburdened messages in them. I consider summarizing is truly a hard work now. There are almost one hundred times the numbers of 500 in a book but I can only use 500 words to conclude it. Deciding which part of material is the most worth mentioning is difficult. These messages are so important and interesting to me! I want to tell my readers all of them. Also, it takes me a long time to understand these materials so it will be a pity if I cannot use them well. It was painful when I was about to organize these vast messages. I felt like I was an embarrassing magician who couldn’t show her audience a rabbit out of void. There are too many things to tell and I have no idea where to start and how to say. Then soon the situation changed, I couldn’t stop, on the other words, there were too many rabbits on the stage.  

The next problem I have is titling my issue paper. Luckily, Emma and Cheryl gave me a hand to it. Except the first annotation, the rest of my works are interrogation, phycology profiling and autopsy which come from famous crime series. But what are they? In fact, I have hadn’t thought about it until Emma asked me. I just followed the ideas crime series gave me respectively and searched for the appropriate annotations from them. It proves that if I am confused about my own work, I definitely cannot title it well, and neither can my readers know what I am talking about. It sort of shows my fundamental idea of issue paper is weak. I merely cannot tell why I choose this topic when I was forced to title it. In fact, they are three powerful ways to find out who the murderer is. I introduce them because there have been many famous series feature them. After my introduction I compare the situation in Taiwan with them and see what we lack and what we own.

I have to modifying the original annotations many times and link them orderly in the next three two weeks, present a complete work. I am anxious about this task. It sounds tough and about to take me a lot of time and effort. Nevertheless, I am expecting my issue paper show up. I feel no tiredness or revolt toward crime involved issue indicates that I am really fond of it. It is good news. Hope that the next good news is that I have finished the last task.       

Revised annotation 4: Dissecting Death

I deleted redundant narration upon classmates' advice. Also, I explained more detail about forensics
medicals in Taiwan.(2011/12/26)
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Frederick Zugibe, MD, Ph.D.(2007). Dissecting Death.商周出版：家庭傳媒城邦

In crime series, coroners are ever-present characters, furthermore, some series particularly let coroners chase suspects personally, such as “Bones”, “Dexter”. Whereas, a coroner provide more evidence when they stay at mortuaries. Evidence from coroner’s inquest carry the weight with investigation. Time of death (TOD) and cause of death (COD) are decisive for the police narrowing the number of suspects. Coroner’s report directs the way of investigation.

A professional coroner should be a forensic pathologist at the same time. They are the first ones arrive at the crime scene. In order to ensure the purity of evidence, their priority is to block the crime scene and then examine the body initially. When it is done, they pack the corpse and bring it to autopsy room for more information. Identification is the first challenge for coroner. Not all the bodies carry their cards when they died. A corpse’s face is unrecognizable usually result of rottenness or deliberately destruction. Suppose AFIS(Automated Fingerprint Identification System finds no match data, then coroner has to ask for experts’ help- a forensic dentist, an  anthropologist is able to distinguish the dead’s race, sex, age, and figure by the bodies’ skeleton . It will be helpful if a forensic sculptor use computers to reconstruct the dead’s head and appearance according to the skull.  

During the autopsy, coroners start with head in routine procedure, but it depends on the body’ s situation sometimes. The angle of sawing skull may be different from the last case for the further examination of nasal cavity. Then the scalpels move downward to the thoracic cavity(胸腔). The breastbones are cut to show inward chest and expose the organs. Coroners eviscerate and weight, slice viscera for reservation. Abdomen and pelvis(骨盆腔)should do the same. No matter what step is going now, coroners have to take sample of everything, fluid in each cavity, blood, and even remained food in stomach is included. Also, they record everything simultaneously in either vocal or verbal way. Finishing the autopsy, coroners present a complete report to the police. All information about this corpse is contained. With coroner’s help, the police grasp the general picture of this murder and have an idea who may be the suspect.

Time of death(TOD) and cause of death(COD) are two tough tasks for coroners. As long as the coroner’s words incongruent with the suspect’s, he or she may not the one we are searching for. Several methods are beneficial for coroner when these two essential questions are being asked. As far as the TOD is concerned, coroners can reason it by observing rottenness of body, which can be roughly divided into several stages. Nevertheless, outer environment still influent coroner’s accuracy easily, so rectal thermometer(直腸溫度計), or testing potassium(鉀) in vitreous humor(眼球玻璃體) are latest methods for reducing errors. The other challenging one, COD, is equally complicated. Coroners have to tell murder weapon and how it causes the wounds. Knife wound and gunshot are most common. In order to confirm the gun’s type, coroners may have to cooperate with ballistics experts.

Though coroners are powerful in investigation, in Taiwan, we have only few of them and low rate of autopsy. Why? A coroner’s social status, working environment and payment is worse than a normal doctor. A doctor salaried three hundred thousand dollars a month if he cure live people but only salaried eighty thousand if he cut the bodies open. Besides, being a professional coroner takes lengthy time. Only those who own strong determination succeed. Review the major cases in Taiwan, a professional coroner’s reporter can settle down controversy easily. In case of Jian-he Su, it is reported that two victims were died of knife wound, but the murder weapon is unknown and neither do the type of wounds. Lack of key details makes three defendants prove their innocent hardly. Crime series give us a glimpse of the importance and capability of coroners. We are in a hope of seeing more dead’s injustice exposed and more revealing truth spoke by a benevolent and professional coroner.  
       

Annotation 4: 《死亡解剖台》by Frederick Zugibe

Frederick Zugibe, MD., Ph.D.,(2007),Dissecting Death, 商周出版：家庭傳媒城邦

●法醫病理學(forensic pathology)：

法醫病理學這塊領域，是關於涉及司法刑事方面的身體創傷與暴力致死，它尤其注重於查出造成死亡和創傷的工具、方式和原因。此一專業融合了人類的深入查證與科學的探索…

        法醫調查的依據，是針對每件犯罪行為及其遺留之影響的全面認知，無論罪犯如何狡猾的掩蓋他們的犯罪痕跡。透過法醫調查可明瞭，只要能確切追蹤並分析每個線索，他們便能無聲的透漏隱藏在每一樁強暴、謀殺，或自殺案件背後的內情，引領我們將罪犯繩之以法。(p.48-49)

l   羅卡交換論(Locard’s principle)：

愛德蒙‧羅卡(Edmund Locard, 1877-1966)是一位傑出的法國警察…羅卡教導每個追隨他的探員一個重點：某人每次只要接觸到另一人或另一物，無論多偶然或多不明顯，都會造成實體物質的交換。今日整個刑事偵查學，都是奠定在這個簡單的基礎原則上。

舉例來說，如果我們撿起一把刀，便會在刀鋒或刀柄留下我們的皮膚油脂和指紋。倘若我們摩擦到沙發，衣服上便會沾上極細小的纖維。假使我們走過草地，鞋子和衣服便會黏到小孢子、種子，以及少許泥土與草葉。…簡而言之，我們與周遭環境、物件，及他人的接觸和互動，都會留下證物。(P.49)

l   法醫應具備何種訓練與知識？

首先，必須取得醫生資格，然後接受解剖病理學(anatomic pathology)訓練，並獲得合格證書。解剖病理學的研習訓練，包括傷病方面密集的基本研究，而法醫病理學的研習訓練，則包括原因可疑的死亡、暴力導致的死亡、藥物或毒藥導致的死亡、意外死亡、車禍死亡、溺死、觸電死亡、雷擊死亡、爆炸致死，以及外力侵入導致的死亡。

        以上訓練都另須配合其他進一步的知識，包括槍傷與刀傷、各種類型的彈藥武器、有毒植物、昆蟲學、毒物學，以及許多與猝死或暴力致死等領域相關的知識。身為法醫，還必須精通解剖、胚胎學、放射學、外科技術、各種創傷研究、電子顯微鏡應用、相位差顯微鏡應用、偏光顯微鏡應用，以及科學與醫學方面的訓練。(p.51)

l   從法醫學的角度來說，縱火的目的是焚毀人體組織。若被害者是在生前遭縱火焚燒，解剖檢驗時，便會發現血液中含有大量吸入性二氧化碳，且由於被害者在痛苦掙扎時吸入滾熱的濃煙，因此鼻腔深處會呈黑色。手腕和腳踝若有未遭焚燒的皮膚，顯示被害者的手腳在火起時遭綑綁。如果頸部有一圈未遭焚燒的皮膚，表示被害者先遭勒頸再焚燒。

在許多火災或縱火案中，屍體被發現時，通常成所謂的拳擊手姿勢；因為在遭火焚燒時，肌肉會變緊收縮，使身體屈曲，有如拳擊手出拳前的站姿。(p.96)

l   解讀刀傷的方法

…不同類型的兇器所造成的傷口也各不相同。大型的鈍器，如撥火棒，會形成陷入肌肉、邊緣參差不齊的傷口，且周圍會有大量瘀血。碎玻璃刺入，會造成不規則狀的身口，但很少傷及體內主要臟器。砍剁工具，如切肉刀和砍刀，會造成可怕而鮮血四濺的大傷口。這些都屬於較容易判定由何凶器所造成的傷口。

尖端較鈍的凶器，如螺絲起子或安全剪刀，會造成小而深的孔撞傷口，孔洞邊緣參差不齊，會有內出血與傷及骨頭的狀況。

有趣的是，由於骨頭是由高密度的鈣質組成的堅硬物體，它們反而比皮膚或軟組織更容易留下銳器所造成的印記。在某些情況中，光檢驗骨頭上的痕跡，就足以鑑定它是由何種凶器造成，並推斷出凶器的大小和構造。尺寸、刀鋒寬度，以及凶器刺入的深度，甚至可以非常清楚地從骨頭上的痕跡看出來…(p.129)

一位訓練有素的法醫在解剖當中估算凶器長度時，必會考慮到身體組織的彈性，而做出適度的調整與增減。(p.131)

l   從證據研判致命時刻

…我必須面對一個所有法醫驗屍時都須解決的大問題：被害者在哪一天，或至少在幾星期或幾個月前遭毒手？若不知道這點，要將嫌犯與犯罪現場連起來，或是要將目擊者證詞與實際狀況做比對，便會困難重重。查出被害者的死亡時間，有助於證實或推翻不在場證明。它可以排除或增列涉嫌者，查出符合的殺人方法(例如當兇手使用藥效緩慢或迅速的毒藥時)；在某些特定情況中，它能顯示死者是自殺還是遭謀殺；也可以在法庭上用來支持犯案手法的相關論點…

在現實世界中，精確鑑定出命案被害者的死亡時間，是一項最複雜、最富挑戰性，而且是比我願意承認的還要艱難的任務。在鑑定死亡時間時，常會遇到各種阻礙：沒有目擊者，屍體被移動過，氣候、濕度和溫度的變化，證物保管欠佳或採集不全，屍體經過刻意處理或破壞(如冷凍或以酸液溶解)，以及最常見的嚴重腐敗狀況。

讓這個任務難上加難的是，目前還是缺乏某種可靠的化驗方法，能在發現屍體的幾天之內準確鑑定出死亡時間。…(p.134)

 l   莫忘貝傑瑞

法醫昆蟲學(forensic entomology )是一門奇妙而獨特的科學：它運用蟲子繁殖週期、產卵習性以汲取食模式，來破解命案。隨著病理學家持續發現從觀察食屍甲蟲、胡蜂和蒼蠅的生死循環與習性，可獲得法醫鑑識資料…(p.140)

Revised Annotation 3: Whoever Fights Monsters

Robert,K, Ressler&Thomas,Schachtman.(1995) .Whoever Fights Monsters.台灣先智:平裝.

In the original annotation I merely posted some paragraphs of this book without organizing them. Here I put them in order and added my own thought at the end of the article, so readers know more clear about how psychological profiling truly practice in the investigation.
2. I modified some irrelevant narration and delete redundant plot.(2011/12/26)

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Psychological profiling(心理描繪技術)is a profound skill which needs practitioners equipped with sociology, criminology and psychology. Presently, BAU (Behavior Analysis Unit) is the most famous organization which assists investigation by psychological profiling. Also, BAU is the main of Criminal Mind,  a famous crime series. When a case is presented to BAU and ask for their help, that’s mean this time police officers meet an unusual murderers and forensic evidences are helpless. The police have to rely on this special skill to picture the suspect. According to crime scene, the murderer is cruel and merciless. The longer the time for searching for him, the more dangerous the locals are. Therefore, BAU soon arrive and collect information about suspect as far as they can. Base on the clue from crime scene, specialists have to define suspect’s character. The crime scene may be clean, designed, or with blood everywhere. What type of murderer can be? Is he organized or disorganized? Is he planning this murder beforehand or he just out of control? What kind of person may be his target? These are essential clues. Specialists picture these fragments together and reason out he may be a tall, white man.Perhaps, he losts his job recently. Female with blonde hair is his favorite. With this profiling, the police can narrow down the number of suspects and save more time. Sometime murderers will contact police first either by message on crime scene or statement on newspaper. At that time, investigation will be a psychological warfare between murderer and the police.

Criminals who commit these bloodcurdling murders are not ordinary people, but most of them have ordinary appearances. They talk reasonably, dress normally, even some of them are handsome and intelligent. It is hard for victims to know in fact the guy talking to them enjoy cutting people’s bellies a lot. Any ordinary motives for committing cannot be applied to them, such as money, poverty, or emotional impulsion. They kill for their own emotional satisfactions. Initially, they experiment on their pets, such as fish, dog, or cat to make their fantasy come true. If there is still no one guide and assist them, soon they turn to human beings for further satisfaction. These criminals, or psychopaths, must be isolated when they are proved of having mental disease.  Some of them do know killing is not right but it is impossible for them to control themselves. No chance for fully recovery.

Many people wondering whether a deficient family cause these killers’ emergence. According to the author’s study, if one get no gentle touches, proper caring and feeling of needed in their childhood, on the other word, being loved, then he or she may have problem of maintaining long-term relationship and sexual dysfunction. The former one make them feel lonely and the latter one arouses resentment against female. Parents carry the weight with the growth of a criminal; either violently treating, sexual harassment or ignorance afflicting them both physically and mentally. Consequently, they are deprived of capability of love and can never sympathize other people. Not every unfortunate child is destined to be a series killer in the future. But deficient family is part of what make them series killers. Cruel treatment bud in their early stage of growth. The formation of a criminal still need deeper and wider study so the psychological profiling can be more accurate.

Psychological profiling is a useful tool during the  investigation. If the profile matches the real killer, it can save more time for sieving out suspects and being advantageous in the probable negotiation with them. Furthermore, we can find other absconding criminals through the confession of those who have been caught finally. In Taiwan, there is still a limit to how much psychological profiling can do, due to the human resource and related equipment is not good enough. Wish in the future will be more people willing to develop this strong weapon, enhance the efficiency of closing a case.