Suicide Investigation

By far the majority of suicides and suicide attempts are accompanied by a history of some psychological disorder including; severe and manic depression, and schizophrenia.

Suicides must be competently investigated by both law enforcement and the Medical Examiner or Coroner.  With that being said, there is a history of some death scenes being misinterpreted as suicides or others masqueraded to look like anything but a suicide.  It is the investigators responsibility to determine if the evidence at the scene fits the finding of suicide.  In the same way that the physical evidence must fit the finding of suicide, the psychological evidence must also fit the findings too.

Suicides rarely "just happen," there are usually weeks or even months of history which include hopelessness, helplessness, and haplessness.  This behavior is often associated with suicidal thought, self-destructive talk, and even risk-taking behaviors. 
The well-educated and knowledgeable investigator must ask about these behaviors before completing a suicide investigation.  Much of this original information can be used to complete a psychological autopsy, in an effort to accurately "interview" the decedent.

When Dan Christman was writing his undergraduate thesis, he focused much of his study on the topic of suicide.  In the end, he submitted his thesis titled, "Suicidal Profile, An Instrument for Investigators."  This instrument has been successfully used to investigate and validate suspected suicidal deaths.  In his career, Dan has reviewed several hundred suicidal death scenes and administered the Profile instrument in an effort to better understand the decedent's point of view, prior to his or her death.  Dan makes himself available to review case work, and provide original investigative case work in equivocal suicide investigations.