A medical examiner's office determines cause of death and can assess whether injuries occurred before or after a person's death.
high
procedural
Role of the medical examiner in death investigations
Forensic DNA analysis can link biological evidence preserved from decades-old crime scenes to specific individuals by matching crime-scene DNA to DNA from exhumed remains or to DNA obtained from relatives.
high
procedural
Describes general forensic methods used to identify individuals from long-preserved biological evidence.
Long-term preservation of physical evidence enables later DNA testing that can produce usable matches even after multiple decades.
high
procedural
Highlights the importance of evidence preservation for future forensic testing.
Academic forensic units and specialized criminal investigation resource centers can apply new DNA technologies and investigative techniques to re-examine and advance cold-case investigations.
high
procedural
Describes institutional roles in re-evaluating cold cases using evolving technologies.