Deaths Labeled Suicide Without Exam The Associated PressDecember 1, 2013 ATLANTA — A newspaper investigation has found that many deaths labeled suicides by authorities in Georgia have not undergone a full forensic examination. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution analyzed a database of nearly 175,000 state death certificates and found that more than 1,000 deaths since 2011 were labeled suicides without such examinations (bit.ly/18Skpwv ). Officials closed the cases of nearly 40 percent of suspected suicides without autopsies or other tests, the newspaper determined. Elected coroners, who often lack training in medicine or forensic pathology, attributed deaths to a variety of causes, including gunshot wounds, hanging, suffocation with plastic bags, helium inhalation and self-mutilation. In 69 cases, officials said suicides were caused by drug overdoses, but never verified that with laboratory tests. Some states require autopsies in most suicide cases, and many forensic experts say they should be performed in any death that raises suspicion. Read more here: macon/2013/12/01/2807843/newspaper-deaths-labeled-suicide.html#storylink=cpy
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 18:31:38 +0000
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