Why Did He Die? He Wasn't Supposed To!

Abstract

Forensic pathology is not simply autopsy pathology. Rather, the determination of why someone died is dependent upon the findings of a competent autopsy interpreted within the context of an excellent investigation of the circumstances of death. It is important that medical examiners remember the critical distinction between “dying with” and “dying of” something. Furthermore, our determination of “the” cause of death may not explain “why” someone died; identifying the underlying cause of death may not explain the mechanism through which the person died.