In a nutshell, death
investigation uses forensic toxicology to identify the cause of
death. In this discipline, toxicologists usually study the
concentration of substances ingested by a person and their effect to
the body. Blood and hair samples are frequently used to detect the
chemicals present in the system. In fact, a 10 ml blood sample is
enough to verify the presence of a toxic substance. When it comes to
hair samples, toxicologists would refer to the hair follicle as it is
useful in determining medium to long-term substance abuse.
A deceased person's
gastric contents may also show undigested substances that have been
ingested before death. It is also possible to come up with a rough
estimation on the time of death depending on the state of digestion
of stomach contents.
A toxicology expert
witness strengthens evidences when criminal cases are brought to
court. They provide a detailed analysis of the substances found
during the autopsy and even on the samples collected by the
investigators. The outcome of the case largely depends on how
accurate the interpretations are. Plaintiffs or defendants will have
to seek the services of a toxicology expert witness to have reliable
documentation needed for proper litigation. They may even ask the
toxicologist to provide testimony before the court.