SUPA Forensic
Coroner’s Report: The Pathology Lab
INFORMATION AND PROCEDURE
Scorese
The Case
Mr. Jones, a 60-year-old male, was found dead on the bathroom floor. There was no
indication of foul play and he had no known pre-existing conditions. He was brought to the
medical examiner’s office where an autopsy was performed. It was revealed that the he ate
just prior to the time of death. The stomach contents were removed and sent to the lab to
be analyzed along with samples of his urine and blood. As a top-notch forensic pathologist
you have been asked to perform the task of determining what the Mr. Jones ate prior to his
death and run tests to determine the possible cause and manner of death.
Part 1: Analysis of Stomach Contents:
It is believed that by identifying what and where Mr. Jones ate would help in
reconstructing the events that lead to his death. Upon questioning the his friends and
family, detectives have learned that the he enjoyed eating at the following places:
Dairy Queen
Mr. Jones had a sweet tooth and loved a large vanilla sundae with rainbow
sprinkles and chocolate syrup.
What organic compounds would you expect to find in the stomach contents of the victim if the
victim’s final meal was eaten here?
Marc’s Pizza
Mr. Jones would never eat pizza from anywhere else! The victim would
typically order a pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and bacon.
What organic compounds would you expect to find in the stomach contents of the victim if the
victim’s final meal was eaten here?
Davey’s Locker
Mr. Jones liked to hang out here to watch sporting events while feasting on
Blazin’ wings and celery.
What organic compounds would you expect to find in the stomach contents of the victim if the
victim’s final meal was eaten here?
Olive Garden
Mr. Jones loved to go here to dip Italian bread into delicious olive oil, and
have a bowl of “never-ending” pasta.
What organic compounds would you expect to find in the stomach contents
of the victim if the victim’s final meal was eaten here?
Procedure
1. Follow the Procedure for testing for each of the organic compounds in the chart below.
2. In order to see if the organic compound you are testing for IS present you must test and
see what a positive results looks like by using a positive control (PC) substance. This will
vary depending on test being performed. To see what it looks like if the organic compound
is NOT present, you must also test with a negative control (NC). We will use water for all
tests. Record your results for the controls in Table 1 – SEE DATA SHEET
3. Record the analysis of your results for the stomach contents in Table 2 –SEE DATA
SHEET
Organic Compound
Chemical Test
Lipids
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3 small beakers
10 ml of water (NC)
10 ml of oil (PC)
10 ml of stomach contents
Add 2 drops of Sudan reagent
Record Results in Data Table 1
Proteins
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3 Test Tubes
3 ml of water
3 ml of milk
3 ml of stomach contents
Add 30 drops of Biuret reagent – STIR
Record Results in Data Table 1
Carbohydrates- Starch
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3 test tubes
3 ml of water
3 ml of potato starch
3 ml of stomach contents
Add 10 drops of Iodine reagent –stir
Record in Data Table 1
CarbohydratesSimple Sugars
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3 test tubes
3 ml of water
3 ml of glucose
3 ml of stomach contents
Add 10 drops of Benedicts reagent AND Heat for 3
minutes
Record Results in Data Table 1
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Part Two: Analysis of Blood and Urine (Based on Flinn Scientific Lab: The Coroner’s
Report- Urine and Blood Analysis, Catalog # 7316, Flinn Scientific Inc ©, 2009)
Besides the stomach contents, blood and urine is analyzed for presence of certain
elements and compounds that indicate the pathology of certain diseases. When you
have completed the following tests, refer to the Pathological Information for
Detection of Diseases table below and determine if Mr. Jones may have died as a
result of one of the diseases.
Blood Analysis- Detection of Elevated levels of Chloride ions
1. Obtain THREE test tubes.
2. Add 3 ml of Water to one test tube (NC)
3. Add 3 ml of Salt water to the other test tube. (PC)
4. Add 3 ml of Blood into a clean test tube.
5. Using a clean pipette, add 10 drops of Silver Nitrate to the each test tube
6. Wait 3-5 minutes. Look for the formation of precipitate as seen in PC tube.
7. Record observations in the table below.
Urine Analysis – Detection Glucose and Proteins in Urine
Testing for Glucose (Sugars)
1. Place 3 ml of Urine in a test tube
2. Add 10 drops of Benedict’s Reagent
3. Place in boiling water bath for 3 mins
4. Look for color indication of sugars
5. Record results in the chart below- See data sheet attached
Testing for Proteins
1. Place 3 ml of Urine into a test tube
2. Add 30 drops of Biuret reagent
3. Look for color indication of Protein
4. Record results in the chart below- See data sheet attached
After you have recorded the data for urine and blood analysis, refer to the chart
below to determine possible cause of death.
Pathological Information for Detection of Diseases Table (Flinn Scientific)
Urine
Glucose Ketones Proteins K
X
Dehydration
Condition
Diabetesrelated
Heart
Failure
Heavy Metal
Poisoning
Kidney
Failure
Starvation
X
X
X
Na
X
NH3
Blood
Chloride Phosphate K
X
X
X
X
Na
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Forensic
Names________________________________________________________________
Scorese
Per______
Coroner’s Report: The Pathology Lab
DATA AND ANLAYSIS
Introduction Questions:
What organic compounds would you expect to find if he ate at?
Dairy Queen:
Marc’s Pizza:
Davey’s Locker:
Olive Garden:
PART 1: ANALYSIS OF STOMACH CONTENTS
Data Table 1: Testing for Organic Compounds
Organic Compound
Positive Test
Negative Test
Result
Result
Stomach Contents
Results
Lipids
Proteins
CarbohydratesStarch
CarbohydratesSimple Sugars
Data Table 2: Testing for Organic Compounds in Stomach Contents of the Deceased
Test Results
Present? Yes
or No
Lipids
Proteins
Starch
Sugars
Analysis for Stomach Contents: Report your findings
1. Write a statement regarding which restaurant the victim visited for his last meal.
Provide a logical explanation, using data from the tests on the stomach contents,
that explains how you reached that conclusion.
2. Why was it important to include positive and negative controls in your
investigation?
Part Two: Analysis of Blood and Urine
DATA TABLE
Test Results
Observations (color changes, formation of a precipitate etc)
Blood Test for
Chloride Ions
Urine Test for
Glucose
Urine Test for
Proteins
NOW Refer to the Pathological Information for Detection of Diseases Table and determine if
Mr. Jones may have succumbed to one of the diseases.
Blood And Urine Analysis Question:
Based on the results of the blood and urine tests, what are the likely
conditions that could have caused Mr. Jones’s death? Relate YOUR results to
the Pathology Information Table you used.
Conclusion Questions:
1. Based on the results of the stomach contents AND the blood and urine results can
you determine the Cause, Mechanism and Manner of death? Explain your
determination.
2. Can you be sure of this determination? What other tests would need to be done
on the body fluids that are not mention in this analysis?
3. What effects do you think his meal had in causing his death? (Look this up and
show citation for your source)
4. Explain how the results of this investigation would be helpful for determining
time of death