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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does heroin kill?

2. What do drowning victims have in common with heroin overdose cases?

3. What did the funeral director miss when preparing the body for funeral?

4. What did Robert Travis and Larry Peters set out to do at Dr. Brown's property on the night she died?

5. Dr. Worthington was willing to testify to what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe why a body in the desert mummifies, and why a body in the Arctic stays bacteria free.

2. Explain how Baden knew the hostages were killed by the guards.

3. Why did Kuklinski use cyanide, and how did Baden discover it on his victims?

4. How did Baden know the killer in the Buffalo slayings was trained, either as a hunter or medically?

5. Explain how the defense for Hendricks tried to argue the digestive system argument, and Baden's counter argument.

6. Describe how the development of maggots helped determine time of death in the case of Gail Morris.

7. Explain how Carl Cappolino killed William E. Farber.

8. Explain what actually happened to Daphne Mellon.

9. Explain what Baden notices about Sunny's levels of alcohol and barbiturates, and why he calculates them as fatal levels at the time of her coma.

10. Explain why the DA dropped the three additional murder charges against Kuklinski.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The novel discusses three clear methods to detect time of death, those of rigor mortis, livor mortis, and algor mortis.

Part 1) List each method, and discuss, in detail, how that method helps determine the time of death.

Part 2) Compare and contrast the three methods. How are they the same? How are they different?

Part 3) Which is the best method of detection? Why? What are the limitations of this method?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 1 of the book, Baden discusses the concept of celebrity death, and the effect of a flawed autopsy on the perception of foul play surrounding the death. Do you think conspiracy theories are derived from the life of the celebrity, or the circumstances surrounding their death, or both? Why? What aspects of life or death help frame a conspiracy theory following death? Why do some celebrities suffer such beliefs after their death and some do not? Based on this, do you think forensic science can have an effect on these ideas? Why or why not? What does this say about forensic science?

Essay Topic 3

Baden points out several times in the novel that the role of the ME is one of politics, science, and power. Do you agree that the ME has power? Why or why not? Do you think the ME can directly affect the outcome of a criminal trial? Why or why not? Does this mean the ME has to show a large level of credibility? What should happen if that credibility is questioned? Do you think the ME should issue death certificates that necessarily help the DA? Why or why not? Be sure to analyze these issues using examples and details from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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