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

2. What is unique about killer Joseph Christopher?

3. Why did the urine in Belushi's bladder help police?

4. What does Baden theorize actually introduced meningitis into Jennifer?

5. How does Baden discover time of death in the Hendricks case?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the three themes of Baden's affidavit in the case of Claus von Bulow.

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

3. Explain Ondine's syndrome.

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

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

6. Explain how and why Jascalevich killed the patients of other doctors.

7. Explain what actually happened to Daphne Mellon.

8. 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.

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Baden closes the novel by noting that the system is failing, and has been failing for some time. Why does he say this? What does he attribute as the cause of this failure? What are some things he thinks can help fix the situation? Do you agree these things are important? Why or why not? After reading the novel, do you think forensic medicine, and the role of the ME, are important? Why? What power do they have? What are their responsibilities, and why are these important?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 3, Baden discusses the concept that the death of a person is indicative of the life that person led. After reading the book, and seeing Baden's examples, do you think Baden is correct? Why or why not? Do you think the lives of certain individuals lead to their demise? Why? Does this mean we can, to some extent, control our own fate? Why or why not? Does this necessarily mean some deserve their death? Why or why not? Be sure to use examples given by Baden in the book, as either support for your position or as reasons to disprove his theory. Incorporate your own examples, as well, to support your view.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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