DISCLAIMER: :innocent: I have NOT been verified by WS as an expert (reason being: "My Boss & the "biggies" et al are okay with anonymous posting to provide INFORMATION regarding the specialty of forensic pathology (& to EDUCATE the public for funding purposes! (my theory!) BUT NOT AS A "reliable source", "consultant" (yeah, we can't moonlight without permission!) or any other possible "COURT certifiable resource""). :innocent:
That above given, as an intelligent (for today at least!!!) poster, :twocents: (N.B. always stands for MY 2 cents worth!), accidental deaths CAN and HAVE BEEN "hidden" be they the bodies themselves or the means upon which/by which the death occurred.
Yes, children HAVE been removed from a death scene and place BACK in a crib to simulate a SIDS death, repositioned & removed to another site to simulate an abduction, removed from a swimming pool to mitigate owner liability (GRRRRRR!), removed from a microwave oven and placed on the floor near "boiling H2O" to simulate an accidental burn, (I HAD to bold the entire story on THAT one!). :maddening::maddening::maddening:
So, those are just some RECENT experience that I am very familiar with for some very good reasons! I'm :innocent: POSITIVE that a literature search of the CDC database would present a few hundred or thousands more suspicious situations that never reached full legal involvement but that's another story for another day!:banghead:
:twocents: MANY people do very unusual things (including so called "professionals" since we are all HUMAN!) when encountering the deceased, the reasoning behind the behaviors are as varied as the persons involved but it has been stated by many with whom I am honored to share my mission, those who are "not guilty" of grave, severe wrong doing eventually ADMIT that the action(s) were "unique" and attempt to explain or at least try to bring the listener into their experience specific frame of reference.
:twocents: TURNING ACCIDENTAL/SUICIDAL/NATURAL MODs into "HOMICIDE" death type scenes, NOT one of the USUAL behaviors encountered and that's why ALL pieces of data are taken into consideration before putting a check mark in box #37 on the death certificate! :seeya: