Finding Undetermined

Just as in life, circumstances and experiences in death investigation will be unexpected, unanticipated, confusing, and full of various possible interpretations to sort out. And what if there is no clear answer? "Could not Be Determined" is a very unsatisfying phrase for the death investigator of any era. It leaves a person with the feeling that something was missed, that perhaps one more test, one more witness, or some unknown piece of evidence would shed a final light of explanation for the circumstances behind the demise of the subject at hand. Yet, in spite of all modern advances, technology, or research, it is the very nature of the mysteries of living, that there will always be some mystery at the end. Some things in investigations, in spite of the impression given by the media, television, or theatrical productions, simply won't be solved to a tidy conclusion, with 'happily ever-after' or the thump of the gavel of final justice bringing closure. This text is a presentation and discussion of cases ruled "undetermined" in the files and database of Fremont County, Wyoming, from 1887 through 2015, in an attempt to educate and provide examples to the death investigator of the circumstances, issues, and reasoning that may lead to the conclusion of an undetermined manner of death. Like it or not, while statistically they are only a small percentage of the cases you will encounter in your career, you will have them, and find them frustrating. Seeing what was, or was not done, compared to what could be done, gives practice in the logic of case analysis. Seeing the historical progression of methods and circumstances helps in understanding the process of today's investigations. Sometimes, it just is what it is...