Office of the Medical Examiner
Wood County Medical Examiner’s Office
Name: Matthew Christian Frank Case No. 0012345
Age: 24 D.0.B. __May 12, 1979 Race: _W_ Sex: _Male County: Wood
Date Death (Found): May 12, 2003 Date of Exam: May 14, 2003 Time: 08:35 hrs
CC: State Attorney’s Office
Parkersburg Police Department
Cause of Death: Multiple blunt force injury to head
Manner of Death: Homicide
Mechanism: Heavy instrument – consistent with a crowbar
GROSS ANATOMIC DIAGNOSIS
Findings:
I. Noted Injuries:
a. Head and neck
i. Stellate fractures to the frontal area of skull
ii. Depressed skull fracture to parietal bone
iii. Laceration to temporal area of scalp
iv. Laceration/tearing of right ear
v. Abrasion, front and right medial of neck
b. Extremities
i. Transverse fracture of right forearm
ii. Superficial abrasions of both knees
c. Fluids
i. Urine
ii. Cardiac blood
iii. Vitreous
iv. Spinal (lumbar puncture)
External Examination
Received the unembalmed, symmetrically developed, adequately nourished and hydrated body of an adult male appearing as his reported age of 24. Length is 73 inches. Weight is 174 pounds. The body is cool to the touch and has been previously refrigerated. There are no unusual odors. Rigor mortis was not reported in the police report as existing or as absent. Rigor mortis is not present on the body at this time. Dorsal livor mortis is present as well as laterally on the left side. Exposed to pressure, these areas do not blanche. The cranium is symmetrically developed, with brown scalp hair 45 cm in length. The irises are brown. The cheeks, chin and neck are clean-shaven. The external right ear has a lacerated tear 1.5cm in length - superior to inferior. Side by side lacerations of the scalp are present superior to inferior 2 cm above the right ear and are 3 cm in length, .25 mm apart. There is foreign material in the ears consistent with soil. There is an abundant blood in the external auditory canals bilaterally. Dentation’s natural and in good state of repair. The neck is symmetrically developed. Ridged abrasions anterior and lateral, sweeping upwards to the right ear lobe. The chest is symmetrically developed and without injury. The external genitals are those of a circumcised, adult male. The anus has tearing lacerations both anterior and posterior, with surrounding abrasions. Superficial bruising is present medially on the right shoulder with a circumference of 4 cm. Right forearm has an obvious transverse fracture of the right forearm at medial with accompanying contusions. The right wrist shows faint signs of copper patina and tanning consistent with an openwork bracelet, watch or other jewelry. The fingers are symmetrically developed and show no sign of injury. Fingerprints have been taken and the fingernails have been scraped for analysis. The palms of both hands have traces of blood that have been swabbed for analysis.
Scars and Identifying Marks:
A nearly vertically oriented, 11 cm scar is present over the left knee, lateral to the patella. A newly (scabbing is present) tattooed insignia “Semper Fi” is present on the upper right shoulder.
Internal Examination:
Through the usual Y-shaped incision, 4.0 cm of yellow subcutaneous adipose tissue and soft, red-brown musculature are revealed. There is generalized congestion of the subcutaneous tissues and musculature. The peritoneal cavity is free of excess fluid. The pleurae are smooth, grayish-purple to red-brown and otherwise unremarkable. The pericardial sac is intact and contains a scant amount of pale yellow to clear fluid and is otherwise unremarkable. The sternum and ribs are intact and otherwise unremarkable. There are no unusual odors.
Cardiovascular System:
The aorta is of normal course and caliber. There is minimal calcification. There are no aneurysms identified. The great vessels have their usual anatomical relationships. The pulmonary arteries appear patent and free of thromboemboli. The pulmonary veins are grossly unremarkable. The vena cava is grossly unremarkable. The heart weighs 410 grams. The epicardial surface is smooth, red-brown with a minimum amount of yellow subepicardial fat. The cardiac valves and chambers have their usual anatomical relationships. The valve leaflets are thin and delicate. Under microscopic examination,
sections through the area of the conduction system show evidence of having been frozen.
Respiratory Tract:
The surface of the trachea and main stem bronchi are grossly unremarkable. The right lung weighs 680 grams. The left lung weighs 682 grams. Sections of the lungs are unremarkable.
Gastrointestinal Tract:
The esophagus is of normal course and caliber. The surface of the esophagus is grossly unremarkable. The surface of the stomach is grossly unremarkable. The contents of the stomach that are identifiable are consistent with steak pieces and possible egg pieces. The small bowel contains a moderate amount of digestive material. The colon contains a moderate amount of pasty, greenish-brown fecal material. The surface of the colon is grossly unremarkable.
Hepatibilyary Tract:
The liver weighs 1640 grams. The smooth, red-brown capsular surface is intact. Serial sections are firm and red-brown, with preservation of the normal hepatic lobular architecture. Mass lesions are not identified. Fibrosis is inconspicuous. The gallbladder is intact and contains 15 cc of dark green, bile, a portion of which is retained. The Biliary tract appears free of obstruction.
Hematopoibtic System:
The spleen weighs 210 grams. The plate gray connective tissue capsule is intact and slightly wrinkled. There are no mass lesions. The lymph nodes and bone marrow are grossly unremarkable.
Endocrine System:
The right and left adrenal glands are of normal size and unremarkable. There are no hemorrhage or mass lesions. The pancreas is of normal size and position. The surface of the pancreas is unremarkable. The thyroid gland is of normal size, shape and position. The surface and sections are grossly unremarkable. The pituitary is of normal size, shape and position.
Genitourinary Tract:
The right and left kidneys weigh 160 grams each the cortical surface is smooth, and dark red-brown. There are no cortical cysts. There are no mass lesions. The renal pyramids are grossly unremarkable. The ureters are of uniform course and caliber. The surface of the bladder is grossly unremarkable. The bladder contains 20cc of yellow urine, a portion of which is retained. The rectum shows internal abrasion with accompanying surface hemorrhaging and red-brown areas of contusion. No seminal fluid was visible. A swab was retained.
Head:
Reflecting the scalp demonstrates a 1.25 area of fracture on the frontal bone that continues in a right curved shaped for 3 cm. There is another of the right posterior parietal bone that measures 3.25-cm. there is hemorrhage beneath the bilaterally in the area of the fracture. In the area of the temporal scalp lacerations the skull shows two parallel scraping marks of not more than .025 cm. consistent with a heavy instrument. There is slight subdural hemorrhage in the frontal area. Epidural hemorrhage is evident at fracture sites. Mass lesions are not identified and there are is no evidence of aneurysms. Sections of the brain are retained.
Neck:
The hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage are intact and grossly unremarkable. Laminar dissection of the strap muscles of the neck demonstrates no abnormal collections of blood. The cricoid cartilage is intact and grossly unremarkable. The larynx and hypopharxynx are free of foreign material. The surfaces of the larynx are show signs of slight inflammation. Posterior dissection of the neck demonstrates no injury to the vertebral arteries or to the ligaments of the posterior cervical spine.
