Holding a Death in Your Hands: What Autopsy Reports Tell Us about How Someone Lived

“The red/blue/green/yellow pants were cut prior to examination, revealing blue/red/white underwear. Black/white/green shoes were removed.”

“On the left dorsal hand is a monochromatic tattoo stating ‘kitten’ with an abstract design.”

These are the kinds of phrases that greet me every time I pick up an autopsy report. I have the job of reviewing our clinic’s mortality reports. Since it’s a clinic for the homeless, a lot of our patients’ deaths are medical examiner’s cases. When I started reading autopsy reports regularly, one thing I didn’t expect was their respectful, lyrical descriptions of extreme violence and suffering.

“When first viewed, the decedent is clad only in a white towel, which is wrapped around the genital region. The towel remains with the body.”

On this single body there was a “well-healed scar on the posterior midline neck.” And on the left chest. And on the anterior right shoulder. And on the right volar forearm near the antecubital fossa. And on the lateral right wrist. And on the right dorsal forearm. And on the left dorsal forearm near the elbow. And on the upper right buttock. And on the right anterior upper thigh. And on the dorsolateral right lower leg. And on the posterior left thigh. And on the anterior left thigh. And on the anterior left thigh near the left knee. And on the left back. In addition, the fifth and seventh ribs had healed fractures.

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