Death investigations involving personal computers

Three death investigations are reviewed in which personal computers owned by the deceased were used to provide information regarding their deaths. To obtain the information from computers, however, the death investigator or forensic pathologist must have the investigative skills to secure this evidence for examination by a computer expert. Unless the computer is handled carefully, the information could be lost or even destroyed. This article provides recommendations for the investigation of a death scene where a personal computer has been found, how to secure it, and where to obtain assistance for the examination of the information contained on the computer.