ASIS International (ASIS) Professional Certified Investigator Practice Exam

Which of the following is considered a manner of death?

1. Gunshot wound

2. Natural causes

3. Accidental

4. Blunt force trauma

The correct answer is: Natural causes

The manner of death refers to the classification of how a person died, which provides context and understanding behind the circumstances of the death. It generally includes categories such as natural causes, accidental, suicidal, and homicidal. Natural causes are classified as a manner of death when death occurs without external influence, typically resulting from illness, disease, or age-related factors. This classification is significant in forensic science and investigative contexts because it helps differentiate between deaths that are due to external or intentional factors versus those that are purely due to health-related conditions. In contrast, the other choices given—gunshot wound, accidental, and blunt force trauma—refer to specific causes of death or specific situations leading to death, rather than the manner in which the death is classified. For example, a gunshot wound could be the cause of death resulting in a homicide or an accident, while blunt force trauma could occur in various contexts leading to different manner classifications. Thus, while they are critical in understanding individual cases, they do not serve as classifications of the manner of death in the same way that natural causes do.