DANVILLE — Sometimes little things reveal a lot, according to Montour County Coroner Scott Lynn.
For instance, in one local case, a cigarette butt found under the body of a homicide victim helped police link the killer to the crime, Lynn said.
“The cigarette was the same type the perpetrator smoked and the DNA matched,” Lynn told the 11th- and 12th-graders in Donna Wood’s forensics science class at Danville High School on Monday.
Investigators must pay attention to details “no matter how trivial they may seem,” Lynn said. “That’s my business to pay attention to detail.”
The coroner has an extensive library of photographs of the settings in which victims were found. The photographs can be gruesome, but they can also shed light on the circumstances of the death under investigation, the coroner said.
Lynn described the case of man whose body was discovered in the woods a mile from his home.
Because blood ran toward his feet, “We know he wasn’t in the position he was found. He was seated or standing when the injury occurred,” Lynn said.
A couple of pine needles on the body indicated he had been there for a day, Lynn said. Also found was blood on the sleeve of his jacket. His cell phone and wallet were nearby.
At the man’s home, Lynn discovered a safe deposit box on the man’s bed and an open drawer where gun shells had been removed.
An autopsy showed two holes in the skull. Lynn ruled the death a suicide.
“We confiscate the victim’s driver’s license and passport so they can’t be used by anybody else,” said Lynn, who has been coroner 18 years. Before that, he served as chief deputy coroner, beginning in 1981.
News
Related Photos
-
Justin Engle
Discussion
Coroner tells students how cases are solved
- News
-
-
2 Valley schools in top 5.5% in nation
LEWISBURG — U.S. News & World Report magazine has ranked Lewisburg Area as the 15th-best academic high school in Pennsylvania and the 803rd best in the nation, according to a report released earlier this month.
-
Northumberland opts to build sewage plant
NORTHUMBERLAND — Ending months of speculation, the Northumberland Sewer Authority has voted to build a water treatment plant, at an estimated cost of $9 million, to replace the 40-year-old sewage plant at 100 Water St.
-
Mifflinburg school board OKs millage increase
MIFFLINBURG — The Mifflinburg school board Tuesday night approved raising the property tax rate to the maximum allowed under the index, equaling about a $30 increase a year for the average taxpayer.
-
Support grows for city garden
SUNBURY— More than a month after several Bucknell University students resurrected an empty city lot by transforming the land into a full-size garden, neighbors, nearby residents and now business leaders from outside Sunbury have decided to chip in by donating seeds and planting tools in order to spruce up the corner lot.
-
Stat of the Day: 21,776
Stat of the day: 21,776. That's the number of high schools evaluated nationwide by U.S. News & World Report, after which the magazine determined that Lewisburg Area High was the 803rd best in the U.S., and Selinsgrove Area, 1,187th.
-
State House approves sales-tax exemption for airplanes
HARRISBURG — A bill to exempt the purchase and maintenance of airplanes from Pennsylvania's 6 percent sales tax won a strong vote of confidence in the state House of Representatives.
-
State lawmakers consider takeover of struggling school districts
HARRISBURG — A Republican-penned bill that would pave the way for state takeovers of Pennsylvania school districts veering toward financial collapse has the support of Gov. Tom Corbett and is advancing in the Legislature.
-
Take Me Home: Yip
Yip is a young dog, best guess is Bichon/Daschund. He is friendly and loves everyone, especially anyone who will rub his belly or let him on their lap for some doggie kisses. He enjoys car rides, has done well around other dogs, cats, and kids. Housebreaking and crate training are in the works.
-
Joe Paterno earned $13.4 million pension at Penn State
STATE COLLEGE — Joe Paterno earned a state pension of $13.4 million for his 61-year coaching career at Penn State.
-
Police Log 05.22.12
A roundup of police news reported by departments across the Central Susquehanna Valley.
-
Montour County judge dismisses flooding lawsuit
DANVILLE — A Montour County judge has dismissed a case brought against Mahoning Township by residents of the Gaytowne subdivision.
-
Shamokin man who abused puppy gets house arrest
SUNBURY — A Shamokin man entered the courtroom expecting probation for his role in dumping Harper, a 15-week-old pit bull puppy, down a 30-foot bank near a Coal Township cemetery, but Northumberland County President Judge Robert Sacavage put those thoughts to rest when he and delivered a stiff sentence.
- More News Headlines
-
2 Valley schools in top 5.5% in nation
