How and Why Determining the cause of death is a task for a professional expert, and even they cannot always determine this, leaving the classification to read as “undetermined.” However, unofficial investigators may assist such professionals by exploring, in accordance with the guidelines provided in this Handbook, the circumstances leading to the loss of life. For example, unofficial investigators may record information relating to the occurrences that may have led to the death, such as possible injuries that could have caused the loss of life. Sources of information include own observation, witness statements; items that are found at the scene, such as spent cartridges or drugs; toxicology reports; police and military records of operation; and custody records. The kinds of questions that unofficial investigators may seek to answer in this respect include: • Who killed or apprehended the victim? Ascertain identities and/or descriptions, including how they were dressed. • Who were they answerable to? Were the perpetrators national authorities or collaborating with them, or an entity or organization independent of the government? Did they belong to a law enforcement authority or military force? • What weapons or vehicles were used? • Was there a riot or disturbance or the use of crowd control? • Were there witnesses? When was the victim last seen? • Was the victim at first arrested, and was he or she taken into custody? • Was there an attack on a particular group of people? • What happened to the bodies? For example, were they hidden, buried or abandoned? 119 Establishing the time of death may be difficult. This will depend on the availability of witnesses, the amount of time elapsed since the death, the location of the body, the condition of any bacteriological material, and the level of access the national authorities grant to the body of the deceased. Only a qualified forensic examiner can undertake a scientific study and determine the time of death if they are granted access to the body. 119 Kate Thompson and Camille Giffard, REPORTED KILLINGS AS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, 63 (2000), available at https://www.essex.ac.uk/reportingkillingshandbook/english/reporting_killings_handbook.pdf. 89