An autopsy is the examination of a body after death, which may also be referred to as a post-mortem. Developed largely in Germany, the process has been refined over years of experience and scientific development to allow modern investigators to build a clear picture of the death scene.

The autopsy is performed by a pathologist or coroner and reveals aspects such as its cause, the weapon/s used (if any are involved) and the time since death. Permission from the victim's next-of-kin needs to be obtained when the law does not require an autopsy to be performed. (Rarely the case when murder is suspected, as we will assume here) Though autopsies are more often used for purposes unrelated to crime, they play such a crucial role in murder investigations, that this field of forensic medicine (and subsequently, forensic science) has a large impact on where the investigation should begin.