Patterned Injuries: These are injuries in which the physical characteristics of the wound match the object that cause them.
They can be present in all types of injuries:
This month’s criminal topic is Cuts and Bruises (Blunt Force Trauma). Topics covered are:
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Sara has been an RN since 2005 with experience in critical care and emergency nursing. She has expertise in adult, adolescent and pediatric sexual assault, intimate partner violence, strangulation, and trauma-informed care.
Alexis brings over 20 years of experience in disability case management, case preparation, and client advocacy. She offers a well-rounded understanding of complex legal and claims processes.
As Case Intake Manager, she handles all things regarding new cases like intake emails, sending estimates, and pairing you with the perfect expert for your case.
Beth comes with a background of 3 years of experience. She has a B.S. in Organismic Biology and an Associates in Biology. As our Sales and Marketing Assistant, she manages all of our free education webinars, coordinates conferences, and even attends some as well!
Outside of her professional commitments, Beth enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and hunting. Most of free time is taken up by her Great Pyrenees mix, reptiles, listening to podcasts, and going on a run.
Kristina is our AR Specialist/Accounting Assistant at Godoy Medical Forensics! Kristina handles all things related to AR and Accounting and has over 25 years of customer service experience. When Kristina isn’t working, she can be found spending time with her family, her foster cats, or crocheting.
Laura has a B.S. in Psychology, and has a background as a paralegal as well as a unit coordinator in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Most of her free time is taken up by her two rescue dogs (an Aussie and Great Pyrenees mix), podcasts, and NYT games. Any extra leisure time is spent watching a good show or documentary, especially on a nice rainy day.
Christina has been a registered nurse since 2017 and earned her Bachelor of Science in
Nursing with honors at Angelo State University. Christina began her career at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Houston as a Burn ICU nurse, later serving as charge nurse and preceptor to new nurses. Christina also has years of experience spanning Cardiovascular, Neuro, Shock Trauma, Medical, and Transplant ICU as well as the emergency department. Christina is certified as an Adult/Adolescent and Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner since 2024. Christina actively practices as a forensic nurse examiner in Houston and specializes in adult/adolescent and pediatric sexual assault, domestic violence/intimate partner violence, strangulation, human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse, and physical assault.
Outside of her commitment to nursing, Christina enjoys spending time with her family. She is also a professional vocalist, cellist, and pianist who performs with her husband throughout the Houston area.
Yasmin has been a Registered Nurse since 2006, with extensive experience in burn care for both adult and pediatric populations. She spent over a decade at the bedside managing critically ill and vulnerable burn patients, developing deep clinical expertise in complex wound care and acute critical care management.
Building on her background in complex burn care, Yasmin has played a key role in burn program verification and quality oversight, helping ensure delivery of the most current, evidence-based care in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. She has been an Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) instructor since 2010 and has served as National Faculty with the American Burn Association since 2023, remaining actively involved in the burn care community.
In her free time, Yasmin enjoys the outdoors and making memories with her family.
Maggie Tempone is a Registered Nurse with experience in critical care, trauma, emergency, and forensic nursing. Her career started out on a respiratory focused IMC (intermediate care) unit where she was involved in patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maggie then transitioned her nursing knowledge to the trauma specialty working at multiple leveled trauma centers in Virginia in both the emergency and critical care settings. She has gained additional experience in nursing education as well as forensic nursing. Maggie is a member of the American Nurses Association, Virginia Nurses Association, Emergency Nurses Association, Society of Trauma Nurses, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and Academy of Forensic Nursing. Maggie holds a compact nursing license through the Virginia Department of Health Professions. She is currently certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Maggie has received advanced certifications as a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN), a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), and a Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN).
Vanessa is a highly experienced Registered Nurse (RN) with a career spanning over a decade, marked by a deep commitment to both critical patient care and forensic investigation.
A 2014 graduate of Ashland University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Vanessa immediately embarked on a dynamic nursing career. She has cultivated extensive clinical experience, encompassing general registered nursing for over 10 years, critical care, and specialized emergency medicine. For the last five years, she has served as a dedicated Emergency Nurse at a Level I Trauma Center—a role she has held since 2020—providing high-acuity care to critically injured and ill patients.
Vanessa’s career is further distinguished by significant forensic experience. Since 2022, she has worked as a Forensic Nurse at The Ohio State University, expertly blending her clinical knowledge with the legal and investigative aspects of trauma and injury. Prior to this, she leveraged her investigative skills while working in a coroner’s office as an Overdose Investigator, contributing vital information to public health and safety efforts.
Her unique combination of over a decade of hands-on nursing in high-stress clinical environments and specialized forensic investigation makes Vanessa a rare and valuable asset in both healthcare and legal fields.
Victoria has been a dedicated professional in the emergency department of a level 2 trauma center since 2006. With extensive expertise in trauma and critical care, she also serves as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for both adults and adolescents. Victoria holds a master’s degree and a PhD in nursing, and she remains actively engaged in patient care and research at the bedside.
Outside of her professional commitments, Victoria enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, as well as spending quality time with her family. She also has a passion for international travel, which allows her to explore new cultures and experiences.
Rachel Countryman has been a registered nurse since 2002, with a diverse clinical background including surgical services, urgent care, pediatrics, nurse case management, quality management, and forensic nursing. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University and holds national certifications as both an Adult/Adolescent Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-A) and Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-P), as well as New York State Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (NYSAFE) certification.
Rachel remains clinically active, performing acute and non-acute sexual assault medical forensic examinations involving children, adolescents, and adults, including specialized pediatric evaluations through Child Advocacy Centers. She has performed more than 300 sexual assault medical forensic examinations. Her areas of expertise include sexual assault, pediatric sexual abuse, non-fatal strangulation, and intimate partner violence.
Previously, Rachel served as the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination Program Manager. Since 2023, she has provided forensic nursing consultation through Godoy Medical Forensics and has reviewed more than 100 criminal and civil cases. She has provided testimony in state and military courts and has been qualified as an expert witness in adolescent and adult sexual assault, strangulation, and intimate partner violence.
When she’s not working, Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, staying active through fitness, and enjoying time with her animals.
Kahli graduated in 2014 with a BSN from a small college in St. Louis, MO and has been a nurse since 2014. In 2017 she graduated with honors from Arkansas State University with a MS in disaster preparedness and emergency management. Kahli has clinical experience in pediatric and adult critical care, as well as public health. She is one of Godoy Medical Forensics’ child abuse experts.
Ann has been a practicing registered nurse at level one trauma centers since 1997. For the last twenty years she has worked in a Medical/Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Stanford University Medical Center. Ann is a Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN). She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Jose State University and a Master’s in Nursing Education from Chamberlain University. Ann has taken classes in the Certificate in Forensic Nursing program from the University of California in Riverside. Ann specializes in strangulation and gunshot wounds and is qualified to testify.
Ann likes spending time outside with her husband hiking and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
Shareen has been a registered nurse since 1997. She spent 12 years working clinically in the emergency and trauma setting, with 4 of those years in Medical/Surgical/Trauma ICU. Shareen transitioned into leadership, most recently serving as Director of Emergency and Trauma services at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA from 2012-2019. She has taken classes in the Certificate in Forensic Nursing program from the University of California in Riverside. Shareen has reviewed multiple cases involving DUI, domestic violence, assault, elder abuse, and complex medical conditions. Shareen has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Dominican University and a Master’s in Nursing Administration from Holy Names University.
Shareen is a native San Franciscan and enjoys hiking and exploring. She spends her free time reading, being outdoors, and enjoys live music and traveling.
Valerie Sothcott has been an RN since 2013, gaining a wide variety of experience; including Surgical, Trauma, and Neuroscience critical care nursing, vascular access, correctional nursing, and forensic nursing. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Radford University and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing specializing in Forensic Nursing from Aspen University. Valerie is currently clinically active a forensic nurse examiner in Virginia. Valerie has been consulting on criminal cases with Godoy Medical Forensics since April 2024. Valerie is a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for Adult/Adolescent and Pediatrics (SANE-A and SANE-P) through the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Valerie actively practices as a sexual assault nurse examiner in her role as a forensic nurse examiner.
In her spare time, Valerie enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys going to the gym, hiking, and her new-found hobby of playing golf.
Since beginning her nursing career in 1998, Merriam has focused on trauma patient care since 2003 and has been working in Stanford Hospital’s Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master’s in Nursing from San Jose State University, and a Certificate in Forensic Nursing from UC Riverside. She is a Certified Critical Care Nurse, Trauma Nurse, and Forensic Nurse, and she has completed advanced training in strangulation and medico-legal death investigation. Merriam regularly reviews forensic cases including strangulation, assault, DUI, homicide, and domestic violence. Courts have qualified her as an expert witness in strangulation, traumatic brain injury, blunt force trauma, medical record interpretation, and acceptable medical practice for blood draws.
Tara Godoy is a distinguished forensic nursing expert who has been providing consulting services since 2009. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s prestigious Haas School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern California, complemented her certificate in Forensic Nursing. This unique combination of medical expertise and business acumen has enabled her to successfully establish and grow her forensic consulting practice.
As the founder of Godoy Medical Forensics, Tara oversees a team of forensic nurse experts and other forensic professionals who work with both prosecution and defense teams at the federal and state levels, helping secure fair and honest resolutions in criminal cases. Her expertise has earned her invitations to present at major national conferences, including those hosted by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), the National Association of Public Defenders (NAPD), and the National Defense Investigators Association (NDIA). Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Tara now runs her company from Southern Oregon, where she focuses on expanding the company’s forensic services.