Murder, the greatest of criminal acts, can most effec- tively be discouraged by the development of careful scien- tific investigation by a coordinated team composed of the police officer and the physician trained in forensic medi- cine, the medical examiner. Ideally the latter should be a pathologist (a physician especially trained in determining the cause of death-be it natural or unnatural) and the former especially qualified in the investigation of homicide and in accumulating evidence in the absence of a witness. Such a trained team should form the backbone of our homi- cide investigation in every state, functioning throughout the state as they now do in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland. That large communities can also support such a team to their benefit is most pointedly illustrated by the excellent system that has beeni in effect in New York City since 1918. Even small communities can, by the use of the abilities of qualified persons within their borders, also develop efficient investigation.