Training Courses

NCJTC Death Investigation Academy

Date & Time:
  • June 7, 2027 – June 11, 2027
Location:
Sandy, UT

This comprehensive five-day training program equips investigators with essential skills for conducting thorough death investigations across multiple death origins. Participants will explore proven strategies for evaluating crime scenes, conducting effective interviews and interrogations, developing investigative leads, and collaborating with key resources including crime laboratories and medical examiners.

Program Overview

The NCJTC Death Investigation Academy is specifically designed to provide law enforcement professionals with the knowledge and techniques necessary for managing complex death investigations from beginning to end. The academy covers various aspects of investigations, presenting strategies and concepts applicable to different types of deaths and investigative scenarios.

Training Schedule

The academy runs from June 7-11, 2027, with daily sessions from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and includes a one-hour lunch break each day. The curriculum spans 40 hours of instruction covering:

  • Introduction to death investigation, scene management, and case documentation
  • Forensic science services and death scene evidence techniques
  • Interview and interrogation methods
  • Drug-related death investigations
  • Digital evidence in death investigations
  • Time of death determination and post-mortem changes
  • Equivocal death and suicide investigations
  • Crime scene analysis and suspect development
  • Infant and child death investigations
  • Cold case management and unresolved investigations
  • Court preparation and working with prosecutors
  • Investigative genetic genealogy
  • Vicarious trauma and personal wellness for investigators

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

  • Apply new coordination and investigation techniques to death investigations
  • Identify different types of deaths and implement appropriate investigative concepts for each
  • Execute effective interview and interrogation strategies
  • Develop collaborative working relationships with medical examiners and their investigative teams

Target Audience

This training is designed for law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, forensic service units, and coroners and medical examiners who handle death investigations.

Location and Logistics

Venue: Sandy City Hall, 10000 South Centennial Parkway, Sandy, UT 84070

Lodging Options:

  • Best Western Plus CottonTree Inn, 10695 South Auto Mall Drive, Sandy, UT 84070
  • Hilton Garden Inn - Salt Lake City/Sandy, 277 West Sego Lily Drive, Sandy, UT 84070
  • Residence Inn by Marriott - Sandy, 270 W 10000 S, Sandy, UT 84070

Registration Deadline: May 3, 2027

Cost and Registration

The training fee is $650.00 per participant. This fee includes 40 hours of instruction, program materials, and all instructional costs. Participants are responsible for arranging and paying for meals, travel, and lodging.

Instructors

James Holmes - Special Agent (Retired), Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. Jim Holmes has served as a certified law enforcement officer in Wisconsin since 1995, holding positions with the Dane County Sheriff's Department, Fitchburg Police Department, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. His career includes assignments in white collar crimes, internet crimes against children, and the Major Crimes Unit, where he has participated in numerous homicide investigations, equivocal death cases, officer-involved death investigations, cold case homicides, and cases involving missing children and child exploitation.

Matt Bell - Lieutenant, Milwaukee Police Department and Criminal Investigation Bureau Homicide Unit. Matt holds degrees in Criminal Justice from Carroll University and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. His career began with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and progressed through the Milwaukee Police Department, where he has specialized in homicide investigations, crime scene processing, interviewing, and interrogation. Promoted to Lieutenant in 2026, he oversees investigative operations and the Crisis Negotiation Unit. Matt is an experienced instructor in death investigations, critical incident response, and interview techniques, with over 15 years of adjunct teaching experience and national expertise in critical incident response consultation.

Patrick Eller - President & CEO and Senior Digital Forensic Examiner, Metadata Forensics LLC. Patrick is a nationally recognized digital forensics professional with more than 25 years of investigative and forensic experience. He is a former U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent who retired in 2009 after serving in increasingly senior positions. His expertise includes digital forensic examination, complex criminal and civil case consulting, and litigation support. Patrick has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in digital forensics and cybersecurity and provided specialized instruction to numerous law enforcement and military organizations.

Additional Information

For details regarding continuing education units, consult the NCJTC policies page.

Multiple sessions are available at different locations and dates throughout 2026 and 2027. Contact Jessica Heimann at (855) 866-2582 or jessica.heimann2274@fvtc.edu for additional information.