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What are the main duties of a forensic pathologist at a death scene?

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autopsy English physicians Charles Scarborough and Edward Arris performing an autopsy in 1651 (watercolour painted in 1818 by G.P. Harding from an original work in the Barber Surgeons' Hall, London).

At a death scene, a forensic pathologist performs several critical duties to ensure a thorough investigation:

Preliminary Examination: The pathologist conducts an initial assessment of the body at the scene to gather evidence and context.1
Postmortem Interval: They make a preliminary determination regarding the time since death.1
Management of the Body: The pathologist takes charge of the deceased, directing trained death scene investigators on the careful preparation, removal, and transport of the body to the morgue for a formal autopsy.1

These actions are essential for establishing the circumstances surrounding a death, which later informs the pathologist's work in the morgue and their testimony in court.12