Case review, death-investigation consulting, and training, delivered under one standard of review.
Forensic Case Review Services for Families, Attorneys, and Agencies
NorthStar provides forensic case review services to five distinct audiences:
- Families seeking clarity on a loved one's death
- Attorneys building or defending a case
- Law enforcement agencies reviewing their own practices
- Organizations that need an outside opinion
- Public Safety Agencies & Their Professionals
Five Doorways into the Same Standard of Review
Pick the track that matches your situation.
Each one leads to a page that spells out exactly what the engagement covers.
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See how we help : Families & Individuals
Families & Individuals
Families & Individuals
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See how we help : Law Firms & Attorneys
Law Firms & Attorneys
“I need a second, independent read on this file before I commit to a position.”
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See how we help : Law Enforcement & Public Safety
Law Enforcement & Public Safety
“We want an outside review before this goes any further.”
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See how we help : Training & Professional Education
Training & Professional Education
Training & Professional Education
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See how we help : Organizations
Organizations
“We bring both forensic expertise and an understanding of the organizational context surrounding the matter.”
What We Actually Look At
A review starts with the file as it exists:
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Police and investigative reports
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Autopsy and toxicology documentation
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Scene and evidence photographs
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Witness and officer statements
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And the timeline built from all of it
From there the work is consistent across every case type.
NorthStar reviews the existing materials, flags issues or inconsistencies worth attorney or family attention, translates dense forensic and investigative language into terms a non-specialist can use, and provides professional consultation, education, and training built on that same material.
Independence means naming the limits out loud.
The line we don't cross
What we do:
Review the case materials already on file, identify gaps or inconsistencies in the investigation, explain forensic and medical findings in plain language, and provide consultation, education, and training on death investigation and criminal procedure.
What we don't do:
NorthStar does not reinvestigate a case, exercise law-enforcement authority, collect or handle evidence, conduct witness interviews, or determine liability. A review is bounded by the record, not a substitute for one. The full limitations are laid out in our legal disclaimer and scope of services.
Training for agencies, medical examiner and coroner offices, law schools, and conferences.
75+ Seminars, and A Room that stays Awake
Brent Petersen has delivered more than 75 seminars and in-service sessions;
- homicide and death investigation
- death investigation training
- communicating with people in crises
- interviewing and interrogation
- criminal procedure
- use-of-force
- sexual assault investigation
- sex trafficking
Sessions on forensic pathology and medicolegal death investigation draw on Dr. Huston's background in that field. Most engagements start with a short, no-cost call to scope the topic, audience, and format before anything is booked.
Request a training conversation →
Expert witness engagements
Brent Petersen has testified as a death investigation expert witness in hundreds of state and federal proceedings, covering homicide and death investigation, interviewing and interrogation procedure, criminal procedure and investigative practice, police use-of-deadly-force cases (matters outside Minnesota only), and sexual assault investigations.
Attorneys typically bring NorthStar in during case preparation, well ahead of deposition, so the file review holds up under cross-examination.