Q&A for How to Handle Finding a Dead Body

It takes time for that feeling of despair to pass. Every day, the pain will lessen and not be so blunt. Remember the good times, and do something in your friend's memory. You could make a photo collage, plant a tree or set off lanterns - anything that will help you feel more connected to them.

It all depends on the situation. If you have a friend over who is using the pool and a minute later you find the friend submerged and unresponsive, then yes, if you know how. Check your own safety first (carbon monoxide poisoning), yell for help, start CPR, contact the emergency services. But if you're visiting a new house you might buy and you and the realtor find a dead body there, for example, you could perhaps check for a pulse, but it's likely CPR will no longer help.

Some people look deeply into dreams, when a dream can merely be your mind processing events in your life. For example, you might be graduating school, moving house, changing friends or some other thing in your life is metaphorically "dying," and not necessarily a loved one. The dream may simply be you processing change from one season to the next.

Call the police immediately and check the pulses, they could still be alive. Try not to freak out or start hyperventilating, or you might pass out. Stay alert.

If you're an adult, try to find a therapist for your brother that he can afford or that accepts his insurance. Then, if he's unable, set up the appointment for him on his behalf. If you're younger and unable to do these things for your brother, you can talk to your parents about what you think he needs. In the meantime, just be a source of support for him if he needs someone to talk to.

No, it's for any person you find dead. It doesn't have to be a stranger. It can be a family member or neighbor, as well.

Call the police.

Go to the doctor right away and explain you touched a dead body which has bacteria on it. Call the police, too.

Immediately notify a school staff member, and they'll call the authorities.

Tell them that you found a dead person and you want them to take it away so they can analyze it and notify their loved ones.

You're not responsible for disposing of a dead body. Doing so would only make you look suspicious. Instead, notify authorities and let them deal with the situation.

Notify the authorities immediately.

You don't. If the authorities decide to search a car, they will search every square inch of it.

It doesn't matter. Call the police.

Assuming you want to stay out of prison, you'd better not tell anyone.

Police will want to examine the body and its surroundings before it is moved to determine if the death is suspicious in any way.

You don’t. That's murder, a crime that will land you in prison or a mental hospital for the rest of your life. In some places you could be given the death penalty. Seek counseling if you seriously feel like killing someone.

Call the police, a suicide hotline or some trusted adult.

Yes, particularly if they look suspicious. They might be Mafia. Call the police but don't tell anyone except the police that you witnessed the end of this possible mob hit. They will investigate. If those were funeral-home workers, they'd pick up the body and place it in a hearse, not leave it there and walk away.

This can be determined when a coroner conducts an autopsy. If there are gunshot/knife wounds, you tell if they were murdered if they were shot/stabbed multiple times, as just one stab/shot in the right place can be enough to kill someone. The person's occupation can be a deciding factor, as they are more likely to have been murdered if they had strong connections to a gang or the Mob.

Call the police. A police detective will analyze the body and look for fingerprints, bruises, and wounds that can determine if the person killed themselves or if someone else did it. Do not touch the weapon, as it may be loaded and you may hurt yourself.

If the kid is really little, tell them the person is just sleeping, and quickly escort them away from the body. If there is any blood, say they spilled tomato sauce or a cherry popsicle (depending on the color of the blood). A little kid isn't old enough to understand gory details yet. If the kid is older, just say the person is dead, and encourage them to ask questions about it. They may be traumatized or shocked, but assure the kid that they (the kid) are okay. You can leave the scene if the kid is disturbed.

Call the police right away. Do not touch the body because it may have bacteria and your fingerprints might go on it, causing people to think you murdered them. When the police arrive, be truthful and responsible.

Unless you have a close relationship to the person, you could just leave the body alone and wait for someone else to report it. The person's already dead, so you can't really save them, anyway.

It depends on how old the child is. If the child is a pre-teen, their legal guardians will be held responsible. A teenager is old enough to face the consequences.

The coroner will do an autopsy and examine the body; they will examine for stuff such as: any drugs if they took any, along with if there are any wounds like from a gun or a knife, and fingerprints and DNA as well. It can take several days, weeks, months, and in extreme cases, even years to figure it out.

You don't. If you find a dead body, immediately notify authorities.

Let local law enforcement know, and they'll handle it.

You cannot, unless you are part of the agency yourself. If they gave away their identity, they wouldn't be secret anymore. If a secret agent was murdered in a public location, likely no outsiders will find out what the victim's real occupation was.

You explain that when someone dies it means their body stops working, and the dead person will be unable to think, see, hear, or feel anything. Explain that it can happen anywhere such as at the park. Don't tell them any gory details or anything else they won't understand.