Verified answer

Yes, they can and do. A postmortem exam is not required.

Attorneys say one-punch deaths are often charged as second-degree manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, which the law defines as causing someone else's death "recklessly" or with "criminal negligence."

see

https://www.google.com/search?q=one+punch+manslaug...

Of course they can.  If it was obvious without a post-mortem, there's no need to have one.  This must have been a case where it wasn't immediately obvious.

The legal term is still manslaughter.

One punch or 100 punches don't really matter.

If you punch someone, and the die, you caused their death.

Note: Just because YOU didn't know about the autopsy, that doesn't mean there wasn't one. In fact, I can nearly guarantee there was if the DA is charging anyone with causing the death.

What?  Yes, killing someone is either murder or manslaughter.  I have never heard of "one punch manslaughter" and highly doubt it's a legal term.

Someone died after being punched but the punch wasn't involved in the death?  Sorry, I don't believe it.

Assault would be an option if manslaughter were not.

Sounds like a pile of horѕeѕhit, one that she's shat and that you've swallowed enough of to even ask this question.

It depends on the situation. Did the person fear they would be harmed if they didn't punch? I know of a case where a druggie went after a man and his family, didn't physically attack, but was too close and got punched, lost his balance and fell, struck head on curb and died. It was ruled the punch didn't cause his fall. Security cameras are a good thing. But it took months for the ruling.

autopsy is routine in suspicious death cases. what you describe is possible