Unusual findings in a death caused by a car fire

Witnesses detected a burning car in the parking lot next to a discotheque in the early morning hours. After the fire had been extinguished, the charred body of the 23-year-old car owner was found in the driver's seat. The young man had been a guest of the discotheque the previous night and consumed plenty of alcoholic drinks. The traces left by the fire on the car suggested that the fire had started in the passenger compartment. At autopsy, greyish-brown discoloration and induration of the mucosa of the respiratory tract were found in addition to massive aspiration of soot and signs of soot swallowing. The macroscopic and histological findings pointed to a chemical burn of the airways probably caused by chlorine gases developing when the covering of the passenger compartment was burning. Chemical burns due to inhalation, aspiration and swallowing of soot are all signs of vitality, so that a smoldering fire must have gone on for a while inside the car with the windows closed. The most probable cause of the fire is that clothing or textile material in the car was set on fire by a burning cigarette.     

尸温相关因素推断死亡时间的研究

目的 统计分析影响尸体温度下降多因素和死亡时间的相关性,探索尸温推断死亡时间的创新应用.方法 建立影响尸体温度(直肠温度)下降相关因素的采集标准,收集实践工作中的157例明确死亡时间真实案例的相关数据,根据实际工作经验结合统计学的基本要求对各因素进行量化评分,利用EXCEL和SPSS软件对数据进行处理,采用多元线性回归的方法统计分析各影响系数同死亡时间的相关性.结果 获得了具有统计学意义的回归方程,Y=25.993+0.04X1+0.172X2+0.88X3+0.047X4+0.373X5+0.347X6-0.766X7,决定系数R2=0.876.结论 该方法为尸温推断死亡时间的创新应用,经测试可用于实际工作.     

Postmortem non-invasive virtual autopsy: death by hanging in a car

A body was found behind a car with a noose tied around its neck, the other end of the rope tied to a tree. Apparently the man committed suicide by driving away with the noose tied around his neck and was dragged out of the car through the open hatchback. postmortem multislice-computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that the cause of death was cerebral hypoxia due to classic strangulation by hanging, and not due to a brainstem lesion because of a hang-man fracture as would be expected in such a dynamic situation. Furthermore, the MRI displayed intramuscular haemorrhage, bleeding into the clavicular insertions of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and subcutaneous neck tissue. We conclude that MSCT and MRI are useful instruments with an increased value compared with 2D radiographs to augment the external findings of bodies when an autopsy is refused. But further postmortem research and comparing validation is needed.     

Postmortem formation of carbon monoxide

Since carbon monoxide (CO) production after death was suggested in a drowned body, CO and carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) levels in blood and body cavity fluids of cadavers which were not exposed to fire and CO have been analyzed. CO released from the tissues was determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the total concentration of hemoglobin (Hb) was measured as cyanmethemoglobin (CNmHb). The HbCO level was calculated by the ratio of CO content and CO-binding capacity. CO levels (ml/100 g at STP) of the seven cases in which blood and body cavity fluids could be collected ranged from 0.13 to 0.87 in blood and 0.02 to 0.80 in body cavity fluids. HbCO levels in blood and body cavity fluids were from 0.3 to 6.0% and from 2.3 to 44.1%, respectively. In a typical case showing postmortem formation of CO, the CO levels in body cavity fluids were higher than that in blood. It is suggested that CO in a putrefied body is due to CO in blood prior to death and the CO formed by the decomposition of Hb, myoglobin and other substances during putrefaction. The significance of HbCO levels in body cavity fluids of cases with marked postmortem decomposition seems difficult to interpret without the value of HbCO in blood.     

An Unusual Pattern of Decomposition Associated with Suicidal Electrocution in a Bath

A 51‐year‐old man was found dead face down and partially submerged in a bathtub alongside two hairdryers. The hairdryers had continued to work, as the victim had bypassed the electrical board of the house prior to dropping them into the water. This had resulted in death due to electrocution, with subsequent heating of the bath water causing marked putrefaction and softening of the immersed body parts. The back and feet, which were not submerged, were preserved. The degree of anterior decomposition was not in keeping with the postmortem interval; however, regional decomposition with sparing of the back and feet provided a clue at autopsy as to the sequence of events. Individuals with training in, or knowledge of, electrical circuitry are capable of modifying domestic wiring so that safety switches and/or fuses can be bypassed ensuring that electrical devices will continue to function even while under water.     

Fictitious ambush following an attempted "extended" suicide

An unusual case of a 31-year-old-woman who was found near a forest road with self-inflicted injuries and burns is reported. The woman claimed to have been attacked by a man with a knife who then tried to burn her in her car. While she managed to escape, her cat died in the car. The examination of the wounds showed multiple superficial cuts in body regions easily accessible to her own hand. Gas chromatography of skin samples from the cat proved that it had been in in contact with a fire accelerant. On the basis of the examination findings, differential diagnostic aspects with regard to the motivation of the woman for simulating an offence are discussed. In all probability, the woman intended to commit suicide together with the cat through self-immolation, but did not complete the plan.     

Fatal thoracic compression after being partially run over by an automobile

The authors report on a fatal pedestrian accident in which the victim lay on the street and got under a car being run over by one of the front wheels. Both the car driver and the killed pedestrian were strongly alcohol-intoxicated at the time of the accident (2.45 a.m.). After the car had come to a standstill, the pedestrian remained trapped under the car until she was rescued by the fire brigade. On the basis of the autopsy findings and the technical expert opinion it could be reconstructed that the pedestrian's death was not caused by the consequences of being run over by the car, but by the subsequent compression of her thorax in the final accident position.     

Production of carbon monoxide in cadavers

Carbon monoxide (CO), total hemoglobin (Hb) and carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) in the blood and reddish discolored body cavity fluids of cadavers which had not been exposed to fire and CO were analyzed. In 13 cadavers found on land, the maximum saturation of HbCO in the blood was 3.6%, and was 10.1% in the body cavity fluids. There was only one case in which the HbCO saturations in the body cavity fluids were more than 10%. In seven drowned bodies found in fresh water, the highest HbCO saturation in the blood was 6.1%, and was 44.1% in the body cavity fluids. There were three cases in which the HbCO saturations in the body cavity fluids were more than 10%. In 12 drowned bodies found in sea water, the HbCO saturations in the blood were not more than 6.2%, and the maximum saturation of HbCO in the body cavity fluids was 83.7%. There were eight cases in which the HbCO saturations in the body cavity fluids were more than 10%. The results seem to indicate that the interpretation of HbCO saturation in the blood would not be affected significantly by the postmortem formation of CO, and that body cavity fluids should not be used for CO determination.     

Examination of misconceptions surrounding fatal fire victims

Fire deaths are not unusual in forensic investigative practice but due to the destructive nature of fire they are often very difficult to investigate. With the need to identify the deceased and the events surrounding the manner and cause of death, knowledge of thermally induced alteration to the human body is important. Within the fire investigation community, a number of misconceptions have been present for years regarding the protrusion of the tongue as an indicator of life during the fire, and fractured skulls as the result of brains boiling and skulls exploding. This work presents qualitative analysis on the experimental burning of 42 unembalmed human donated cadavers by the San Luis Obispo Strike Team (SLOFIST) on their annual Forensic Fire Death Investigation Course (FFDIC) between 2017 and 2019. Prior to burning, the position of the tongue within the dental arch was confirmed and sharp, blunt, surgical and gunshot trauma to the cranium documented. Temperature was recorded from ignition through to suppression with thermocouples present both within the scene and the body. Post burn analysis on the position of the tongue, observation of cranial fractures and presence of brain tissue were recorded and analysed in conjunction with thermocouple data, fire scene dynamics and body demographics. The results provide a more comprehensive understanding of the thermal environmental factors involved in producing the phenomena that facilitate these misconceptions, identifying that a more thorough understanding of individual fire scenes and their development is essential when interpreting alteration and injury to the body of the fatal fire victim.     

Postmortem Analysis of Electrogram Records from an Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillator (ICD) in the Reconstruction of a Road Traffic Accident

The case of a 69‐year‐old man, equipped with an ICD and suffering from several chronic cardiac diseases, who died in a car accident, was presented. We analyzed electrogram records from the ICD explanted from the body during the autopsy, which showed that the driver had suffered from malignant ventricular arrhythmia—ventricular fibrillation (VF). A thorough analysis of the details of the accident, as well as the timing of VF and the rhythm observed after the discharge of the ICD showed that the direct cause of the accident was the episode of arrhythmia resulting in a loss of consciousness. Therefore, the presented case illustrates the usefulness of postmortem analysis of electrogram records from ICDs in the reconstruction of road traffic accidents. In such cases, if the victims are implanted with ICDs, it should be a routine procedure performed by forensic pathologists.     

Fire and suicide: a three-year study of self-immolation deaths.

Thirty-two self-immolation deaths by fire, representing about 1% of suicides, occurred in the province of Ontario (population 9 million), Canada, from 1986 through 1988. The victims, mostly male (male/female ratio, 26:6), were between 21 and 71 years old (mean age, 38 years). Although the scene of self-immolation was usually familiar to the deceased, some chose remote locations. Eleven were found dead in motor vehicles. An accelerant, usually gasoline, was used in most cases. Many of these individuals had, at some time, indicated their intent to commit suicide, a few by self-immolation, but only about half had a diagnosed psychiatric illness. Most of the victims had a reason to kill themselves, but the factors that motivated them to chose self-immolation by fire were uncertain. Fourteen individuals died in hospitals from severe burn complications. The remainder were found dead at the scene. The postmortem findings of soot in the airway and elevated carbon monoxide in the blood of most of these victims [the carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) concentration was in one case less than 10%, in ten cases greater than or equal to 10 to 50%, and in seven cases greater than 50%] were helpful in determining that the individuals were not only alive at the time of the fire but also that a significant number died from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. The highest levels of carbon monoxide were observed in victims discovered in motor vehicles.     

Postmortem blood and vitreous humor ethanol concentrations in a victim of a fatal motor vehicle crash

A 20-year-old male was found on the passenger side of a small car after a collision with a semi-trailer truck. Postmortem blood, collected from the chest cavity, and vitreous humor samples were collected following harvesting of the heart and bones. Gas chromatographic analysis revealed a blood ethanol concentration of 0.32 g/dL and a vitreous humor ethanol concentration of 0.09 g/dL. The stomach was intact and full of fluid and food, but its contents were not collected. Possible explanations for the large difference between the two results include diffusion of ethanol from the stomach into the chest cavity, contamination of the blood sample prior to collection, and ingestion of a large quantity of ethanol shortly before death. This case demonstrates the importance of proper quality assurance procedures in collecting postmortem specimens and of collecting a vitreous humor sample for ethanol analysis in postmortem toxicology cases.     

Unusual characteristic patterns of postmortem injuries

Animal scavenging is one of the most significant causes of postmortem injuries. A large variety of scavenging animals have been reported on in previous papers. Although postmortem injuries attributable to birds are well known in the case of "aerial burial," the custom in Tibet, few cases of bird scavenging have been reported. In the two cases discussed herein, postmortem injuries were attributed to crows. Both cases, shared characteristic patterns of postmortem injuries, and in both cases death was attributed to fire. Although massive tissue loss by the crow scavenging made it difficult to determine the cause of the death and rendered personal identification difficult, 1 mL of blood drawn from the intracranial cavity and DNA analysis enabled this information to be determined, albeit with some difficulty.     

Virtopsy--fatal motor vehicle accident with head injury

A man wearing no protective helmet was struck by a motor vehicle while riding a bicycle. He was loaded on his left side, and the impact point of his head was his occiput on the car roof girder. He was immediately transported to the general hospital, where he passed away. Postmortem examination using multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) revealed an extensively comminuted fracture of the posterior part and the base of the skull. Observed were deep direct and contrecoup brain bruises, with the independent fractures of the roof of the both orbits. Massive subdural and subarachnoidal hemorrhage with cerebral edema and shifting of the mid-line towards left side were also detected. MSCT and autopsy results were compared and the body injuries were correlated to vehicle damages. In conclusion, postmortem imaging is a good forensic visualization tool with great potential for documentation and examination of body injuries and pathology.     

Canid scavenging/disarticulation sequence of human remains in the Pacific Northwest

Greater understanding of animal scavenging of human remains can assist forensic science investigators in locating and recovering dispersed skeletal elements, in recognizing damage produced by scavengers, and in making more informed estimates of the postmortem interval. The pattern of skeletal damage can indicate whether the body was scavenged while intact or at some time after other natural processes of disarticulation had begun. This study analyzed thirty partially to fully skeletonized human remains with respect to scavenging at the time of body discovery in order to determine if a patterned consumption sequence existed. The scavengers were primarily coyotes (Canis latrans) and domestic dogs (C. familiaris). Sixteen non-carnivore-scavenged remains were also examined and contrasted with the carnivore-scavenged sample. Observed postmortem intervals from death to recovery ranged from 4 h to 52 months. Results demonstrate that canid scavenging of human remains takes place in sequential stages: Stage 0 = no bony involvement; Stage 1 = ventral thorax damaged and one or both extremities removed; Stage 2 = lower extremity involvement; Stage 3 = only vertebral segments remain articulated; and Stage 4 = total disarticulation. Results revealed a clear correspondence between stages of disarticulation and the postmortem interval.     

The role of intestinal bacterial heat production in confounding postmortem temperature measurements

To assess the influence of anaerobic bacterial heat production in human stools as a confounding factor in postmortem rectal temperature measurements, in vitro experiments were carried out with human stools incubated at 37 degrees C for 6 h and at decreasing temperatures simulating a postmortem body cooling. Although a statistical significant heat production was observed, it was not relevant enough to explain a postmortem temperature plateau or a substantial rise in the postmortem body temperature. The experiments suggest that stools merely reflect the environmental thermal changes rather than producing bias and confounding by a bacterial heat production.     

Unusual carbon monoxide poisoning

Despite of indicative death scenes or characteristic findings of the external examination, about 40% of the accidental fatal intoxications due to carbon monoxide are not recognized before the performance of the autopsy. Six cases are reported which illustrate possible reasons for the delayed establishment of the diagnosis: unusual circumstances of the intoxication or sources of carbon monoxide, only subtle degree or lack of external signs of the intoxication or a competing cause of death at autopsy.--Cases 1 and 2: 53, respectively 54-year-old couple, found dead in a caravan, extreme putrefaction of the bodies, spectrophotometric detection of the fatal carboxyhaemoglobin level in oedema fluid of the scalp.--Case 3: 23-year-old lorry driver, found dead in the tightly closed cab of his lorry, operation of a source of electricity with "environmentally friendly" fuel, carboxyhaemoglobin level 83%.--Case 4: 19-year-old man, found dead in the flat of friends, removal of the CO-source before alerting the police forces, lack of the bright pink coloration of livor mortis, haemopericardium due to atrial rupture at postmortem examination, carboxyhaemoglobin level 65%.--Case 5: 27-year-old man, found dead in his flat, advanced decomposition of the body, residues of a charcoal fire in a metal bucket in the sink, carboxyhaemoglobin level 80%.--Case 6: 42-year-old woman, lying dead in the garage beside her car, engine switched-off, ignition key next to the body on the floor under the car, carboxyhaemoglobin level 46%.     

Bones, blood, pellets, glass, and no body.

A man was found guilty of killing his wife, although her body was never found. The case centered on her car, which contained fragments of bone, glass, shotgun pellets, and dried blood. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprinting techniques were used to establish the decedent's identity. Examination of the bone fragments revealed that they were from the skull. These two pieces of information, added to other evidence, proved that the defendant's wife had received a fatal injury in her car, and a guilty verdict was rendered.     

Firesetting and playing with fire during childhood and adolescence: Interview studies of 18‐year‐old male draftees and 18 − 19‐year‐old female pupils

Purpose. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interest of young men and women in playing with fire in childhood and as adolescents. Methods. Two interview studies were performed with fifty 18‐year‐old men and forty‐five 18‐19‐year‐old women. Results. The two studies showed that playing with fire is a common phenomenon among children. In the male group, 70% reported playing with fire in childhood, and in the female group, the proportion was 44%. None of the young men played with fire at the age of 18, while 44% of the young women did. In the draftee's study, playing with fire resulted in uncontrollable fires destroying three buildings, one car and a grass wall. There was one uncontrollable fire in the girls' study. The reasons for not playing with fire in childhood were said to be parental exhortation, prohibition, supervision, fear, and respect for fire. The motives for playing with fire in childhood were curiosity and distraction in the male group, and excitement‐seeking and amusement in the female group.     

Virtopsy-postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a fatal scuba diving incident

The body of a 44-year-old scuba diver was examined using postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and findings were verified by subsequent autopsy. The goal was to find out whether the important pathomorphological findings for the reconstruction of events and the identification of cause and manner of death could be identified using modem digital cross-sectioning techniques. The findings of a massive vital decompression with pulmonary barotrauma and lethal gas embolism were identified in the radiological images. MSCT and MRI were superior to autopsy in the demonstration of the extent and distribution of gas accumulation in intraparenchymal blood vessels of internal organs as well as in areas of the body inaccessible by standard autopsy.