Suicide by jumping from high-rise hotels. Fulton County, Georgia, 1967-1986

During a 20-year period from 1967 through 1986, 19 suicidal jumps from high-rise hotels (HRHs) accounted for 24% of all fatal jumping episodes and 1% of all suicides in Fulton County, Georgia, U.S.A. The rate of suicidal jumps from HRHs did not increase during the study period. The number of fatal jumps per hotel-year correlated with the height of the interior hotel atrium. The mean age for all victims was 34 years, and 63% of victims were white males. The majority of victims were local residents who were alone when they jumped and were not registered hotel guests. Registered guests tended to jump from the floor on which their room was located whereas nonregistered individuals tended to jump from the upper-most floors in the hotel. Of 19 HRH jumps, 13 occurred from the inside. Suicide notes were found in 37% of cases. HRH jumps were least common between 6 p.m. and midnight, all decedents were dressed in street clothing, only one was heard to have screamed, and all but one were dead on the scene. Alcohol and drug involvement was minimal. We hope that this information will be useful to those who investigate such deaths and to those who study the behavioral manifestations of suicide.     

Gunpowder particles as a factor in a gunshot from up close

Existence of different opinions on the role of gunpowder particles in determining close shot distance promoted the experiments with pistol "PM" and sporting fowling piece in vertical and horizontal directions at different distances from 0.5 up to 2.5 m using targets made of pasteboard and moistened photographic paper. The quantities of gunpowder particles on the targets which were calculated by stereoscopic microscope increased distinctly in vertical shot direction (from above downwards), especially at distances 2 and 2.5 m and particle flight distance rose; in horizontal shot direction distances of gunpowder particle flight didn't exceed 2-3 m.     

Suicides by jumping from Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul

Suicide methods may differ widely. One of these methods is jumping from a height. The people who choose a high bridge for jumping may be considered as a special group. In this study, we evaluated the demographic data, mortality rates and postmortem findings of individuals who jumped from the 64m high Bosphorus Bridge of Istanbul. For this purpose, we reviewed registration forms of two police centers on both sides of the bridge, court archives, and postmortem examination reports of the deceased for a period of 10 years between 1986 and 1995.During this period, 65 people had jumped from the Bosphorus Bridge of Istanbul. The mortality rate was 96.9%, as two individuals survived their suicide attempt. The male/female ratio for attempts was 15:1 (61 males, four females) in this study in contrast to the male/female ratio of 1.6:1 for all suicidal cases in Turkey. The average age of subjects was 29.2 (median: 26, range: 16-54). The frequency was highest in the 15-24 age group with a rate of 38.4%. People who jumped from the bridge were younger than other reported cases of suicide. For all methods of suicide in Turkey 53.5% of subjects are under the age of 35. However, in our study, 75.8% of individuals who committed suicide from the Bosphorus Bridge were under the age of 35. Unmarried people accounted for 56% of the individuals whose marital status was known. 20.8% of the individuals whose employment status was known were unemployed. 59% of the cases whose education was known were high school graduates. The highest rate of suicide by jumping was in 1990, and occurred during the fall and winter months, primarily between the hours of 24.00 and 06.00. The Bosphorus Bridge is forbidden to pedestrians. Arrival method to the bridge was by a taxicab in 53.3% of the cases. 91% of the recovered bodies had been discovered during the first 2 days of jumping. Positions on impact with the water were estimated according to external and internal injuries. Among the cases in which the position of impact could be assessed by external and internal injury patterns, combined lateral and horizontal positions were most common.     

Epidemiologic and phenomenologic aspects of suicide caused by leaping from a high bridge

Since the fascinating K?hlbrand Bridge within the harbour of Hamburg (520 m long, 53 m high) was put into operation in the year 1974, 56 persons (47 males, 9 females, aged between 20 and 82 years) committed suicide by jumping from the bridge up to 1997. These suicides could not be prevented although video supervision of the bridge has been arranged and a police station is not far away. The suicides took place without any predictable frequency concerning time and season. However, after reports of spectacular cases within the media there was a tendency of suicidents to prefer the same manner of suicide, for instance in the year 1994. In recent time, a considerable number of suicidents did not jump from the very top of the bridge down into the water but hit to the ground after jumping from the access ramps. The special aim of this retrospective study included an analysis of the injury pattern (autopsy rate only 47%!) and special phenomenological and reconstructive aspects of the suicides.     

Gunshot wounds caused by Fiocchi Anticrime cartridges (plastic bullets).

The Fiocchi Anticrime cartridge (caliber 12/70) used for shotguns contains 15 plastic bullets that have a total weight (mass) of 15.2 g and feature a V4 of 302 m/s and an E4 of 694.7 J. Hence the bullets, which are claimed to be harmless, are able to penetrate the skin at close range. This article presents four cases of injuries. According to our tests, the Fiocchi Anticrime cartridge may well cause fatal injuries within firing distances of up to approximately 4-5 m.     

Ballistic characterization of the Remington Premier Copper Solid sabot shotgun slug

We evaluated the impact and penetration characteristics of the Remington Copper Solid sabot shotgun slug with standardized ballistic tests and used this information to predict tissue wounding patterns. This unique ammunition, first distributed in 1993, is composed of a solid copper, hollow-point slug with longitudinal slots cut into the nose. The slug is fitted into a hard plastic sabot with 8 finger-like projections and loaded into a shotgun shell with two plastic wads separating it from the underlying gunpowder charge. The ammunition was fired through a 12-gage shotgun using a rifled barrel, a smooth-bore barrel with rifled choke, and a smooth-bore barrel with a smooth modified choke into targets consisting of poster board and 10% ballistic gelatin at a variety of distances. The copper slug and plastic sabot created single 8-fingered asterisk-shaped defects in the poster board when fired at distances of less than 7 to 9 ft (approximately 2 to 3 m). All three barrel types performed similarly. At greater distances, the sabot impacted the targets separately from the slugs and created variably shaped defects that reflected base-first, nose-first, and side-first impacts. Increasing muzzle-to-target distances generally increased the impact distances between the slug and sabot. There was no predictable relationship between the sabot and slug impact points for any of the three barrel types. With each barrel tested, the wads created separate defects from the slug at distances greater than 5 ft (1.5 m). The distances between the slug and the wad impact points increased with increasing muzzle-to-target distances up to 40 ft (12 m), after which the wads generally no longer struck the targets. The slug created atypical defects at distances between 7 and 150 ft (approximately 2 to 45 m), probably due to yawing or tumbling. When the slug impacted the gelatin block in a nose-first orientation, the slotted nose portion tended to fragment and radially deposit pieces in the gelatin that were visible on radiographs. When the slug struck the gelatin target in a side-first orientation, it passed through the gelatin intact. The slug, sabot, and wads of this unique projectile separate and create independent impact points in a stereotypical manner independent of barrel type. This pattern of separation allows estimates to be made of ranges of fire. Wounds created in human tissues by this ammunition would likely have similar asterisk-shaped configurations, and nose fragments may be deposited in tissues and seen radiographically. Rectangular wounds created by the tumbling or yawing slug might be mistaken for intermediate target wounds.     

The systemic error in the vertical component of handgun bullet trajectory reconstructions

Establishing the path or trajectory of a fired bullet is an often recurring part of shooting incident reconstruction. The current study describes how gravitational pull causes a systemic error on the vertical component of a trajectory reconstruction. Bullet drop, drop angle, and vertical offset are explained and calculated for 10 different handgun/ammunition combinations over a range of distances up to 100 m. The presented results are intended to provide forensic firearm examiners with a reference frame for the magnitude of error introduced on handgun bullet trajectory reconstructions over distance. Threshold values of 20 and 30 m are proposed as conservative distances up to where bullet trajectories can be modeled as straight lines with subsonic/transonic handgun bullets and with supersonic handgun bullets respectively. Both the bullet drop and vertical offset will be below 5 cm at these distances for those categories. The drop angle will be below 0.3°.     

Survived stab to the heart in a schizophrenic man

Schizophrenia is associated with a significant risk of suicide. According to recent research, 10-15 % of all schizophrenic patients die by suicide. It is not uncommon that the victims show sharp force injuries, so that the forensic pathologist first has to differentiate between self-infliction and involvement of another person. The authors' case report presents a 68-year-old schizophrenic patient who committed suicide by jumping out of a window of his apartment located on the second floor after inflicting multiple stab wounds to his thoracic region. At autopsy, an older stab wound to the apex of the heart was detected. In the criminal investigation, a suicide attempt made 13 days before could be ascertained. As the patient did not want to be taken to a hospital at that time, the injury had never been examined or documented. Since there was no evidence suggesting homicide, the older stab to the heart was interpreted as a tentative injury.     

Forensic medical characteristics of the injuries inflicted by home-made arbalest

The classification of arbalests as a representative of the class of missiles is presented. Basic design characteristics of such weapon, wounds and damage to cotton targets from shot distances 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 m are described.     

Suicide by jumping from buildings

A study of 82 suicides during 1982-1986 that were committed by jumping from buildings was performed using the case files of the Office of the Medical Examiner of Metropolitan Dade County in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. The analysis involved the age, race, and sex of the victim along with the results of toxicologic studies and the cause of death. Additionally, the decedent's place of residence, location of the suicide, height of the building, and the reason for the suicide were investigated. Whether or not a note was left by the decedent was also ascertained. The suicidal "jumper" most commonly was a white man who was greater than 60 years of age who died from the resultant multiple injuries. The victim commonly was sober and drug free at the time of the incident. In approximately two-thirds of the cases, the location of the suicide was the victim's residence, which frequently was an apartment or condominium-type dwelling that was seven floors or higher from the ground. The victim often had experienced depression prior to the incident and did not usually leave a suicide note. This article compares the Dade County cases with others that have been studied and discusses the reasons why jumping from a building may have been chosen as the suicidal mechanism.     

Firing distance estimation through the analysis of the gunshot residue deposit pattern around the bullet entrance hole by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry: an experimental study

The use of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the study of gunshot residues (GSR) is relatively recent, and only a few studies have been published on the subject. In the present paper, this instrumental technique has been used to study the deposit pattern of the GSR around the bullet entrance hole, through the analysis of antimony (Sb), barium (Ba), and lead (Pb). The data obtained were used to establish a mathematical model for estimating the firing distance. Test shots using a 6.35-mm pistol were made against a target of cotton tissue, and the amounts of Sb, Ba, and Pb deposited in quadrangular pieces of the target, cut from 4 radial positions, were determined by ICP-MS. In these experimental conditions, it was possible to estimate the firing distance on the interval [20-80] cm. The best linear correlation between ln m and d, where m is the mass of Sb, Ba, or Pb in the samples, expressed in mug/g of target tissue, and d the firing distance, was obtained at radial distances between 3.5 cm and 4.5 cm from the entrance hole. The best regression curve which adjusted to the data was a linear multiple regression between the firing distance and the logarithm of the mass of each element: d = a + b(1)X(1) + b(2)X(2) + b(3)X(3), where X(1) = ln m (Sb), X(2) = ln m(Ba) and X(3) = ln m (Pb). The accuracy of firing distance estimation using only 1 or 2 elements was not significantly different from the one obtained with the 3 elements.     

On the contamination of ambient air by preparations carried out with a band-saw

The aim was to evaluate contamination by bone-dust and formaldehyde when using a band-saw for preparations of the base of the skull and the cervical vertebral spine (stationary band-saw, 1400 upm, saw blade with 160 saw teeth/m; distances 19-26 cm, time intervals 55-90 s). The asservation of bone particles was done with adhesive microscopic slides and calcium-specific staining by alizarin-red. The quantification of air contamination was carried out with micrometry and a particle-counter. Dr?ger-tubes 0.2/9 were utilized for estimation of formaldehyde. The band-saw did not produce high amounts of bone-dust with suspension power. Nevertheless, 75% of the particles ranged below 5 microns in size and were respirable. Contamination decreased with an increasing height above the floor. A massive flow of particles was observed during the first minutes of sawing. The bone-dust spread some metres away. The formaldehyde levels ranged throughout between 0.5 and also over 5 ppm (MAK = 0.5 ppm). This fact makes clear an intensive contamination of the air. Therefore, a ventilation directed to the floor is necessary when a band-saw is used, as well as breathing masks and safety-goggles.     

Soil forensics: How far can soil clay analysis distinguish between soil vestiges?

Soil traces are useful as forensic evidences because they frequently adhere to individuals and objects associated with crimes and can place or discard a suspect at/from a crime scene. Soil is a mixture of organic and inorganic components and among them soil clay contains signatures that make it reliable as forensic evidence. In this study, we hypothesized that soils can be forensically distinguished through the analysis of their clay fraction alone, and that samples of the same soil type can be consistently distinguished according to the distance they were collected from each other. To test these hypotheses 16 Oxisol samples were collected at distances of between 2 m and 1.000 m, and 16 Inceptisol samples were collected at distances of between 2 m and 300 m from each other. Clay fractions were extracted from soil samples and analyzed for hyperspectral color reflectance (HSI), X-ray diffraction crystallographic (XRD), and for contents of iron oxides, kaolinite and gibbsite. The dataset was submitted to multivariate analysis and results were from 65% to 100% effective to distinguish between samples from the two soil types. Both soil types could be consistently distinguished for forensic purposes according to the distance that samples were collected from each other: 1000 m for Oxisol and 10 m for Inceptisol. Clay color and XRD analysis were the most effective techniques to distinguish clay samples, and Inceptisol samples were more easily distinguished than Oxisol samples. Soil forensics seems a promising field for soil scientists as soil clay can be useful as forensic evidence by using routine analytical techniques from soil science.     

应用人体躯干段多参数推断成人身高

目的推动人体身高推断的再研究和人体躯干段体表解剖标志间距推断身高的创新应用。方法建立人体躯干段体表解剖标志间距参数采集规范,采集933例长三角地区成年人群数据,应用多元线性回归方法进行统计分析,建立推断身高的回归方程。结果建立了以性别(x_1)、颈臀线(x_2)、胸耻线(x_3)、肩髂间距(x_4)、肩宽(x_5)5个变量与身高(y)的多元线性回归方程y=105.406+5.414 x_1+0.436 x_2+0.286 x_3+0.225 x_4+0.193 x_5。结论该方法适合法医快速、简便且较准确地推断身高。     

Combined suicide caused by burns and falling from a high place

Two cases of combined suicide by burning and jumping from heights are reported. Both male cases had psychiatric histories.     

Genetic variation of high-altitude Ecuadorian population using autosomal STR markers

Fifteen autosomal STRs were analyze in order to elucidate the differences between low and high land Ecuadorian population. Seven Ecuadorian geographic areas (Tisaleo-Mocha, Cañar, Quito, Rocafuerte, Santa Rosa, Guayaquil and Lago Agrio) from different altitude were selected for the study. After the analysis, little genetic distances were observed between all cities, the more distant cities (F_ST = 0.02354) were Rocafuerte at an elevation of 17 m.a.s.l. and Quito at 2850 m.a.s.l. and the similar cities (F_ST = 0.00033) were Rocafuerte (17 m.a.s.l.) and Santa Rosa (10 m.a.s.l). In conclusion, there is not a great genetic distance in the 15 STRs reported in high and low land Ecuadorian population, therefore previously reported frequencies could been used in identification and paternity cases under analysis.     

Police officer involved shootings – retrospective study of situational characteristics

Abstract

The study analyzed the situational characteristics of 112 incidents where police used firearms to handle high threat situations. Most shooting incidents emanated from usually uneventful tasks, e.g., handling burglaries or disturbances. The assailants were commonly armed with firearms (26%), sharp (27%) or blunt objects (10%). The incidents were regularly short-lasting (in 39% were shots fired ≤3 s from threat emerged) and occurred at short distances (in 42% at distances ≤3 m). Predominantly, the first responders had to address the situation and did so with warning shots or, equally common, with fire-for-effect shots (40%) or a combination thereof. Psychological stress was manifested as feelings of panic at some point and as motor skill alterations, e.g., firing without using sights and with one hand only. Analysis of these incidents shows that all field duty police officers should receive training in handling potentially life-threatening, sudden, close-range attacks.     

Fatal accidental hanging from a lanyard key chain in a 10-year-old boy

Lanyard chains are commonly worn around the neck to hold keys and identification badges. A ten-year-old Black male child was home alone jumping and swinging of the raised crossbars on his mother's four-poster bed. He commonly did this. He also wore a lanyard around his neck with his house key, which he used to let himself in after school. His mother found him hanging on the corner of the bedpost by the lanyard when she returned from work. The death scene showed that he was jumping on the bed and the lanyard hooked over the top of the corner bedpost, causing first and second cervical vertebrae dislocation of an abrupt "drop-type" hanging with neck abrasion marks. Lanyards, or any loose rope material around the neck, are inherently dangerous due to their strength and ability to catch fixed or moving objects. Safety modifications to the lanyards are easily made with "breakaway" Velcro-type or plastic clip fasteners. This is the first reported case of an accidental hanging after review of the medical literature and files of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.     

Circumflex artery from the right coronary sinus: a not-so-benign anomaly

The origin of the circumflex coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva is generally considered a benign anomaly. Herein we report the sudden unexpected death of a 6-year-old boy who died after jumping into a swimming pool and whose only pathologic finding was this usually inconsequential coronary artery anomaly. A discussion of the pathophysiology of the disorder and a literature review are included. This is the youngest patient to die with this entity.