Suspected suicide and suicide attempt with mysterious concomitant circumstances

Two cases of suicide and attempted suicide, respectively, are presented. A 15-year old boy suffering from diabetes died of hyperglycemia after continuous drinking of large amounts of sugared tea. He concealed his disease from the teachers as well as from the doctor. A 52-year old woman was found with multiple blunt force injuries and stab wounds. The suspicion of homicide attempt could be clarified, as all of the injuries were self-inflicted.     

Gunshot wound with asphalt related pseudo-soot, pseudo-tattooing, and pseudo-scorching

Artifacts which mimic the tattooing and soot deposition of close range gunshot wounds have been described as "pseudo-soot" and "pseudo-tattooing." The origin of such findings includes glass, intermediate targets, insect bites, medical manipulation, graphite, and sutures. The authors present a case of pseudo-soot and pseudo-tattooing as a result of asphalt pavement, and describe the associated entity of pseudo-scorching.     

Unusual suicide with a chainsaw

Described here is a case of suicide with the use of a chainsaw. A female suffering from schizophrenia committed suicide by an ingenious use of a chainsaw that resulted in the transection of her cervical spine and spinal cord. The findings of the resulting investigation are described and the mechanism of suicides with the use of a chainsaw is reviewed. A dry bone study was realized to determine the bone sections, the correlation between anatomic lesions and characteristics of chainsaw. The damage of organs and soft tissues is compared according to the kinds of chainsaw used.     

A suicide with neuromuscular blocker

We experienced an autopsy case in which a 29-year-old woman committed suicide by parenteral application of a neuromuscular blocker combined with thiobarbital. These medicines were easily accessible to the victim who was an anesthesiologist in a hospital. Paralyzing the respiratory muscles the usual dose of neuromuscular blockers can cause death unless a breathing apparatus is used. Unusual medicines given in small doses are difficult to detect in the autopsy materials. In our case in the course of forensic investigation we successfully identified the traces of a neuromuscular blocker by mass spectrometry.     

Gunshot residue particle velocity and deceleration

The velocity of over 800 gunshot residue particles from eight different sources was determined using high speed stroboscopic photography (spark gap light source). These particles were found to have an average velocity of 500 to 600 ft per second. Many particles acquired considerably higher velocities. Thus, the particles have sufficient energy to embed themselves within certain nearby targets like skin or fabric. The relatively high velocity that the particles acquire explain the formation of stippling on skin in close proximity to a muzzle discharge. These findings also indicate little influence of air currents on particle behavior near the muzzle. The deceleration of less than 100 particles during a 100-microsecond interval was also calculated. The particles experienced rapid rates of deceleration which would explain why few particles are found in test firings beyond 3 ft from the muzzle of a discharged firearm. Because of their relatively high velocity, normal wind velocity would not be expected to significantly influence their motion near the muzzle.     

Head injury associated with barbiturate suicide

Two cases of self-inflicted injury, associated with suicide by ingestion of barbiturates, are presented. The head injury was so severe in one of the deceased that the death was at first thought to be due to homicide. It is postulated that barbiturate poisoning may induce a phase of excitation, with headache, prior to induction of coma.     

Gunshot wounds: visual and analytical procedures.

Visual examination of clothing and tissue from gunshot wounds provides information pertaining to the range of discharge of a firearm. Identification of powder grains or soot is evidence of close range discharge by a handgun. Analyses of tissue by EDX and FAAS technics are shown to supply corroborating data to visual examination in estimation of range. These methods are of particular value in differentiating contact and distant wounds when decomposed bodies are examined and when multiple layers of clothing are present.     

An unusual homicide case with subsequent suicide

In the medicolegal literature reports on homicides followed by suicide, especially in elderly people, are rare. In the present case, the victim, a 79-year-old woman, showed a rather unusual injury pattern: 3 gunshots to the head (with only 2 entrance wounds and 3 intracranial projectiles) and 2 stabs from a knife. The tools used for inflicting the stab wounds (a hunting knife and a double-edged dagger) were left in the victim's body after the offense. The 89-year-old husband hanged himself with an aerial cable after killing his wife. The police investigations and the autopsy findings suggested a combined homicide-suicide. The motive for the offense could be a so-called delusion of poverty associated with symptoms of depression.     

Gunshot injury caused by a training bullet]

In the course of a scuffle a 50-year old man has been shot by a revolver. The culprit and witnesses state, there has been only one shot, whereas the victim declared having been shot twice. The medico-legal investigation revealed a gunshot wound that passed through the left thigh, a grazing shot of the right hand and a superficial lesion of the skin at the forehead with sprinkled gunshot residue in the epidermis. The investigation confirmed the statement of the victim: the first shot to the forehead was caused by a plastic training cartridge, the second to the right hand and thigh by a cartridge loaded with an ordinary bullet.     

用MSCT沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组技术鉴定鼻骨线性骨折

目的探讨多层螺旋CT(MSCT)沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组(MPR)技术在鼻骨线性骨折法医学鉴定中的应用价值。方法以MSCT轴位平扫和沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组(MPR),对98例头面部外伤患者进行检查。结果 MSCT轴位平扫诊断:鼻骨正常和线性骨折(单侧或双侧)分别为29例和69例,阳性率70.4%。MSCT沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组(MPR)复诊:鼻骨正常的和线性骨折分别为19例和79例,阳性率80.6%。结论采用MSCT沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组技术可发现常规MSCT轴位平扫未能检见的鼻骨线性骨折,对法医学鉴定具有更高的应用价值。     

Effects of Decomposition on Gunshot Wound Characteristics: Under Moderate Temperatures with Insect Activity

Abstract:  Previous studies document characteristics of gunshot wounds shortly after they were inflicted. This study was conducted to determine if the early stages of decomposition obscure or alter the physical surface characteristics of gunshot wounds, thereby affecting the quantity and quality of information retrievable from such evidence. The study was conducted in August and September, 2005 in Nova Scotia, Canada in forested and exposed environments. Recently killed pigs were used as research models and were shot six times each at three different ranges (contact, 2.5 cm, and 1.5 m). Under these test conditions, the gunshot wounds maintained the characteristics unique to each gunshot range and changes that occurred during decomposition were not critical to the interpretation of the evidence. It was concluded that changes due to decomposition under the conditions tested would not affect the collection and interpretation of gunshot wound evidence until the skin was degraded in the late active or advanced decay stage of decomposition.     

Nine-gunshot suicide

In this article, we describe an unusual case of suicide involving nine gunshot wounds to the anterior chest. This illustrates that individuals may function for a short time with fatal wounds and stresses the importance of a complete investigation.     

A Rare Case of an Intact Bone Plug Associated with a Gunshot Exit Wound

This case study presents an unusual manifestation of gunshot trauma in skeletal tissue from a post‐World War II human rights abuse sample uncovered in Vilnius, Lithuania. After briefly reviewing the typical wound appearance of projectile trauma in the cranium, we discuss the presence of an intact bone plug associated with a gunshot exit wound in an individual from the Tuskulenai Case. While this individual demonstrated typical gunshot entry and exit wounds to the cranium consistent with high‐velocity trauma, the bone plug indicates that the projectile likely lost much of its kinetic energy while traveling through the cranium resulting in a low‐velocity impact at the exit site. This study reviews a similar instance of a bone plug recovered from a bioarcheological sample in Peru and emphasizes the importance of thorough archeological excavations of mass graves.     

Comparison of Different Swabs for Sampling Inorganic Gunshot Residue from Gunshot Wounds: Applicability and Reliability for the Determination of Firing Distance

This study concentrates on samples of bare pork skin, with and without bristles, and dried bovine ribs shot with a semi‐automatic pistol to find the best methodology and sampling surface in the search for inorganic gunshot residues (IGSR). Four quadrants of known surface areas were sampled at different distances from the bullet's hole with different swabs: tapes in graphite, Leukosilk® white tape, 3M® transparent tape, and a cotton swab to assess the technique able to collect the highest amounts of IGSR with the lowest contribution of the blank. The cotton swab wet in 10% HNO₃ gave the best results. The highest amounts of IGSR, measured by ICP‐OES and MS, were detected on a surface of 3‐cm radius from the bullet's edge. The amount of metals collected decreased with the firing distance between 20 and 60 cm. The procedure was efficient for sampling different tissues like skin and bones.