Weapon location following suicidal gunshot wounds

The location of the gun following suicidal gunshot wound was studied by reviewing 574 such deaths in which the scene was investigated by a medical examiner investigator and the body was examined at the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office in San Antonio, Texas. The position of the gun could not be established in 76 cases. In the remaining 498 cases, the gun remained in the deceased's hand in 24% of the cases. In 69% of the cases, the gun was on or near the body but not in the hand (i.e., touching the body or within 30 cm of the body). The gun was found >30 cm from the body in the remaining 7% of cases. In the case of handguns, the gun was found in the hand in 25.7% of individuals. For individuals using long guns, the firearm was in the hand of the decedent in 19.5% of cases. The gun had a greater chance of remaining in the deceased's hand if the person was lying or sitting when the gunshot wound was received. Variables such as gender of the individual, wound location, and caliber of handgun were not significant in predicting whether the gun stayed in the hand after a suicidal gunshot wound.     

Maggot-induced postmortem changes simulating gunshot wounds

In the warm season, human cadavers often are the breeding ground of fly larvae. In special conditions, the damage by maggots can take on the appearance of bullet holes. Preexisting injuries allow the maggots to penetrate the skin also in parts other than the body apertures commonly infested. Round tissue damage similar to gunshot-wounds are favored by the fact that the larvae of some types of flies bundle together to form feeding communities. The enzymes from the salivary glands of the fly larvae may in some rare instances even lead to perforation of bone lamellae (e.g. in the region of the orbital roofs). The case reports deal with 2 cases in which changes due to damage by maggots primarily gave the impression of gunshot-wounds.     

External beveling of cranial gunshot entrance wounds

Entrance gunshot wounds of the skull generally have internal beveling. External beveling has been previously described in association with internal beveling (keyhole defect) and with wounds from handgun projectiles. An accidental shooting is described in which a 22-year-old male sustained a perforating gunshot wound of the head at distant range from a 5.56-mm (.223-caliber) fully jacketed rifle round. Although the entrance wound had symmetrical external beveling, misinterpretation of this particular entrance wound as an exit wound would have been difficult.     

Expression of fibronectin suicidal in gunshot wounds

Fibronectin has been proposed as the reliable marker of wound vitality and potent tool for age estimation in cases where survival time is at least few minutes. Cases of suicidal gunshot wounds were divided into two groups according to projectile energy and damage of the vital structures. Immunohistochemical reaction on fibronectin was evaluated with semiquantitative scale, which included sum of intensity and widespread of the reaction. Mann–Whitney test has shown statistical significant difference between groups (P ≤ 0.001).     

Planned complex suicide by self-poisoning and a manipulated blank revolver: remarkable findings due to multiple gunshot wounds and self-made wooden projectiles

A remarkable case of complex suicide with poisoning and multiple self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head is reported. After ingestion of a liquid insecticide, the victim shot himself twice in the head, once in each temple. Self-manufactured wooden dowels were used as projectiles in combination with conventional blank cartridges. The dowels had been glued on top of the blank cartridges and expelled by propellant gases. Moreover, the blank revolver used had been extensively manipulated in a rarely observed manner. Several occlusive devices had been removed from the barrel and the cylinder chamber to enable the expulsion of the wooden projectiles. The investigation of the methods used and the circumstances found at the scene pointed towards a planned complex suicide. A remarkable case with unusual projectiles, i.e., wooden dowels, fired by an extensively manipulated blank gun is reported, emphasizing the importance of close collaboration between the police firearm laboratory and forensic pathology in practical casework.     

Cranial fracture patterns and estimate of direction from low velocity gunshot wounds

Cranial trauma produced by low velocity gunshot wounds is investigated in an autopsy series. In skeletonized remains with postmortem damage, or after surgical debridement, the primary internal or external beveling may become obscured, causing difficulty with the identification of entrance and exit wounds. The morphology of associated secondary and tertiary fractures based upon the mechanics of their production is discussed as a means of establishing bullet entrance and exit sites.     

Characteristics of gunshot wounds in the skull.

The analysis of trauma to the skeleton is an important aspect of forensic case work, but most pathology references devote limited attention to this topic. This paper describes various aspects of gunshot wounds, including entrance and exit patterns, angle and path, range of fire and velocity, and caliber of the bullet, based on observations of a series of known cases. Skeletal remains of 21 victims of gunshot wounds were studied. In most cases, there was documentation of the investigation, autopsy, and victim's identity. Each case was analyzed in terms of wound location, shape, size and exit/entry surface area ratio, beveling, and direction of shooting Skull entry wounds were most often round or oval. Unusual shapes were observed in bones like the mandible and mastoid process, but were also found to be triangular, nearly rectangular or irregular. Tunneling was observed in the mastoid process. The expected internal beveling was obvious in all but one skull. External beveling of an entry wound was only observed in one case (parietal bone). Exit wounds were roughly round, oval, square, and rectangular and were always more irregular than entry wounds. External beveling of exit wounds was observed in most vault bones, but there was none in the orbit, maxilla, greater wing of the sphenoid, temporal, or left occipital bone. Tangential gunshot wounds were seen in a mastoid process, zygomatic process, mandibular ramus and condyle, and occipital condyle. Most of the exit to entry surface area ratios (cm2) varied from 1.4 to 2.0. In four cases the ratio indicated that entrances were larger than exists. In conclusion, understanding of gunshot wound characteristics is an important matter to interpret distance, velocity, direction and sometimes caliber size. Assessment of this nature of gunshot wounds helps reconstruct events surrounding the death.     

Morphological characteristics of gunshot wounds of liver and spleen

Stellate wounds are to be expected in gunshot injuries to the liver and spleen. As to their configuration, they resemble the skin breaks in an absolute close-range shot. The exit wound is larger than the entry wound. The genesis and utility of such injuries for reconstruction of the shot direction are discussed with reference to seven gunshot mortalities. Stellate wounds could also be achieved by shooting at isolated cadaver organs. The experimentally produced gunshot wounds differed from those produced in vivo in that the entry and exit wounds were equally large.     

An anthropological analysis of gunshot wounds to the chest

This analysis of gunshot trauma to the bony thorax examines 87 handgun and rifle wounds from documented cases in an effort to corroborate an earlier report and to provide the forensic community with additional literature in this area. Specifically, this study tests whether the trauma signatures associated with gunshot wounds in the bony thorax are useful in determining the direction of fire. Because the ribs occupy a significant portion of the bony thorax, they are struck more frequently than other bones and, consequently, they are the focus of this report. This study confirmed that bullets can leave distinctive markers on ribs that indicate the direction of fire, including depressed fractures, bone fragments displaced in the direction of the bullet's path, and beveling. Although forensic anthropologists can determine the direction that a bullet was traveling when it struck a given rib, they cannot give a definitive statement about the number or sequence of gunshots without supporting soft tissue evidence.     

枪弹创前置物射入口形态学的实验研究

为建立前置物射入口与典型射入口的检验鉴别方法，使用国产54式7.62mm口径手枪及56式7．62mm口径半自动步枪，以3m的距离射击约克夏种白猪义3只，同时以各种玻璃、木板。汽车门、动物躯干等物质作为中间障碍物，制成前置物射入口36例，并与对照组6例射入口进行对比观察。结果显示，前置物射入口较典型射入口增大，撕裂，创线挫伤增宽，创周出现卫星创或假点彩，创道内异物及弹头严重变形。此检验诊断方法有助于法医在实际检验中对射击距离的判断和对现场环境的分析。     

Comparison of gunshot wounds and field-tipped arrow wounds using morphological criteria and chemical spot tests

Arrow wounds represent an unusual class of wounds rarely seen by most death investigators. Although the edged, broadhead-tipped arrow produces a wound usually characteristic of archery/crossbow weapons, the plain, field-tipped arrow wound can be confused with gunshot injuries in those cases in which powder residue or firearm projectiles or fragments or both are not recovered. We present a case of a deer carcass with a wound of uncertain firearm or archery origin which initiated a comparison of firearm wounds and archery wounds on fresh road-killed deer. We found the following features to be valuable in the differentiation of gunshot wounds and field-tipped archery wounds: First, the majority of the gunshot wounds (but none of the arrow wounds) had identifiable, macroscopic, wipe-off material and chemically identifiable wipe-off residue by spot test. Second, the archery wound defects had very inconspicuous abrasion rings as compared to the often prominent abrasion rings of gunshot wounds. Third, the actual central defect in the archery wounds was more likely to be oblong or slit-like compared to the gunshot wound defects, which were more likely to be round.     

The specificity of gunshot wounds caused by rubber buck shot

Described in the paper are forensic-medical cases related with examinations of wounds inflicted by rubber case-shot--a relatively rare ammunition. The morphology of the above wounds and specific features of deposition of "shot metals" in the damaged region were studied. The possibilities of fixing a shot distance and ammunition type were defined.     

Multiple gunshot wounds of the head: an anthropological view

A decomposed body was judged at the scene to have two gunshot wounds of the thorax and three of the head. Confirmed at autopsy, the condition of the remains precluded conclusions about the precise nature of the defects. Preparation and reconstruction of the skull disclosed seven large cranial defects and a series of fractures. This preparation allowed the application of well-known principles of gunshot wound analysis. Although the analysis of specific gunshot wound defects is well covered in the literature, there are few examples of the application of gunshot wound principles to complex wound cases. Three entrances and three exits were identified. A seventh defect resulted from bullet passage. Finally, the wounds were sequenced.     

脑干枪弹伤的电镜观察

目的 研究脑干枪弹伤的超微改变及其分子水平的致死机理。方法 用一例颅外损伤与2例头部枪伤作对比,于死亡后25min切取其脑干部组织块,相当于弹道处主要取自中脑被盖部与脑桥的被盖部和延脑的第四脑室底深部灰质部的组织,进行透射电镜及扫描电镜观察。结果 (1)脑内的枪弹伤病理改变包括烧灼伤、冲击和压力伤等。(2)枪弹伤虽在中脑而病理改变波及整个脑干。(3)损伤特点是神经轴突最广泛和损伤严重,神经胶质纤维次之,神经元受损又次之。(4)轴突烧灼伤表现髓鞘、轴浆及其内线粒体浓缩、变性,轴浆、轴索水肿;冲击、压力伤呈现轴突扭曲、变形、融合、挤压、缺损、破(断)裂及错位,轴浆内容外流或缺失,轴索内线粒体、神经微丝和微管偏向一侧位等。结论 脑干网状结构严重广泛性神经轴索损伤可能与致死有着最重要关系。     

Detection and investigation of microparticles of biological tissues in gunshot wounds

We studied feasibility of expert purposes solution in examination of gunshot bullet injuries by investigation traces of microparticles of tissues expulsed from the wounds and settled near the victim. Laws of such traces formation are established, feasibility of localization of the place of wounding, of the shot direction finding, definition of the gender, group, species of bioobject is shown.     

Characteristics of firearms and gunshot wounds as markers of suicide.

Data from a total of 1,200 cases that the Medical Examiner of Dallas County, Texas, ruled as suicide with a firearm have been compared with the results of forensic laboratory examinations and tests; 75% are with handguns and 25% are with long guns. The incidence of suicides by gender yields 82% males and 18% females, with the most common entrance site being the head. With regard to racial distribution of persons committing suicide, > 88% are white in the study population group, which is 76% white. Data are presented for the incidence of blood detected inside and on the muzzle end of the barrel of the firearm, and for the persistence of blood inside the barrel even after the weapon was discharged to obtain test bullets. The analysis of handwipings for primer residues shows that "positive" results are obtained for approximately 50% of the revolvers and approximately 32% of the pistols when the caliber is > 22. Other projects such as transfer of gunshot residues to the hand by simply handling the weapon, the incidence of single-contact wounds in homicide versus suicide cases, and the percent of positive identification of bullets with weapons submitted are described.