Motor vehicle-assisted ligature strangulation causing complete decapitation: an autopsy report

The victim, a 63-year-old prosperous businessman from Labasa, of the Northern Island (Vanua Levu) of Fiji Islands, was found completely decapitated in the early hours of morning in 2004. Initial police investigation did not reveal any history of any medical or family calamity. Further inquiry by the police revealed that on the previous day the deceased had visited all his friends and relatives, and his behavior was not out of the ordinary. The police suspected it to be a case of homicide. On visit to the scene, a completely decapitated body was found in a van on a downhill road. Tire marks were found on the road. A nylon rope was used for ligature strangulation. At autopsy, the decapitation wound of the head and the torso articulated well. The face was congested, and there was tongue bite. Wound margins were clear-cut, with well-demarcated abrasion and multiple imprints of the nylon rope on the neck. The upper one third of the larynx was attached to the head. No other injuries were found on the body. From the findings, it was obvious that asphyxiation was involved in the death before decapitation.     

Vehicle-assisted suicide resulting in complete decapitation

A rare case of vehicle-assisted suicide in a 43-year-old man is presented. The man had tied a rope between a fence and his neck and, while seated on the driver's seat, accelerated the vehicle, which resulted in complete decapitation. Earlier that day, the man had tried to bleed himself to death by bottling his own blood in his flat, thus defining the case as secondary complex suicide.     

饮酒与自杀

饮酒和许多非正常死亡有关,如自杀、他杀、意外伤害死亡等,对各国社会公共健康卫生有着不容忽视的影响。自杀同时也是一个独立的社会公共健康问题,在世界各国均成为日渐严重的社会问题,尤其在青少年群体中,这两种社会现象尤其严重。对饮酒和自杀的关系的研究已有数十年的历史,早在1966年Durkheim就提出酒精消耗在自杀中是一个精神病理的个人因素,1991年Skog等提出酒精消耗作为一种社会现象对自杀有着深远的影响。[1]近年随着饮酒与自杀研究的逐年深入,目前人们已经普遍认识到无论是急性饮酒还是慢性酒精依赖均与自杀有关,[2]Bris-mar等甚…     

Features characteristic of homicide in cases of complete decapitation

Four cases of complete decapitation connected to homicidal acts are presented. In 3 cases, decapitation was inflicted postmortem after killing the victim. The motives for decapitation were considered defensive, aggressive, and a possible combination of the 2 in one case each. In one case, decapitation was a vital injury and accounted for death. In this case, an offensive motive for mutilation was suspected. The combination of death scene findings and autopsy results will in most cases distinguish between homicidal and other modes of death.     

Ecstasy and suicide

Deaths due to the ring-derivative amphetamines are not common and are usually accidental involving dehydration and hyperthermia. Suicides from 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and related ring-derivative amphetamines overdose are rare. A 15-year-old female who had a history of depression and previous suicide attempts was found dead with a suicide note. Toxicology demonstrated lethal serum concentrations of MDMA (9.3 mg/L), with 34 mg/kg of MDMA in the liver, 2.4 mg/L in the urine, and 530 mg/kg in the stomach. The cause of death was MDMA toxicity, the manner suicide. While MDMA may be detected in victims in other drug-related or traumatic deaths, it is only rarely used in isolation in suicide, with a predominance in the 21- to 25-year-old range. Despite the rarity of such events, the possibility of a nonaccidental manner of death should be considered when high levels of MDMA and associated amphetamines are found at autopsy.     

饮酒与自杀

饮酒和许多非正常死亡有关,如自杀、他杀、意外伤害死亡等,对各国社会公共健康卫生有着不容忽视的影响.     

Celebrity stalking, homicide, and suicide: a psychological autopsy

Despite the high-profile nature of many celebrity stalking cases, little is known about the offenders and even less is known about those who kill their celebrity victims. The case of an obsessed fan who attempted to kill a rock star and then committed suicide is presented. By analyzing his detailed diary, both insight into the motivational dynamics of this type of stalker and delineation of several warning signs, which help differentiate an enthusiastic fan from one who harbors a potentially dangerous obsession, is gained.     

"Magical thinking," suicide, and malpractice litigation

Prospective clinical assessment of suicidality differs significantly from that used retrospectively in malpractice litigation. In the latter context, the judge or jury may be susceptible to hindsight reasoning and a disproportionate emphasis on the specific method of suicide, exaggerating its foreseeability and "magically" linking the means of death to the treating clinician, especially in the case of suicide by an overdose of prescribed medication. Such magical thinking, moreover, is rooted in the clinical context of suicide: The errors of reasoning observed in the courtroom exhibit striking parallels with the mind-set of the suicidal patient. An understanding of these dynamics suggests appropriate precautions for the clinician and thus contributes to the prevention both of suicide and of malpractice litigation.     

Prison structure, inmate mortality and suicide risk in Europe

Suicide presents a major complication during imprisonment and greatly contributes to the high mortality rate of prisoners. All international studies have found increased suicide rates among prisoners compared to the general population. This study examines risk factors for suicide and mortality in prisoners using supranational data from the Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics (Statistiques Penales Annuelles du Conseil du L'Europe or SPACE) from 1997 to 2008. Macrostructural risk factors for prison suicide are analyzed from this supranational data set and the identified indicators are further evaluated on the single country level. Sexual offenders, offenders charged with violent crimes and prisoners sentenced for short- and long-term imprisonment are considered to be at an elevated risk for suicide. In addition, prison mortality is associated with overcrowding.     

Teenage suicide in King County, Washington. I. Rates of suicide for 26 years

The population-adjusted rate of teenage suicide in King County, Washington, was reviewed for the 26 years from 1959 to 1984. For the entire period, the rate did not change significantly. An abrupt change did occur during the middle of this period, but, for reasons discussed in the text, this may well represent a change in procedures and philosophy of death certification rather than a real change in rate. Reasons for the apparent discrepancy with national statistics are discussed.     

Adolescent suicide. A review of 87 cases of completed suicide in Shelby County, Tennessee

Suicide among adolescents is reported to be on the increase recently, and much attention from the news media to medical circles has been focused on this problem. This paper presents a comprehensive study of 87 completed adolescent suicides occurring between January 1, 1970, and January 31, 1985, in Shelby County, Tennessee. Factors including age, sex, race, and manner of death are examined as well as psychological, sociological, familial, and other environmental influences related to the deaths. In our series, the older white male adolescent dominated the statistics by far, and the most frequent mode of death was by firearm injury to the head. A brief discussion of studies related to suicide in general, and especially to adolescent suicide, is included.