High cyanide level in a homicide victim burned after death: evidence of post-mortem diffusion.

Elevated levels of carbon monoxide and cyanide serve as evidence of intravital burning in fire victims. Hydrogen cyanide is released by combustion of nitrogen-containing organic material such as plastics and wool. We present a case of a man who died of haemopneumothorax caused by a stab wound. According to several eye witnesses the body was wrapped in a plastic sheet and burned 2 days after death with the aid of gasoline. No coal pigment was observed in the mucosa of the upper airways at autopsy. The blood sample taken from the pulmonary vessels 6 days after death disclosed a level of blood carboxyhaemoglobin of 4% and of blood cyanide of 10 mg/l. The low carboxy-haemoglobin level was consistent with the smoking habits of the victim. The thoracic cavity had been opened by burning of the intercostal soft tissue. This allowed hydrogen cyanide gas to enter the thoracic cavity and diffuse into the blood probably causing the high blood-cyanide level.     

Optional (Facultative) Choice of Law? Reflections from a Dutch Perspective

Netherlands International Law Review -     

Differentiation of hydrocephalic calf and human calvariae

Occasionally, partial calvariae of hydrocephalic calves are found in forensic contexts and mistakenly identified as human. Such specimens can be properly identified through immunological assessment of associated soft tissue, microscopic analysis of associated hair, and morphological comparison with documented museum specimens. Morphological comparison should focus on the form of the occiput, supraorbital grooves, and bulbous vault and presence of coronal processes.     

"Sexing" deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) on DNA fingerprint gel: an internal control for DNA fingerprint evidence

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isolated from male and female fresh blood samples was processed exactly as for routine DNA fingerprint analysis; that is, the DNA was digested with particular restriction endonucleases and fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Ultraviolet (UV) visualization of ethidium-bromide (EtBr)-stained gels revealed a sex-specific banding pattern, which depended only on the restriction enzyme used. By means of this test, which is based on direct detection of particular sex-specific restriction fragments in human DNA digests, the authors succeeded in determining the sex of DNA obtained from biological specimens recovered as criminal evidence in rape cases. The data obtained demonstrate that direct sexing of DNA on DNA fingerprint gel appears to be useful as an intermediate control step in DNA fingerprinting analysis used for the purpose of assailant identification.