Faith,Folie à Famille,and Mummification: A Brief Review of the Literature and a Rare Case Report

Folie à deux is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by the transference of delusional ideas from one person to one or more other people in close association with the primary affected patient. Mummification indicates the preservation of the corpse of a person for a variable period of time. A brief review of the literature in this field is presented, and an exceptional case is described, characterized by the association of both these rare phenomena. The case is an example of folie à fammille which developed out of a condition of extreme religiousness and seclusion of an entire family. The shared psychosis led to the horrible death of some of the family members, while the last surviving member of the family lived for more than a year and a half with their mummified remains. The Judge commissioned a forensic psychiatry assessment to verify the survivor's ability to bear witness. The development of the psychiatric syndrome and its consequences are extensively discussed.     

Metric characterization of the human coxal bone on a recent Italian sample and multivariate discriminant analysis to determine sex

The ability of human pelvic bones to sexually differentiate has been of great interest in forensic anthropology for quite some time as it allows for the determination of skeletal sex by combining metric and morphological data. However, the criteria for determining the sex of a skeleton must be calibrated according to the variability of the population to which it belongs. The aim of this work is the metric characterization of the human coxal bone on a recent sample (of known sex) from the region of Apulia, in southern Italy, in order to establish its efficacy in sex determination by way of multivariate discriminant analysis. Seventeen standard anthropological measurements used in sex determination were taken from 168 coxal bones (78 males and 90 females) all belonging to 86 adult skeletons (40 males and 46 females). The bones used were taken from subjects who had died in the 1960s and 1970s in Apulia. The results obtained define the variability in size and proportion of the sample analyzed with respect to the variations of other skeletal populations. Nine discriminant functions, utilizing between 4 and 11 variables, have been shown to be useful in determining the sex of coxal bones, whether they be complete, partial, or fragmented. All of the functions selected resulted in an attribution error equal to zero, and differ only in the number of variables utilized and by the degree of separation between the groups. The results of this study confirm the validity and utility of diagnostic techniques based on discriminant functions as reported in the literature for other population groups. The combination of metric characteristics from various regions of the coxal bone is, therefore, a valid aid in the correct attribution of skeletal sex even when the combination of variables is numerically limited, but sufficient in sex determination from partial coxal bones.     

Unusual suicidal smothering by means of multiple loops of adhesive gummed tape

In suicidal asphyxia smothering is very rare, especially when caused by winding strips of adhesive tape around the head to cover the nose and mouth. The authors report a very unusual case in which the deceased, a 66-year-old man, was found with two strips of tape wound around his head: the first, more superficial tape was wrapped six times and the second was wrapped nine times. Only integration of the crime scene data with those of the autopsy and the patient's psychological profile enabled identification of the event as suicide.     

Fatal firearm wounds: a retrospective study in Bari (Italy) between 1988 and 2003

Fatal gunshot injuries are routinely encountered by forensic pathologists practicing in Southern Italy. Bari, the capital city of the Italian region known as Apulia, is a leader with regard to the number of firearm deaths in Italy. This is mainly attributable to local organized crime groups which control a variety of illicit activities. This retrospective study analyzes autopsy data related to fatal firearm wounds, handled by the Institute of Legal Medicine [University of Bari], between 1988 and 2003. A total of 717 cases were selected and classified as follows: firearm homicides (634); suicides (82); and accidental death (1). A significant number of variables have been reviewed such as: month in which the violent event took place; the victims' nationalities; gender and age of victims; site and number of entrance wounds; weapon type used; and manner of death (i.e. homicide; suicide; accidental). Analysis has revealed a homicide versus suicide ratio of almost 8:1. Victims were mostly male with a lower mean age than in other similar studies. Homicides with multiple gunshot wounds were more common than ones with single entrance wounds. For example, in one case, 30 entrance wounds were identified in the murder of a gang boss. Four suicides with two entrance gunshot wounds were identified. Handguns were the most frequently used weapon in all groups (i.e. homicide, suicide, and accidental), with 7.65 mm and 9 mm being the most common calibres. This study revealed a very low incidence of suicide among females. Mental and other types of illness, as well as financial stress were the apparent motives which prompted most of the suicide victims. The homicide cases described were most often related to continual, ongoing fights among local criminal gangs (75%).     

Y chromosome haplotypes in Central-South Italy: implication for reference database

One hundred and fifty individuals have been sampled across Central-South Italy and genotyped for Y chromosome STRs by PowerPlex Y system. Comparison with previous Italian databases revealed that majority of Y chromosome variation still need to be sampled. Identification of locus duplications, distribution of genetic variation and firstly identified alleles point to the necessity of more focused sampling strategies for reference databases.