Citation

Garza-Leal JA, Landrón FJ. J. Forensic Sci. 1991; 36(6): 1753-1759.

Affiliation

School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1770343

Abstract

Death during autoerotic activities is of special concern to law enforcement officials, medical examiners, the family of the decedent, and society in general. As in the probing of any violent demise, accurate identification, management, and preservation of all physical evidence; complete photographic documentation of the scene and the body; reconstruction of the scene; and interviews with the family and acquaintances (psychological autopsy) are mandatory for proper study, evaluation, and interpretation of the case. Because of a lack of knowledge on the part of many people, including professionals, about these activities and the fact that many autoerotic fatalities share common characteristics with suicide and homicide, these cases are often misinterpreted. The authors present a case of autoerotic accidental asphyxial death which was initially misinterpreted as suicide.

Language: en