Citation

Sharma S, Sharma SK. Internet J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2004; 5(2): 21-24.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Anil Aggrawal)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A case report points to the uncomfortable fact that a suspicion of homicide entertained on the basis of findings of sharp weapon injury on the neck and mismatching evidence provided by the relatives was misleading. The relatives attributed death to a natural cause. Medical reports (both treatment and the autopsy report) showed that the deceased had suffered a nick to his neck. There was also a mark on the neck that resembled a ligature mark. The eyewitness account appeared suspicious and led the investigators to think of homicide as a possibility. While the debate on whether the relatives concealed the theory of hanging from others out of compulsion or fear raged on, what remained irrefutable was that it was a suicidal hanging. It was thus possible to miss diagnosis of hanging on autopsy. Copyright © 2004, The Authors, and Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology. All Rights Reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

human; homicide; suicide; male; autopsy; case report; cause of death; hanging; strangulation; article; fear; relative; weapon; neck injury; compulsion; witness; Suicidal hanging; Artifacts in hanging; Death-investigation; Postmortem injury; Scene-examination; Social aspects of hanging; Suicide appearing as homicide