Citation

Musshoff F, Madea B. Forensic Sci. Int. 2002; 125(2-3): 201-204.

Affiliation

Institute of Legal Medicine, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Stiftsplatz 12, 53111, Bonn, Germany. f.musshoff@uni-bonn.de

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11909664

Abstract

A 19-year-old woman suspect of a suicidal drug intoxication was exhumed after a 10-month earth-grave, because the police was accused of manslaughter and neglected help by the relatives of the deceased. Toxicologic analysis revealed as the cause of death an acute chloroquine intoxication. An expert opinion had to deal with the question if the woman would have been saved if the police had appeared earlier. Therefore the duration of agonal period after suicidal chloroquine ingestion was important. An estimation of the time since death was possible on the one hand ex-post from the development of cadaveric changes and supravital reactions and on the other hand, based on premortal changes detectable on the body together with the findings of the authorities. Taking into account all evidence the woman was probably already dead at or prior to the arrival of the police (110 min after ingestion), at least this could not be excluded. Chloroquine has to be considered to be useful for fatal poisoning, which is also recommended in some publications on methods to commit suicide.

Language: en