Citation

Kunz SN. Forensic Sci. Int. 2017; 275: e1-e5.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Medicine, Landspítali University Hospital, v/Barónstig 101, Reykjavik, Iceland. Electronic address: sebastian@lsh.is.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.03.015

PMID

28392030

Abstract

The location of a gunshot entrance wound as well as the wound path trajectory are the main findings that help to determine the position from which a weapon was fired and thus distinguish firearm suicides from homicides and accidents. We present a case of a 28-year old man, who was found dead in his car. Because of an unusual position of the firearm, which was clamped into the steering wheel, and an unclear entrance/exit wound, an autopsy was performed. The deceased showed typical signs of a contact shotgun wound to the head with an entrance wound in the right temporal region and an exit wound in the midface. With the help of gunpowder attachments and a muzzle imprint at the entrance site, a wound channel from the right lower posterior part of the temporal region to the left anterior part of the mid-facial region could be reconstructed. The stellate wound in the midface was assessed as an atypical exit wound. The cause of death was a contact shotgun shot to the right temple with a consequent central regulatory failure due to extensive brain injury. The manner of death was concluded to be a suicide.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Firearm fatality; Forensic science; Reconstruction; Shotgun; Suicide