Citation

Leccia C, Alunni V, Quatrehomme G. Forensic Sci. Int. 2017; 279: e10-e13.

Affiliation

Université Côte d'Azur, Institut Universitaire d'Anthropologie médico-légale, Faculté de Médecine, and CEPAM (UMR CNRS 7264), 28 Avenue de Valombrose, 06107 Nice cedex 2, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.07.016

PMID

28844587

Abstract

Decapitation following suicidal hanging is rarely encountered in forensic practice. The authors report a case of suicidal hanging resulting in decapitation following a fall of 5m. This case is compared with 30 cases found in the literature. Several factors including type of rope, skin abrasion, level of the severed vertebrae, thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone injuries and vital signs are studied. The force applied to the neck and the kinetic energy were calculated. The kinetic energy (ranging from 1820 to 7310J) takes into account the weight of the victim but also the length of the rope (height of the fall). The speed of the body as it is stopped by the rope ranged between 6.49 and 14.01ms(-1).

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

Language: en

Keywords

Autopsy; Beheading; Decapitation from suicidal hanging; Forensic pathology; Suicide