Citation

Marchand E, Mesli V, Le Garff E, Pollard J, Bécart A, Hédouin V, Gosset D. J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2019; 65: 119-123.

Affiliation

Univ. Lille, EA 7367 - UTML - Unité de Taphonomie Médico-Légale, F-59000, Lille, France; CHU Lille, Service de Médecine Légale, F-59000, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jflm.2019.05.015

PMID

31146145

Abstract

Decapitation resulting by vehicle-assisted ligature strangulation is a suicide method rarely described in the literature. The lesions observed at autopsy have a common morphology with to those found in post-hanging decapitation. They depend on the force applied by the acceleration of the vehicle, the slope of the road and the characteristics of the link used. They can also mimic a stabbing homicide. We report the case of a 43-year-old man who used a long steel rope, attached between his neck and a streetlight, and started his vehicle, causing a complete decapitation. The results of the autopsy provided information on the morphology of the cervical lesions, but also on the causes of death. In spite of decapitation, the histological examination of the organs confirmed the presence of asphyxiation process by a mechanical origin that occurred before decapitation.

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Decapitation; Forensic science; Ligature strangulation; Vehicle-assisted suicide