Citation

Alunni V, Cabusat-Mailliet C, Quatrehomme G. J. Forensic Sci. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

CEPAM (UMR CNRS 7264), 24 Av. des Diables Bleus, Nice, 06300, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.14295

PMID

32003905

Abstract

Multiple sharp force injuries in a victim make it difficult to distinguish between homicide and suicide. Forensic pathologists also may be unable to determine the total survival time and the survival time with physical activity due to lack of evidence. The authors report here on a case of nineteen stab wounds of the neck, which led to an initial suspicion of homicide. The scene was however captured on surveillance video, which provided a precise description of the wound mechanism and led to the injuries being reclassified as suicidal. No other description of a suicide with such a high number of severe stab wounds has been documented in the literature. The video footage provided additional information concerning survival time. Physical activity was well documented during at least 4 min after the last stab wound and the total survival period was at least 6 min, despite the perforation of both jugular veins and the trachea. Vein injuries are less rapidly lethal than artery injuries. Injuries of the major airways are not immediately lethal and do not lead to immediate incapacitation. The benefit of the video evidence is to highlight wound features that may suggest a suicidal manner and inform forensic pathologists about survival intervals after severe stab wounds to the neck.

© 2020 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

autopsy; forensic pathology; multiple stab wound; neck; sharp force injuries; suicide; survival time