Crime Scene Staging – A Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/Keywords:
Forensic sciences, Homicide, Cut-throat injury, Manner of death,, Autopsy, Crime scene visit, StagingAbstract
When investigating deaths due to cut-throat injury, the forensic pathologist is often in a dilemma with regard to the manner of death. Though differentiating features are elaborated in various medical literatures, one always comes across unusual cases which do not fit into the classical criteria. Presence of tentative cuts, defence injuries and other associated injuries are commonly looked into apart for analysing the pattern of cut-throat injury alone with respect to its multiplicity, direction and involvement of deeper structures. The case further gets complex when the crime scene is altered and staged to simulate and mislead the investigators. Here, we present a case where according to the history a 23-year-old female had locked herself up in the bedroom of her house and had cut her throat with a knife. Though the case was brought initially as suicide, later after the autopsy and crime scene visit, it turned out to be a case of homicide. The perpetrator had staged the crime scene to make the case look like suicide.
Downloads
References
[1] Geberth VJ. Practical homicide investigation: tactics procedures and forensic techniques. 4th ed. New York: CRC Publishing; 2006.
[2] Saukko P, Knight B, Knight’s forensic pathology. 4th ed. London, United Kingdom: Arnold Publication; 2016. pp. 230–2.
[3] Brunel C, et al. Homicidal and suicidal sharp force fatalities: autopsy parameters in relation to the manner of death. Forensic Science International 2010;198:150–4.
[4] Jain A, Yadav J, Kumar G, Dubey BP. Fatal cut-throat injury labeled as suicide after meticulous autopsy: case report. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine 2014;36(2):206–8.
medico-legal masquerade. International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine 2016;6(1):50–3.
[6] Betz P, Tutsch-Bauer E, Eisenmenger W. ‘‘Tentative’’ injuries in a homicide. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 1995;16:246–8.
[7] Tsokos M. Forensic pathology reviews, vol. 4. Totowa (NJ): Humana Press; 2006. pp. 69–79.
[8] Rouse DA. Patterns of stab wounds: a six year study. Medicine, Science and the Law 1994;34:67–71.
[9] Dolinak D, Matshes E, Lew E. Forensic pathology – Principles and practice. New York: Elsevier Academic Press. pp. 147.
[10] Ferguson C, Petherick W. Getting away with murder. An examination of detected homicides staged as suicides. Homicide Studies 2016;20(February (1)):3–24.
