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The Journal of Medical Investigation :... 2023Complete decapitation due to suicide by hanging is rare. We report the case of a decapitated man who was found in the sea near an estuary. A polyethylene rope was tied... (Review)
Review
Complete decapitation due to suicide by hanging is rare. We report the case of a decapitated man who was found in the sea near an estuary. A polyethylene rope was tied to the handrail of the bridge across a strait near the site of the body. The rope was 12 mm in diameter and 19 m in length from the handrail. It ended with a slip knot noose, and skin and mustache-like hair fragments were attached to it. The decapitated head was not found. The deceased weighed 82 kg and was 152 cm long without the head. The autopsy revealed coarse abrasions and intramuscular hemorrhage around the severed edge. The third cervical spine was not fractured. We reviewed the literature and suggested the conditions of body weight, fall height, rope diameter, and number of rolls in cases of decapitation by hanging. We calculated the hanging decapitation index (HDI) as the fall height (m) multiplied by the body weight (kg), divided by the rope diameter (mm), divided by the number of rolls ; and discussed the differences between complete and incomplete decapitation cases. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 290-293, February, 2023.
Topics: Male; Humans; Decapitation; Suicidal Ideation; Cervical Vertebrae; Suicide; Skin
PubMed: 37164737
DOI: 10.2152/jmi.70.290 -
Legal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) May 2023Although decapitation is a well-known traumatic mechanism in road traffic deaths, incomplete decapitation of a motorcyclist with exenteration of the brain has not yet...
Although decapitation is a well-known traumatic mechanism in road traffic deaths, incomplete decapitation of a motorcyclist with exenteration of the brain has not yet been reported in the forensic literature in a victim run over by a vehicle. This paper deals with an autopsy case of a 69-year-old motorcyclist, who had been run over by a semitrailer, as a result of which flattening of the head with extrusion of the brain and incomplete decapitation occurred at the level of the fourth cervical vertebra. This constellation allows to define a special mechanism of accident-related decapitation. Moreover, the case underlines the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for the reconstruction of the accident as well as for the assessment of its judicial consequences. On the suspicion of a hit-and-run accident, simulation tests were performed by technical experts. These tests revealed that the motorcycle may not have been conspicuous for the truck driver prior to and during the accident. Consequently, the charge of manslaughter and failure to render assistance against the truck driver was dropped.
Topics: Aged; Humans; Accidents, Traffic; Decapitation; Motorcycles; Male; Autopsy; Brain Injuries; Forensic Pathology
PubMed: 36947910
DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102246 -
Forensic Science International Oct 2017Decapitation following suicidal hanging is rarely encountered in forensic practice. The authors report a case of suicidal hanging resulting in decapitation following a... (Review)
Review
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.
Topics: Decapitation; Humans; Kinetics; Suicide
PubMed: 28844587
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.07.016 -
Journal of Medical Ethics Oct 2010Although established in the law and current practice, the determination of death according to neurological criteria continues to be controversial. Some scholars have...
Although established in the law and current practice, the determination of death according to neurological criteria continues to be controversial. Some scholars have advocated return to the traditional circulatory and respiratory criteria for determining death because individuals diagnosed as 'brain dead' display an extensive range of integrated biological functioning with the aid of mechanical ventilation. Others have attempted to refute this stance by appealing to the analogy between decapitation and brain death. Since a decapitated animal is obviously dead, and 'brain death' represents physiological decapitation, brain dead individuals must be dead. In this article we refute this 'decapitation gambit.' We argue that decapitated animals are not necessarily dead, and that, moreover, the analogy between decapitation and the clinical syndrome of brain death is flawed.
Topics: Attitude to Death; Brain Death; Death; Decapitation; Humans; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 20650913
DOI: 10.1136/jme.2009.035196 -
Legal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) Mar 2024Vehicle-assisted ligature strangulation is an extremely rare suicide method. We report a case of a 43-year-old man who secured one end of a nylon rope to a tree and the... (Review)
Review
Vehicle-assisted ligature strangulation is an extremely rare suicide method. We report a case of a 43-year-old man who secured one end of a nylon rope to a tree and the other end around his neck, then got inside his vehicle and stepped on the gas, leading to an incomplete decapitation. A sharply demarcated encircling ligature mark was found upon external examination, along with a deep laceration in the anterior region of the neck. The severance plane passed between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae, with diffuse haemorrhagic infiltration of the cervical muscles, in accordance with autopsy findings reported in the literature. The lung histological examination described a large amount of red blood cells and pulmonary oedema. A review of the literature concerning suicidal vehicle-assisted ligature strangulation cases allowed us to investigate some common autopsy findings, as well as the rope features relevant to the beheading.
Topics: Male; Humans; Adult; Suicidal Ideation; Decapitation; Suicide; Neck; Lung; Asphyxia; Neck Injuries
PubMed: 38154313
DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102378 -
Journal of Forensic Sciences May 2018A prospective study was undertaken at Forensic Science SA over a 15-year period from July 2002 to June 2017 for all cases of adult (>18 years) suicidal hangings with...
A prospective study was undertaken at Forensic Science SA over a 15-year period from July 2002 to June 2017 for all cases of adult (>18 years) suicidal hangings with decapitation. A total of 1446 cases of suicidal hangings were identified from a general population of approximately 1.5 million (1206 males-age range 18-97 years, average 42.6; and 240 females-age range 18-96 years, average 40.1). Only three cases of decapitation were found, all from long-drop hangings; these consisted of three males (ages 32-55 years; average 45 years). Spinal transections had occurred between the first and second, second and third, and third and fourth cervical vertebrae, respectively. In this study, the number of suicidal hangings with decapitation represented only 0.2% of the total number of hangings. These events are therefore extremely rare, most likely due to most suicidal hangings occurring from relatively low levels in a domestic environment.
Topics: Adult; Asphyxia; Australia; Cervical Vertebrae; Decapitation; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Suicide
PubMed: 28886214
DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13638 -
The Medico-legal Journal Jun 2019Examination of skeletonised remains for the cause and manner of death is a highly challenging task for forensic experts. We report an unusual case of postmortem...
Examination of skeletonised remains for the cause and manner of death is a highly challenging task for forensic experts. We report an unusual case of postmortem decapitation following hanging with the presence of a well-preserved ligature mark in the partially skeletonised body. Careful death scene investigation, interpretation of circumstantial evidence and meticulous autopsy provided information on the cause and manner of death.
Topics: Autopsy; Decapitation; Humans; Ligation; Neck Injuries
PubMed: 31107160
DOI: 10.1177/0025817219830598 -
Journal of Forensic Sciences Nov 2012Suicidal decapitation is seldom encountered in forensic medicine practice. This study reports the analysis of a suicide committed by a 31-year-old man with a... (Review)
Review
Suicidal decapitation is seldom encountered in forensic medicine practice. This study reports the analysis of a suicide committed by a 31-year-old man with a self-fabricated guillotine. The construction of the guillotine was very interesting and sophisticated. The guillotine-like blade with additional weight was placed in a large metal frame. The movement of the blade was controlled by the frame rails. The steel blade was triggered by a tensioned rubber band after releasing the safety catch. The cause of death was immediate exsanguination after complete severance of the neck. The suicide motive was most likely emotional distress after the death of his father. In medico-legal literature, there has been only one similar case of suicidal complete decapitation by a guillotine described.
Topics: Adult; Decapitation; Equipment Design; Exsanguination; Forensic Pathology; Humans; Male; Suicide
PubMed: 22563624
DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02153.x -
Nature Reviews. Neurology Aug 2019
Topics: Animals; Brain; Brain Death; Decapitation; Neurons; Sus scrofa
PubMed: 31127252
DOI: 10.1038/s41582-019-0209-x -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jun 2021Decapitation and root cutting can influence plant physiological features, such as height, dry weight, and transpiration rate, which partly determine the success of...
Decapitation and root cutting can influence plant physiological features, such as height, dry weight, and transpiration rate, which partly determine the success of phytoremediation. In this study, the effects of three root cutting intensities (10%, 25%, and 33%), decapitation, and their combination on the phytoremediation efficiency of Celosia argentea were evaluated. Decapitation increased the biomass yield of C. argentea roots and leaves and significantly improved the species' Cd decontamination ability. Root cutting, especially 33% cutting treatment, decreased the root dry weight. The 10% and 25% root cutting treatments increased the leaf biomass yield by 58.6% and 41.4%, respectively, compared with the untreated control, even compensating for the loss of roots, but 33% root cutting decreased the leaf dry weight. Low and moderate root cutting intensity (10% and 25%) increased the leaf Cd content by 33.4% and 24.9%, respectively, and was associated with improved transpiration rate. The highest root and leaf dry weights were observed for the combination of decapitation and 10% root cutting, which increased the biomass yield of underground and aerial parts by 109.9% and 286.2%, respectively. In addition, decapitation offset the negative effects of 33% root cutting on plant growth, indicated by the higher dry weight relative to the control. Decapitated C. argentea accumulated 11.0, 7.5, and 0.7 times more Cd with the 10%, 25%, and 33% root cutting treatments, respectively, compared with the control. The combination of root cutting and decapitation was a practicable and economical method of enhancing the Cd decontamination capacity of C. argentea.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomass; Celosia; Decapitation; Plant Roots; Plants; Soil; Soil Pollutants
PubMed: 33756287
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112162