Forensic Pathology: Wound and Hanging Analysis
Forensic Analysis of Wounds
The characteristics of wounds, including their edges, can provide crucial information about the instrument used. In cases of multiple injuries, the likelihood of determining the instrument’s shape increases.
Weapon Length Determination
The length of the weapon is primarily determined by the depth of the wound. In rare cases, the wound’s depth may exceed the weapon’s actual length.
Identifying Multiple Weapons
When a victim sustains several wounds, their size and shape can aid in diagnosing whether multiple weapons were involved.
Determining Wound Sequence
Determining the order of wounds, especially fatal ones, is crucial. If a wound lacks vital signs of reaction, it suggests it occurred after the cause of death. However, in most cases, sufficient evidence is lacking. In cases of overlapping injuries, such as needlestick wounds, if the edges of the first wound meet, and the edges of the second wound also meet, the first wound was inflicted initially. Conversely, if the edges of the second wound do not meet, it indicates it was inflicted after the first. When one wound’s edge coincides with another, the latter is typically the last in the sequence of production.
Aggressor and Victim Positions
Determining the positions of the aggressor and victim at the time of injury presents significant difficulties. The most accurate approach is to clarify whether the wound characteristics match or contradict the versions provided by the accused and/or victim.
Force of Impact Analysis
The force of impact can be deduced from the depth of the wound and the conditions of the affected area. The anatomical depth of the wound should be correlated with the weapon’s sharpness. Finer, sharper weapons produce deeper wounds with less force required compared to blunt or sparsely sharp-tipped instruments.
Forensic Aspects of Hanging
Hanging is defined as death caused by constriction of the neck, typically by a ligature attached to a fixed point, with the body’s own weight providing the constricting force.
Types and Characteristics of Hanging
There are several types of hanging based on the body’s position and knot placement:
- Complete Hanging: The body is entirely suspended in the air, with no part supported.
- Incomplete Hanging: Contact occurs with a fulcrum, providing partial support.
- Symmetrical Hanging: The knot is in the midline, in a submental position or on the neck (typical hanging).
- Asymmetrical Hanging: The knot is located in any other position, often behind the angle of the mandible.
The nature of the ligature is variable and classified into soft or rigid (hard) links, which is reflected in the furrow. The loop can be closed through a node, which can be either fixed or sliding.
Histopathology and Injury Classification
Forensic examination involves histopathology. Injuries can be broadly classified into external and internal, and further into cervical and extracervical injuries.
External Injuries in Hanging
The fundamental external lesion in the neck is the ligature furrow. Its features include:
- Direction: Obliquely upward toward the knot.
- Depth: Variable, usually more marked in the area opposite the knot.
- Continuity: Interrupted at the knot.
- Location: Usually above the thyroid cartilage.
- Appearance of Background: Almost always parched.
The face of the hanged individual may be congested or pale, depending on the degree and type of vascular compromise. In symmetrical hanging, the face is typically pale. Due to pressure from the loop, the tongue may project outward and acquire a dark coloration. Cadaveric lividity (livor mortis) is often observed in the distal parts of the limbs.
Internal Injuries in Hanging
An internal review involving neck dissection is crucial to identify internal cervical lesions, which typically consist of:
- Condensation of subcutaneous tissue in the furrow, often referred to as the Line of Argentina.
- Infiltrates of muscle and bleeding vessels, known as Martin’s Sign.
- Tears of the cervical vasculature, primarily in the carotid arteries (Amusat’s Sign) and internal jugular veins (Otto’s Sign).
- Ruptures of the greater horns of the hyoid bone and…