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Fig.1 This was how the victim presented at the crime scene.

Autoerotic death from Whippits nitrous oxide cartridges

| Accident, Asphyxiation, Autoerotic Death | No Comments
Lenexa, Kansas, US. Police were dispatched to an apartment complex at the request of a resident, who advised…
Fig.1 Animal predation by a dog.

Animal predation by a dog

| Animal Scavenging | No Comments
Russia. This individual died at his home from thromboembolism, he was found a week later, during that time…
Fig.1 Marbling.

Marbling

| Decomposition | No Comments
Marbling is a common finding usually found after at least 24 h since death occurred and is a…
Fig.3 Upper torso covered with cheese underneath upper body tights.

Man covered in cheese found dead after autoerotic activity

| Accident, Asphyxiation, Autoerotic Death | No Comments
Germany. A 40-year-old man who lived alone was found deceased in his apartment on the 13th floor of…
Fig.1 Contact gunshot wound from a shotgun slug.

Contact gunshot wound from a shotgun slug

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
Contact gunshot wound from a shotgun slug. The entrance wound can be seen under the chin and the…

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Fig.1 Woman decapitated by her husband.

Woman decapitated by her husband

| Homicide | No Comments
A 41-year-old woman, from Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Nepal, who was decapitated by her husband in their bedroom. The victim…
Fig.1 Under the chin suicide.

Under the chin suicide

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
This individual committed suicide with a gunshot under the chin using a rifle also resulting in a complete…
Fig.3 At autopsy, the distribution of postmortem lividities was comparable to that found at the time of death.

Woman dies from traumatic asphyxia

| Accident, Asphyxiation, Decomposition | No Comments
Italy. The victim was a 56-year-old woman whose body was found by the rescue team to be in…
Fig.2 One of the caretakers was shot point blank in the face with a shotgun while napping in a hammock.

Paramilitary group kills two caretakers

| Gunshot, Homicide | No Comments
An armed paramilitary group of about 30 men invaded the La Ceiba estate in sector Marimonda I, in…

Natural death due to a ruptured aneurysm

| Accident, Medical | No Comments
USA. This apparent case of a sex slaying is actually a natural death due to a ruptured aneurysm.…
Fig.1 Contact gunshot wound with stellate blow back lacerations.

Contact gunshot wound with stellate blow back lacerations

| Gunshot | No Comments
Contact gunshot wound with stellate blow back lacerations and singeing. In contact gunshot wounds with bony tissue underlying…

Suicide of a 53-year-old woman

| Suicide | No Comments
Suicide of a 53-year-old woman who inflicted cuts to both sides of her neck and to the flexor…
Fig.1 Explosive-induced trauma.

Explosive-induced trauma

| Explosion, Homicide, Suicide | No Comments
Explosive-induced trauma of the upper posterior part of the trunk with decapitation and gaping lacerations of the superior…

The five stages of decomposition

| Decomposition, Mummification | No Comments
Decomposition of a corpse is a continual process that can take from weeks to years, depending on the…
Fig.1 Black putrefaction.

Black putrefaction

| Decomposition | No Comments
Body in stages of black putrefaction. Black putrefaction is the stage where the exposed flesh blackens, and the…
Fig.1 Body recovered from the bank of a swamp.

Body recovered from the bank of a swamp

| Animal Scavenging, Decomposition, Drowning | No Comments
The body of a 35-year-old woman was recovered from the bank of a swamp in the southeastern United…
Fig.1 The individual’s body upon jumping from a fourth story window.

Woman jumps out of window

| Suicide | No Comments
Spain. A middle-aged woman suffering from major depressive disorder who jumped out of a fourth floor window in…
Fig.1 Identification of a bomb victim.

Identification of a bomb victim

| Accident, Explosion | No Comments
Identification may sometimes be challenging when the victim has severe injuries. This individual has facial injuries from a…
Fig.1 Adipocere can occur in warm, wet environments.

Adipocere can occur in warm, wet environments

| Decomposition | No Comments
Adipocere, also known as corpse wax, grave wax or mortuary wax, is a wax-like organic substance formed by…
Fig.1 A woman was found prone on the floor next to her bed.

A woman murdered in her home

| Homicide | No Comments
A woman was found prone on the floor next to her bed with her nightgown displaced upward, exposing…
Fig.1 Skeletonized corpse.

Skeletonized corpse

| Decomposition, Mummification | No Comments
Inspection of teeth in a skeletonized corpse. The teeth and dental restorations are the strongest elements in the…

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Fig.2 The body of the mother and the dumbbell.

Mentally ill man killed his mentally ill mother

| Homicide | No Comments
Russia. A mentally ill man killed his mentally ill mother. According to the son, the mother was possessed…
Fig.1 Gunshot wound from a .357 Magnum.

Gunshot wound from a .357 Magnum

| Gunshot | No Comments
Distant-range wounds of the right side of the face (from a .357 Magnum revolver). Irregular, cruciform, or stellate…
Fig.1 Adipocere formation.

Adipocere formation

| Decomposition | No Comments
Adipocere formation occurs by alteration of subcutaneous fat of a corpse into a grey-white lipid mixture. With time,…
Fig.1 Man run over by a train.

Man run over by a train

| Suicide | No Comments
Spain. This 55-year-old male was run over by a train with the intention of committing suicide. His family…
Fig.1 A pacemaker on a cadaver being dissected.

A pacemaker on a cadaver being dissected

| Medical | No Comments
This cadaver is being dissected by medical students. A pacemaker can be seen on the chest. The modern…
Fig.1 Bloated body.

Bloated body

| Decomposition | No Comments
Toronto, Canada. Body is bloated with increased internal gases heightened during mid-stages of putrifaction. Note the bagging of…
Fig.1 Man drove his car at speed into a bus.

Man drove his car at speed into a bus

| Accident | No Comments
Penetration of the wrist and chest by a wooden component of a bus seat. The victim drove his…

Death by drowning at sea and skin peeling

| Accident, Decomposition, Drowning | No Comments
If a body is placed in water containing a large amount of bacteria, such as that from sewage…

Man cuts roommate up into thousands of pieces

| Homicide | No Comments
2012. The New York Police Department (NYPD) received a call informing them of a possible homicide. The informant…
Fig.1 Hanging with mummified body.

Hanging with mummified body

| Decomposition, Mummification, Suicide | No Comments
Spain. Mummification occurs in hot, dry environments. The body dehydrates and bacterial proliferation may be minimal. The skin…
Fig.1 Multiple wounds to the scalp from a knife.

Multiple wounds to the scalp from a knife

| Homicide | No Comments
Spain. Homicide carried out by two attackers at the same time; one with a normal knife, and another…
Fig.1 Postmortem animal predation.

Postmortem animal predation

| Animal Scavenging | No Comments
This individual has signs of postmortem (after death) animal scavenging around the mouth, made by a dog that…

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Fig.1 Autopsy results with representative chop injuries at the head’s crown.

Fatal chop injuries from a meat cleaver

| Homicide | No Comments
Germany. A young, initially unidentified female was found dead in public on a snowy winter day. She was…
Fig.1 Advanced decomposition.

Advanced decomposition

| Decomposition | No Comments
Advanced decomposition is characterized by an extremely bloated, greasy, and darkened body. This is the decomposed body of…
Fig.1 This individual has a contact-range gunshot wound on the forehead.

A large stellate contact entrance wound of the forehead

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
This individual committed suicide by gunshot wound of the forehead. A large stellate contact entrance wound of the…
Fig.1 Fungal colonies growing on the face of a decomposing corpse.

Fungal colonies growing on the face of a decomposing corpse

| Decomposition | No Comments
Although putrefaction is a mainly anaerobic bacterial reduction process, decomposition is dominated by aerobic microbiological processes that may…
Fig.1 Near-complete skeletonization of face by maggot mass.

Near-complete skeletonization of face by maggot mass

| Decomposition | No Comments
Maggots are the larval form of flies. Flies lay their eggs in small and sometimes large bulky clusters…
Fig.1 Extensive head destruction.

Extensive head destruction

| Accident, Gunshot | No Comments
This individual has an extensive destruction of the head, no further info about this case. Head trauma from…
Fig.1 Postmortem changes associated with small fish.

Postmortem changes associated with small fish

| Animal Scavenging | No Comments
The individual in this photograph has postmortem changes associated with small fish that feed on soft tissue like…
Fig.1

Postmortem animal activity

| Animal Scavenging | No Comments
Larger carnivore activity is common in rural and suburban areas. In many cases, there may be activity from…

Young couple jumped off a 12-story building

| Suicide | No Comments
Almaty, Kazakhstan - 29 May 2013. A young couple committed suicide together by jumping off a 12-story building.…
Fig.1 Postmortem animal scavenging.

Postmortem animal scavenging

| Animal Scavenging | No Comments
Extensive traces of scavenging next to the body after it had been enclosed at home for an extended…
Fig.1 Arterial patterns on walls and floor.

Arterial patterns on walls and floor

| Accident, Medical | No Comments
Arterial patterns on wall and floor in conjunction with large accumulation of blood from victim with malfunctioning arterial…
Fig.5 The gunshot wound on the left was an exit wound.

Bloated body found in a lake

| Decomposition, Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
The body of a man was seen floating in a lake near the shore. Once the body was…
Fig.2 Thyroid cartilage can be seen.

Suicidal throat cut after breakup

| Suicide | No Comments
This 28-year-old man committed suicide by cutting his throat, he was feeling depressed after a breakup with his…
Fig.1 Postmortem face peel-down examination.

Postmortem face peel-down examination

| Accident, Medical | No Comments
A postmortem face peel-down examination showing injury of and around the left eye with bleeding (hemorrhage). When injury…
Fig.1 Stellate gunshot wound.

Stellate gunshot wound

| Gunshot | No Comments
Contact (entrance) gunshot wounds to the head often show large stellate defects, due to the explosive blast of…
Fig.1 Inmate stabbed by cellmate in the eyes with a piece of wood.

Inmate stabbed by cellmate in the eyes with a piece of wood

| Homicide | No Comments
Turkey. A 54-year-old male was found murdered in prison by his cellmate. Examination of the scene and the…
Fig.1 Overkill-type injuries.

Overkill-type injuries

| Homicide | No Comments
New York. This individual was murdered by his male partner. Note the increased level of violence and “overkill”-type…
Fig.2 The upper front of her shirt was heavily blood-stained with around six bullet holes.

Woman was found dead with 6 bullet holes

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
This woman was found dead in bed, fully dressed. The upper front of her shirt was heavily blood-stained…

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Fig.2

Animal scavenging on a murder victim

| Animal Scavenging, Homicide | No Comments
Mexico. A 42-year-old man was murdered and left out in the field. Animal scavenging had occurred to his…
Fig.1 Clothing can slow down the decomposition process.

Clothing can slow down the decomposition process

| Decomposition | No Comments
This image is an example of how clothing can slow down the decomposition process. Note that the skin…
Fig.1 Victim of blunt-force injury on mattress on floor of living room showing spattered blood on lower portion of couch.

Woman murdered with a baseball bat

| Homicide | No Comments
USA. A woman’s roommate found her beaten to death on a mattress located on the floor of their…
Fig.1

Examination of a dismembered corpse

| Homicide | No Comments
When deaths are violent, suspicious, sudden, and unexpected, a Medical Examiner performs a post-mortem examination. Medical examiners specialize…
Fig.1 Mummified corpse.

Mummified corpse

| Decomposition, Mummification | No Comments
Mummification occurs in hot, dry environments. The body dehydrates and bacterial proliferation may be minimal. The skin becomes…
Fig.1 Suicidal cut of the throat.

Suicidal cut of the throat by a chainsaw

| Suicide | No Comments
Germany. Suicidal cut of the throat by a chainsaw. No further info. Suicides involving the use of chainsaws…
Fig.1 Extensive maggot activity on the face of a decomposing man.

Extensive maggot activity on the face of a decomposing man

| Decomposition | No Comments
Maggots cause most of the body's decomposition because the maggot will do the majority of the eating. Maggots…
Fig.2 Another view of the decedent.

Homicide staged as a suicide

| Gunshot, Homicide | No Comments
USA. A 35-year-old male was found dead in the basement room where he slept, which also served as…
Fig.1 The position of the deceased at the death scene showing widespread bruising.

Multiple injuries in suicide simulating homicide

| Suicide | No Comments
A 47-year-old female was found lying unclothed on the kitchen floor at her home address. There was extensive…
Fig.1 The victim was hanging with plastic ropes on a treadmill.

A case of planned complex suicide

| Hanging, Suicide | No Comments
South Korea. Translated from Korean. The deceased is an unemployed 66-year-old man. After his divorce, he lived alone…
Fig.1 Stellate entrance wound on the lip.

Stellate entrance wound on the lip

| Gunshot | No Comments
Distant range stellate entrance wound on the lip. Distant gunshot wounds of the head may have a stellate…

The Death Mask Murder case

| Animal Scavenging, Homicide | No Comments
Rockland County, NY, US. In March 1985 some young boys found a charred and mutilated corpse in a…
Fig.2

Woman commits suicide by truck

| Suicide | No Comments
Brazil. A woman committed suicide by throwing herself under a moving truck. Suicide by truck, also known as…
Fig.1 Severe disruption of the face.

Severe disruption of the face

| Suicide | No Comments
This victim died after jumping from the third floor of a building landing on his face. Severe disruption…
Fig.4

The murder of two men

| Animal Scavenging, Fire, Homicide | No Comments
In March 2012 a charred corpse was found near the Shkotovo-Artem highway in Russia. The corpse was discovered…
Fig.1 Man cut in two parts by train.

Man cut in two parts by train

| Accident | No Comments
This individual was killed and cut in half when hit by a train, no further info. Railroad deaths…

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Fig.1 Distant range stellate entrance wound.

Distant range stellate entrance wound

| Gunshot, Homicide | No Comments
Distant range stellate entrance wound on the forehead. Distant gunshot wounds of the head may have a stellate…
Fig.3 A puddle of blood was on the floor under her head.

Woman killed with a baseball bat

| Homicide | No Comments
A woman was found prone on the floor just inside the front door of her house. A puddle…
Fig.1 Body found in a pond.

Body found in a pond

| Decomposition, Drowning | No Comments
India. This body was found in a pond, no further info. Associated with putrefaction is the production of…
Fig.2 Exit with cranial rupture.

Suicide by intraoral shotgun wound

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
Russia. This individual committed suicide by intraoral shotgun wound. In the head, neck, and limbs, shotgun exit wounds…
Fig.4 A compound comminuted fracture of the head and face.

Motorcyclist’s heart skipping along the road and head split

| Accident | No Comments
USA. A motorcyclist changed lanes on the freeway to avoid stopped traffic ahead of him. As he started…
Fig.1 Suffocation suicide with plastic bag.

Suffocation suicide with plastic bag

| Asphyxiation, Suicide | No Comments
Spain. No info. Suffocation by plastic bag is not common. The finding of a body at the scene…
Fig.1 Dicing injuries.

Dicing injuries

| Accident | No Comments
These are short, linear, angulated, incised injuries caused by the characteristic cubed fragments of shattered tempered glass. Tempered…
Fig.1 Gunshot wound on the neck.

Gunshot wound on the neck

| Gunshot | No Comments
Gunshot wound on the neck, no further info. A gunshot wound (GSW) is a penetrating injury caused by…
Fig.4 Needles stuck to the face.

An overkill matricide

| Homicide | No Comments
Italy. A 73-year-old woman was found dead in her own home by the police. The police intervened because…
Fig.1 Plastic bag suffocation.

Plastic bag suffocation

| Asphyxiation, Suicide | No Comments
Cook County. The plastic bag prevents the physiologic breathing by rapid oxygen consumption and mechanical obstruction of the…
Fig.1 Contact-range gunshot wound on the head.

Contact-range gunshot wound on the head

| Gunshot | No Comments
This individual has a contact-range gunshot wound on the head. The head has been shaved around the wound.…
Fig.1 Lacerations from a hammer.

Lacerations from a hammer

| Homicide | No Comments
Fatal lacerations from hammer on the head. No further info. Claw hammers have the specific characteristic of having…
Fig.1 The victim’s hair covered her face. There was a belt wrapped tightly around her neck.

Female autoerotic death

| Accident, Asphyxiation, Autoerotic Death, Hanging | No Comments
Chicago, Illinois. The victim was a 34-year-old white female, who lived alone in an apartment on the north…
Fig.1 Advanced decomposition and purge fluid.

Advanced decomposition and purge fluid

| Decomposition | No Comments
An example of a body demonstrating relatively advanced decomposition, with bloating, skin discoloration, and abundant purge fluid. The…

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Fig.1 Skeletal remains of a body found outdoors.

Skeletal remains of a body found outdoors

| Animal Scavenging, Decomposition | No Comments
Nassau County, New York. Skeletal remains of a body found outdoors. No further info. Skeletonization is the state…
Fig.1 Massive head trauma from a suicide.

Massive head trauma from a suicide

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
This individual committed suicide with a gun. He has massive head trauma and cranial rupture. The head is…
Fig.3 The mother’s partially skeletonized body on the kitchen floor.

2 mummified bodies found in Florida home

| Decomposition, Homicide, Mummification, Suicide | No Comments
Lehigh Acres, Florida, US, 2002. A 63-year-old woman lived with her 34-year-old son in a residential neighborhood in…
Fig.1 Stab wounds of the back.

Female psychiatrist fatally stabbed

| Homicide | No Comments
Italy. A 53-year-old female psychiatrist was fatally stabbed in her office in a Mental Health Center by a…
Fig.1 Postmortem animal predation.

Postmortem animal predation

| Animal Scavenging, Decomposition | No Comments
This individual died and his body was scavenged by animals, no further info. The phenomenon of postmortem animal…

The Essex boys – The Rettendon murders

| Gunshot, Homicide | No Comments
The Rettendon murders (also known as the Range Rover murders or Essex boys murders) occurred on 6 December…
Fig.1 Homicide and dumping.

Homicide and dumping

| Decomposition, Homicide | No Comments
Germany. This individual was murdered and the body then dumped in a river. A stab wound was noted…
Fig.1 Trauma to the scalp inflicted with a glass ashtray.

Trauma to the scalp inflicted with a glass ashtray

| Homicide | No Comments
Spain. The trauma to the scalp was inflicted with a blunt object (glass ashtray). The wounds could be…
Fig.1 Rapid skeletonization of remains due to water temperature and carnivorous fish species.

Rapid skeletonization due to carnivorous fish species

| Accident, Animal Scavenging | No Comments
Brazil. Rapid skeletonization of remains may occur in bodies of water in tropical areas due to water temperature…
Fig.2

Worker shredded in a plastic pellet mixer

| Accident | No Comments
February, 2015 - Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. A 45-year-old worker died in a gruesome accident at a plastic window…

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Massive head trauma severely limiting visual identification

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
Massive head trauma severely limiting visual identification. No further info. At close range, the shotgun is the most…
Fig.1 Exit gunshot wound.

Exit gunshot wound

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
Exit gunshot wounds are usually irregular in shape and relatively large – and may be confused with contact…