Italy. A 73-year-old woman was found dead in her own home by the police. The police intervened because they were alerted by a neighbor who had heard the woman scream and ask for help. At the scene, there was a young man who, armed with a kitchen knife, attacked the operators, and claimed to be the elderly woman’s adopted son.
Fig.1 Woman’s body lying on the floor covered with damaged furnishings.
Fig.2 The body surrounded by bloodstains.
The corpse was found supine surrounded by bloodstains and with several needles stuck into the face. The external inspection showed the presence of ecchymotic-excoriated injuries, together with lacerated-concussive wounds, diffusely distributed on the face; of particular interest was the finding of four tailor’s pins inserted in the left zygomatic-malar region and one on the left cheek; furthermore, a sewing needle was found inserted in the left eye, with thread inserted in the eye. Multiple fractures of maxillafacial structures (nasion, maxillary, mandibular and orbital floor) were detected.
Fig.3 Detail of the pin holder.
Fig.4 Needles stuck to the face.
On the anterior surface of the neck there were also ecchymotic areas consistent with a throttling attempt. Bruised lacerated wounds were also found on the dorsal surface of the fingers and other ecchymosis on the dorsal surface of the left forearm, probably related to defensive attempts. Autopsy revealed an extended cerebral hemorrhage, involving subcortical, subleptomeningeal and intraparenchymal tissues, in the absence of obvious fractures of the external skull plate.
Fig.5 Injuries and lacerated-concussive wounds on the face together with four tailor’s pins inserted in the left zygomatic-malar region and one on the left cheek.
Fig.6 Multiple fractures of maxillafacial structures (nasion, maxillary, mandibular and orbital floor), ecchymotic areas on the anterior surface of the neck.
Hemopericardium, related to laceration of the right ventricle, and multiple and bilateral rib fractures, precisely from 3rd to 8th on the left and from 4th to 8th on the right, were found. Histological examination confirmed the autopsy finding of massive cerebral hemorrhage; the lungs showed a picture of oedema associated with areas of atelectasis alternating with emphysematous areas; hemorrhagic flows were evident in the large bronchi. Toxicological investigations, carried out on blood and vitreous humor samples, were negative for alcohol and the most common substances of abuse.
Fig.7 Subcortical and sub-leptomeningeal hemorrhage.
Fig.8 Hemopericardium.
Fig.9 Right ventricle laceration.
Matricide (or maternal homicide) is the act of killing one’s own mother. Matricide has always been considered one of the most aberrant crimes that can be committed; although known in mythology, it is among the rarest crimes and rarely reported in the literature, for this reason it has been difficult to accumulate sufficient information to determine specific mechanisms and motivations. In this case report, the relationship with the mother became conflictual after the son discovered he was adopted; then the relationship would later degenerate into frequent quarrels over continuous financial demands.
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