An unusual case of sudden death associated with masturbation

The United Kingdom, ~1980s. The deceased was an unmarried 32-year-old computer programmer. He was found dead in his bed one morning, having been absent from work the previous day. The bearded man was wearing tinted glasses lying in bed and with a masturbatory device strapped to him. Next to him was a portable cassette player and a spray can that contained local anesthetic. The ear­ phones worn by the deceased were connected to the cassette player. On the cassette in the machine were the recorded sounds of a horse snorting. The video player was still on when the deceased was found. At the foot of the bed was a painting of a male, bound to the limbs of a horse by chains, being anally penetrated by the horse, which in turn was being ridden by a leather-clad female.

The post-mortem examination confirmed that death had taken place some 24-48 hours pre­viously. Dried seminal stains were present over both thighs. Apart from crops of petechial hemorrhages on the inner aspect of both upper arms, the examination was essentially negative. There was no natural disease and no evidence of recent injury or of any interference with the neck. The anus appeared within normal limits.

Analyses of blood, lung, liver, stomach con­tents, and gauze for the aerosol propellants were unrewarding. This was not unexpected, given the delay between death and sample collection. No common drugs or alcohol were present. The cause of death was given as: cardio-respiratory failure, consistent with aerosol propellant abuse. The verdict at the Coroner’s Inquest was one of misadventure.

This case exhibits many of the characteristic findings associated with the sexual asphyxias. Given that the mode of death was most likely a cardiac arrhythmia and arrest associated with the inhalation of halogenated hydrocarbons, the use of the term asphyxia in such a case as this is of arguable validity. It certainly fits the category of self-administration of an agent to modify the sensations associated with masturbation. The bizarre nature of the cir­cumstances made suicide highly unlikely, as did the absence of any of the common corroborative factors. Furthermore, there was no evidence that a third person had any part to play in this death.