Brazil. A 38-year-old man was found dead in his house, already in a state of decomposition, with no signs of violence. The body was naked, with the exception of slippers. The individual was found lying on a sheet of plywood in a semi-sitting position, leaning back on a mattress supported against the wall. His head was bowed and tilted toward the left, resting on a helmet. Under the body of the victim, on the floor, the presence of insect eggs (flies) was verified, in addition to a mixture of putrefied liquids and blood from the corpse. Many magazines and newspapers also could be seen under the trunk of the body.
Close to the subject’s right thigh, a system was found consisting of a compressor (typical of those used in refrigerators) with its output connected to a syringe barrel whose tip was connected to a segment of latex tubing (tourniquet). The other extremity of the tourniquet was tied, and the other tip of the syringe was a needle typical of those used in the delivery of intravenous medication. Upon arrival on the scene, the compressor was in operation, pumping air, and the bezel and part of the shank of the needle had been inserted into the side of the glans penis of the corpse.
Fig.1 Scene where the corpse was found with the system employed.
The items found on the sheet of plywood included, among others, a mirror, aligned with the genital area of the body, male clothes, and a backpack. A piece of cloth was found on the left hand of the corpse and, next to it, a plastic bottle containing ethanol. No evidence of female clothing/artifacts was found anywhere inside the residence. All the belongings of the victim were lined up and preserved, including personal effects, some amount of cash, a motorcycle, and a car parked in the garage.
The autopsy examination revealed the corpse of a 38-year-old man, with darkened skin coloration because of the decay process (gas phase). Brouardel’s posthumous circulation was present on the trunk and thighs, as well as other factors, including blackened and misshapen face, protruding eyes and tongue, distension of genitals, putrefactive blistering throughout the body, detachment of epidermic skin flaps, absence of rigor mortis, and eggs (flies) deposited throughout the entire body. The subject showed no signs of external injury. The opening of the cranial, chest, and abdomen cavities revealed no fractures or blood collections besides the changes resulting from the putrefaction process. The genitalia showed two types of changes upon macroscopic examination: alterations derived from the putrefaction process and also lighter areas, probably caused by the dissemination of air in the tissue.
Fig.2 Detail of the needle inserted into the penis.
the individual died within the place and on a location close to that on which he was found; the system found (compressor plugged in, connected to a syringe barrel, latex tube, and needle partially inserted into the glans) was efficient enough to produce embolism depending on the region reached by the needle; the system described above was not suitable for efficiently transmitting electric discharges to the body of the victim; and the characteristics of the aforementioned system, the position of the body, and the alignment observed between the mirror and the genital area of the body indicate that the victim intentionally introduced the needle on the glans penis.
The victim’s medical history is unknown, and the victim had never expressed any suicidal thoughts to his close friends. There also was no history of sexual disorders or objects that would denote sexual perversions at the residence.
Fig.3 The compressor connected to the penis.
Autoerotic deaths are usually not witnessed because they occur in isolated environments, as is usually the case because of the secretive nature of such activity. These events usually involve young, male individuals, and death is usually due to failure of the apparatus used.
Autoerotic deaths involve a large variety of mechanisms and means to achieve sexual gratification. The most common practice is asphyxia, and most victims are young males. Other modalities include chest compressions, plastic bags covering the face, use of electric current, inhalation of toxic or chemical gases, and partial or total submersion. Among atypical practices in autoeroticism, urethral handling through probes is a rare occurrence, and air embolism resulting from such practice is even rarer.
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