Skip to main content

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Firefighters had responded to a house fire and in the process of extinguishing the fire discovered the body of a badly burned female victim. Upon closer examination it was observed that the victim’s arms were bound behind her back. This case was a homicide where the perpetrator started the fire to destroy the body and any physical evidence. Many times arson is used to cover up a homicide; therefore, the immediate concern of the investigator at such cases should be the scene examination.

Fig.1 A victim who has died in a fire.

Latest posts

Fig.1 Postmortem animal interference.

Postmortem animal interference

| Animal Scavenging | No Comments
This individual died and his body was scavenged by a cat, no further info. The phenomenon of postmortem…
Fig.1 Bloating and decompositional blisters.

Bloating and decompositional blisters

| Decomposition | No Comments
Note the bloating and decompositional blisters as well as the greenish discoloration around the area of the abdomen.…
Fig.1

Strangulation with a rope and cut neck

| Asphyxiation, Homicide | No Comments
This individual was strangulated with a rope and then the assailant cut the neck. In a homicide where…
Fig.1 Intraoral 12-gauge shotgun wound to the head.

Intraoral 12-gauge shotgun wound to the head

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
Shotgun wounds impart a large amount of energy to the tissues, particularly if fired at contact or close…