New York, NY. This photo depicts a victim who has been smothered. She committed suicide by placing a plastic bag over her head and tying it around her neck. No further info about this case.
Smothering and suffocation are often used interchangeably, but the term “smothering” is best used for that form of asphyxia in which the nose and mouth are obstructed e.g. by a hand/ paper, clothes, pillow, plastic bag etc. Gagging people to keep them quiet may lead to smothering. Signs of asphyxia are commonly absent or are only slight/ and because marks of injury may be few—if any at all— homicidal smothering may be difficult to diagnose.
Fig.1 Suicidal smothering.
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