Skip to main content

Suicide of a 53-year-old woman who inflicted cuts to both sides of her neck and to the flexor sides of her forearms. As only minor vessels had been severed, the victim survived for a prolonged time and finally died from hypothermia due to the low outside temperature. The cuts were inflicted with a scalpel found close to the body.

Fig.1 The rear end of the incision showed shallow notches indicating that the blade had been moved back and forth several times.

The rear end of the incision on the right side of the neck showed some shallow notches indicating that the blade had been moved back and forth several times. The skin of the precordial region displayed superficial tentative lesions. Another three cuts were located on the flexor side of left forearm. The woman had a history of paranoid psychosis and several suicide attempts.

Fig.2 The skin of the precordial region displayed superficial tentative lesions. Another three cuts were located on the flexor side of left forearm.

Latest posts

Fig.1 Greenish white molds on the forehead, right side of the cheek, perioral, and perinasal areas, and anterior part of neck, and chest.

Fungal growth on a corpse

| Decomposition | No Comments
A 42-year-old woman was discovered dead, the body was covered with fungal plaques. She had been leading a…
Fig.1 Contact wound, between the eyes from a .357 Magnum revolver.

Contact wound between the eyes from a .357 Magnum revolver

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
Massive injuries from contact handgun wounds of the head, when they do occur, are associated with Magnum calibers,…
Fig.1 Contact blanching on the back of the body depicting a pistol.

Contact blanching on the back of the body depicting a pistol

| Decomposition | No Comments
This individual died lying on top of a gun. The patterned appearance of the gun is seen because…
Fig.1 Postmortem injuries inflicted postmortem by a domestic dog.

Postmortem injuries inflicted by a domestic dog

| Animal Scavenging | No Comments
Postmortem animal depredation is a substantial part of the taphonomic processes a body undergoes after death. While the…