Retrospective Analysis of Death Cases of Oral Diphenidol Hydrochloride Poisoning / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the characteristics of postmortem examination, chemical examination and scene investigation of deaths caused by oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning, and so as to provide a reference for proper settlement and prevention of such deaths.@*METHODS@#The data of 22 deaths caused by oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning in a city from January 2018 to August 2020 were collected, including case details, scene investigations, autopsies, chemical examinations and digital evidence. Thirty-one cases of deaths caused by oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning reported in previous literature were also collected.@*RESULTS@#In the 53 oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning death cases, 50 cases were suicide, 2 cases were accidental, while 1 case was undetermined. Fifty-two cases were found in the medical records or crime scene investigation reports with doses ranging from 775 mg to 12 500 mg, and 23 deceased were detected with postmortem blood concentrations ranging from 2.71 mg/L to 83.1 mg/L. Clinical symptoms were recorded in 6 patients, including conscious disturbance and convulsion. Among the 45 cases which were performed with external examination, 23 cases autopsied.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Most of the deceased of oral diphenidol hydrochloride poisoning were suicide. No significant correlation was found between dose and blood concentration through the retrospective analysis of cases.

Forensic Examination of Six Homicide Injection Cases / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To retrospectively analyze homicide cases of death after injection and provide reference for forensic identification.@*METHODS@#Six homicide cases of death after injection which were investigated by the Criminal Investigation Team of Shanghai Public Security Bureau were collected and analyzed, including case situation, scene investigation, autopsy and other materials.@*RESULTS@#The 6 cases were premeditated crimes, 5 cases took place in private spaces, and 5 cases involved the victims approached by suspects' decoy. There were no obvious abnormalities at the scene of the 6 cases. In 6 cases, the victim's body surface injury was mild or no, lividity color was abnormal, and the needlestick injury showed different manifestations from conventional medical measures.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Death after injection is a highly concealed crime and easy to be ignored. For the suspected injection injury found in autopsy, it is necessary to carefully examine, identify and analyze, be alert to the situation of injecting poison (drug) and do a good job in evidence fixation and material extraction.

Influencing Factors of Horizontal Movement Distance of Bodies in High Falling Deaths / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the influencing factors of the horizontal distance of bodies in the high falling scene and the feasibility of inferring the falling mode based on it.@*METHODS@#A total of 614 high falling deaths and 15 cases of corpse dumping from high altitudes were collected. The relationship between the horizontal distance and the falling height, as well as the sex, age and manner of death (suicide, accident and corpse dumping) were observed.@*RESULTS@#The horizontal distance increased with the increase of falling height, and the difference among the height groups was statistically significant. The horizontal distance decreased with the increase of the age of the deceased, in each height group, the difference between the group over 60 years old and other age groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The horizontal distance of male deceased was (1.99±0.27) m, which was greater than that of female deceased (1.88±0.19) m, and the difference was statistically significant in partial height groups (P<0.05). Roof falls had a greater horizontal movement distance than window falls. Except for the >20-30 m group, there was no significant difference in horizontal distance between suicide high falls and accidental high falls in other height groups.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The horizontal distance is affected by the falling height, the sex and age of the victim, and the spatial characteristics of the falling starting point.

Evidencias físicas y perfilación criminológica perspectiva médico legal / Physical evidence and criminological profiling legal medical perspective

ResumenLa perfilación criminológica es una polémica técnica de investigación que utiliza, entre otros elementos, las evidencias físicas y psicológicas para descifrar crímenes en los que se desconoce el autor. Tales evidencias son aportadas por los peritos científicos de los servicios médico-forenses y de Criminalística.Los peritajes representan parte del fundamento científico de la novedosa técnica y es por eso que deben practicarse de acuerdo a protocolos y estándares de buenas prácticas, avalados internacionalmente.Para la correcta interpretación y valoración de los resultados de los análisis de las pruebas científicas, al equipo encargado de elaborar el perfil criminológico deben integrarse, entre otros, médicos forenses, psicólogos y psiquiatras forenses.

AbstractCriminological profiling is a controversial technique that uses, among other elements, physical and psychological evidences for unsolved crimes investigation. Such evidences are contributed by the scientific experts of forensic services. The forensic results represent a fundamental part of the scientific basis of profiling and they should be done according to protocols and standards of good practices, endorsed internationally. For the correct interpretation and assessment of the results coming from scientific evidence, in the team responsible for developing criminological profile should be integrated, among others, medical examiners, psychologists and forensic psychiatrists.

Use of an Alternate Light Source to Detect Tooth and Bone

Resumo O objetivo desse trabalho foi identificar a combinação do comprimento de onda e filtro que melhor detecta dente e osso e verificar qual material biológico (esmalte, raiz dental ou osso) possui maior fluorescência quando exposto a uma fonte de luz alternativa (ALS). Amostras de dente e osso foram iluminadas com uma ALS e fotografadas. Os programas Adobe Photoshop™ e ImageJ™ foram usados para análise das imagens. Os dados obtidos das medidas dos pixels das fotografias foram submetidos a análise de variância. Os valores com efeitos significativos tiveram suas médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. Em todos os testes, o nível de significância adotado foi p≤0,05 e os valores calculados pelo sistema SAS. Os resultados mostraram que a melhor combinação para detectar dente e osso é o comprimento de onda 455 nm com o filtro laranja. A fluorescência da raiz é maior que a do esmalte que é maior do que o osso. O material biológico teve maior fluorescência que o material inerte. Esse conhecimento pode auxiliar o perito a triar e detectar esses materiais biológicos, por exemplo em situações em que dentes e pequenos ossos estiverem fragmentados, tanto na cena do crime quanto no laboratório.

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the combination of wavelength and filter that best detects tooth and bone, and to determine which biological materials (enamel, dental root or bone) have highest fluorescence intensity when exposed to an alternate light source (ALS). Tooth and bone samples were lighted with ALS and photographed. Adobe Photoshop™ and ImageJ™ softwares were used for image analysis. Data obtained by measuring the photograph pixels were subjected to analysis of variance. The mean values of significant effects were compared by the Tukey test. In all tests, the significance level was set at p≤0.05 and the values calculated by the SAS system. The results showed that the best combination for detecting tooth and bone is an illumination wavelength of 455 nm with an orange filter. The fluorescence of dental root is greater than that of enamel, which in turn is greater than that of bone. The biological material had markedly higher fluorescence than the inert material. This knowledge can help the forensic expert to screen and detect biological materials, for example in situations where there are fragmented teeth and small bones, both at the scene and in the laboratory.

A Statistical Analysis on Legal Autopsy in Chung-cheong Area of Korea in 2003: The Central District of National Institute of Scientific Investigation / 대한법의학회지

We reviewed forensic autopsies and scene examinations performed at Central District of National Institute of Scientific Investigation, requested by every kinds of law enforcement agencies in Chung-cheong area of Korea during the year of 2003, and analysed the data of forensic autopsies and scene examinations according to the cause of death and the manner of death. The results are as follows ; 1. Scene investigation on the spot was performed in 220 cases ; Among these cases, 161 cases (73.2%) were unnatural deaths and the most common cause of death was trauma (61 cases). Autopy was per-formed in 93 cases (42.3%). 2. The total number of forensic autopsy were 685 cases (452 males and 233 females). The number of the forties (215 cases) and the thirties (124 cases) occupied almost half (49.5%) of all cases of autopsy. 3. Unnatural deaths were 434 cases (63.3%), natural 204 cases (29.8%), and the unknown 47 cases (6.9%). In 434 cases of unnatural deaths, suicide was 84 cases (19.3%), homicide 115 cases (26.5%), acci-dent 186 cases (42.9%), and the undetermined 49 cases (11.3%). Homicide occupied 43.7% of trauma, 77.1% of blunt force injury excluding traffic and fall down injury, and 97.7% of sharp force injury. The homicide rate in asphyxia was 35.0%. It showed only 1 cases (1.9%) of homicide in poisoning. 4. In 434 cases of unnatural deaths, traumatic deaths were 229 cases (52.8%). Blunt trauma was 70 cases (30.6%) and the leading cause of death in traumatic death. Of remaining 205 cases of unnatural deaths, there were 52 cases (12.0%) of poisonings, 51 cases (11.8%) of thermal injuries, 41 cases (9.4%) of drowning, 40 cases (9.2%) of asphyxia, 19 cases (4.4%) of medical procedures, and 2 cases (0.5%) of electrocution. 5. Among 204 natural deaths, cardiovascular diseases were 106 cases (52.0%) and the leading cause of death in natural deaths. 36 cases (17.6%) of diseases involving vascular system were followed. 6. Child deaths under the age of 10 were 32 cases. Among these cases, unnatural deaths were 14 cases (43.8%) and most of them were accident.