Medicolegal investigation of an eighteenth century homicide.

The skeleton of an adult man, recovered from an eighteenth century French fort site in Indiana, exhibited a series of sharp force wounds. The lesions, three cranial and one postcranial, had apparently been made by a heavy metal instrument similar to one of the European ax heads discovered elsewhere at the site. In this paper we describe the wounds, argue that the instrument used to create them was a European ax, and offer the opinion that the manner of death in this case was homicide.

Clarifying the role of forensic anthropologists in death investigations.

Although their customary role is the identification of decomposed human remains, forensic anthropologists are frequently called upon to provide evidence for or to testify about the circumstances that surrounded a particular death. The literature is ambiguous and contradictory about the role of anthropologists in death investigations. Relying upon traditional distinctions, we present three cases that illustrate the presence of evidence for "manner of death" on decomposed remains. Then we argue that evidence for vital reactions, necessary for the determination of "cause of death," rarely if ever survives skeletonization, and while forensic anthropologists can be expected to provide evidence for the determination of manner of death, they are unlikely to contribute to the discovery of its cause.

Bacterial transmigration as an indicator of time of death.

Time of death is difficult to evaluate in many forensic science situations. We have developed an animal model for assessing the time of death by evaluating the transmigration of normal microbiota through the wall of the small intestine. A segment of small intestine was removed from decapitated CF-1 mice ( Carnsworth Farms) and suspended in vitro in a beaker containing sterile phosphate-buffered saline. Bacterial transmigration was evaluated in this model over a three-day period at select temperatures (4, 25, and 37 degrees C) by microbiological cultures and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Evidence of bacterial transmigration by SEM occurred within 2 to 3 h at 37 degrees C, 5 to 6 h at 25 degrees C, and 72 h at 4 degrees C. Analysis of the microbiological data indicated a differential flux of select bacterial and mycotic organisms. Staphylococcal species were the first organisms to be cultured from the suspending saline. These organisms are known to elaborate powerful protease enzymes that may play an important role in the degeneration of gut tissues. Coliform-type organisms and candida species were found at later times after death. The last major groups of bacteria to be identified were a variety of anaerobic species. This model may be adaptable to certain situations in human forensic pathology.

Cardiac concussion following softball blow to the chest.

We report two cases of sudden death in young men following softball blows to the chest. The deaths were presumed to be due to cardiac dysrhythmias because no significant traumatic lesions were found at autopsy. Cardiac concussion has rarely been reported to cause death. Lethal cardiac dysrhythmias may, however, occur following a sharp precordial blow without producing detectable chest wall or intrathoracic lesions.

Angiography and histopathology of nephroblastomatosis.

A case of nephroblastomatosis (diffuse bilateral Wilms' tumor) in association with congenital hemihypertrophy is reported and the angiographic findings presented. Serial angiograms and tissue biopsies documented the transition from nodular renal blastema to Wilms' tumor.