Observation of 17 Asphyxial Suicides by Helium Gas

Korean J Leg Med 2013;37:78-83. Korean.

Section of Scientific Investigation, Criminal Investigation Division, Jeju Provincial Police Agency, Jeju, Korea

Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea, hwkang@jejunu.ac.kr

Since the book “Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying” was published in 1991, there has been a worldwide increase in the number of cases of suicidal asphyxiation using helium gas. However, no domestic reports have been published thus far. Recently, we encountered a case of asphyxia suicide by inhalation of helium from inside a plastic bag. Subsequently, we reviewed the records of the Scientific Crime Analysis System of National Police Agency of Korea. There were 17 cases of helium-associated asphyxial suicides between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012. The average age of the deceased was 30.6 years with a male to female ratio of approximately 5:1. Thirteen of 17 such deaths occurred in the victims’ houses. In all cases, the method of death involved placing a plastic bag over the head with a hose attached to helium tanks. In 6 of 17 cases, the decedents had psychiatric disorders such as depression. As neither characteristic signs of death nor conventional methods for detecting helium gas exist, a thorough investigation of the death scene and the decedents’ environment is extremely vital for confirming death due to helium asphyxiation.

Key Words : Asphyxiation, Helium, Plastic bag, Suicide

Case report