Drowning with Bound Wrists: Report of Two Autopsy Cases

Korean J Leg Med 2017;41:78-82

Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea,

Busan Metropolitan Police, Busan, Korea,

Division of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service Busan Institute, Yangsan, Korea,

Division of Forensic Investigation, National Forensic Service Seoul Institute, Seoul, Korea

sanchee@korea.kr

Drowned bodies with bound wrists are occasionally observed in forensic practice. Suicidal victims may bind their hands or feet with a rope to ensure success of the suicide attempt, but the possibility of homicidal drowning cannot be excluded. We report on two autopsy cases of drowning with bound wrists. A 51-year-old man (case 1) was found in the bathroom beside the bathtub, with his head under the water in the bathtub. His wrists were tied with a green bath towel. An 83-year-old man (case 2) was found dead in a reservoir. His wrists were loosely bound with blue nylon traps on the back, and both ankles were loosely tied with socks, with a simple knot on the left ankle. At autopsy, the lungs were hyperinflated, and foamy fluid was exuded from the bronchi in both cases.

Key Words: Drowning; Suicide; Autopsy