The Verdict of Self-strangulation in the Putrefied Body.

Korean J Leg Med. 2005 May;29(1):75-78. Korean.

National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Western District Office Department of Forensic Medicine, Korea. ysk007@nisi.go.kr

National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Western District Office Department of Section of Drug & Toxicology, Korea.

A 48-year-old divorced woman was found dead, lying in her room. A scarf was wound two times around her neck, which was tightened like a tourniquet. Self- strangulation by ligature is very rare and such cases emphasize the need for an accurate medicolegal evaluation of the circumstances, a thorough postmortem examination, and methodical inspection of the scene, particularly when postmortem decomposition is present. This case showed decomposition and was initially treated by the police as endogenous cardiac death. However the detailed examination of the scene photograph and of the deceased person, along with the investigation of the circumstances leading to the death, produced the verdict of suicide in this case. As we know, distinction between murder and suicide may be impossible by an examination of the body alone, and therefore the authors emphasize that close collaboration between the investigative and medicolegal fields is essential in order to gain a full understanding of this unusual case.

Key Words : Scarf, Ligature, Suicide, Decomposition.