Citation

Zorro A. Med. Sci. Law 2014; 54(2): 110-112.

Affiliation

National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Bogota DC, Colombia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0025802413499151

PMID

24052004

Abstract

This article reports a self-strangulation suicide in which a double complex group of ligatures was used. Although similar cases have been referenced in forensic literature, this case is notable because of the unusual method used by the victim. A 61-year-old man was found in a locked room with a double elaborate ligature comprising six wire clothes hangers completely encircling the neck and a black rubber band in a double loop. Autopsy also documented parallel superficial cut lesions in proximal forearm interpreted as hesitation marks. It stresses the importance of characteristics such as analysis of number of ligatures, position of the knots, number of knots and turns of ligature marks and the absence of any defense and relevant internal injuries inherent to suicide ligature strangulation cases.

Language: en