Citation

Lombardi G. J. Forensic Sci. 2009; 54(2): 395-399.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00984.x

PMID

19215322

Abstract

Accident, suicide, or homicide might have caused the death of Countess Agusta who fell from the 80-m tall cliff of her villa. Two mismatched slippers were recovered along the cliff. Use was made of microscope, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and microprobe techniques to compare 40 mg of soil collected from the slipper soles with samples from the villa garden. Structural details of the slipper soles were consistent with the lady wearing them during the fall. Analysis of the soil residues confirmed that they originated from the garden only. The features of a few, minute glass chips adhering to the slipper soles reasonably matched those of other fragments that were found on a small ledge on the cliff beyond the garden parapet. Based on this and other evidence, the case was closed with a verdict of accidental fall.

Language: en

Keywords

Accidental Falls; Asteraceae; Female; Forensic Medicine; Glass; Humans; Italy; Microscopy; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Minerals; Plant Structures; Plumbaginaceae; Poaceae; Shoes; Soil; X-Ray Diffraction