Vehicle-assisted ligature decapitation: A case report and a review of the literature

Decapitation resulting by vehicle-assisted ligature strangulation is a suicide method rarely described in the literature. The lesions observed at autopsy have a common morphology with to those found in post-hanging decapitation. They depend on the force applied by the acceleration of the vehicle, th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forensic and legal medicine 2019-07, Vol.65, p.119-123
Main Authors: Marchand, E., Mesli, V., Le Garff, E., Pollard, J., Bécart, A., Hédouin, V., Gosset, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Asphyxia - etiology
Asphyxia - pathology
Automobiles
Decapitation
Decapitation - pathology
Forensic Pathology
Forensic science
Humans
Life Sciences
Ligature strangulation
Male
Suicide
Vehicle-assisted suicide
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Summary:Decapitation resulting by vehicle-assisted ligature strangulation is a suicide method rarely described in the literature. The lesions observed at autopsy have a common morphology with to those found in post-hanging decapitation. They depend on the force applied by the acceleration of the vehicle, the slope of the road and the characteristics of the link used. They can also mimic a stabbing homicide. We report the case of a 43-year-old man who used a long steel rope, attached between his neck and a streetlight, and started his vehicle, causing a complete decapitation. The results of the autopsy provided information on the morphology of the cervical lesions, but also on the causes of death. In spite of decapitation, the histological examination of the organs confirmed the presence of asphyxiation process by a mechanical origin that occurred before decapitation. •Decapitation secondary to strangulation by vehicle-assisted ligature is uncommon in forensic medicine.•The lesions observed at autopsy have a common morphology with to those found in post-hanging decapitation.•The presence of asphyxiation process by a mechanical origin that occurred before decapitation.
ISSN:1752-928X
1878-7487
DOI:10.1016/j.jflm.2019.05.015