Archiv für Kriminologie
-
Deaths by fire-arms investigated at the Institute for Legal Medicine of the University of Hamburg were analyzed retrospectively since 1966. Among 70,000 deaths (33,000 autopsies) there were 838 fatalities caused by gunshots (about 30 cases per year). ⋯ Details referring to the age of the victims, profession-coherence, alcohol-influence, capacity to act and survival-time are analyzed. The kinds of arms, and bullets (with special reference to self-made firearms), criminalistical aspects (i.e. differentiation between homicide and suicide, gun in the hand), morphological findings (i.e. nuchal and oral shots or bullet-related embolism) are introduced.
-
For cases with suicidal stab wounds criteria to differentiate homicide from suicide, have been established since long. However in some cases the autopsy findings may differ quantitatively (many stab wounds, singular stab wound) or qualitatively (no hesitation marks, clothing stabbed through, unusual site of stab wounds) from the typical suicidal pattern and the classical criteria may fail. Some rare findings in suicidal stabbing are presented.
-
Archiv für Kriminologie · Jul 1993
Case Reports[Wound ballistics of extremely short-range shotguns].
A 45-year-old man died from a homicidal shotgun wound of the neck. The autopsy showed that the plastic shell retaining cup had entered the body after the mass of the shot; the dispersion of the individual pellets was about 12 cm already. The perpetrator had used a conventional signal pistol equipped with a hand-made steel barrel, gauge 12, length 20 cm, and ammunition with 3 mm pellets (shot no. 5). By means of experimental shots with a similar weapon it could be proved that the entire shot including the plastic shell retaining cup can penetrate the skin at a muzzle-victim range of less than 2 m.
-
Some typical bone injuries by shots to the back of the neck are reported. Significant Findings in skeletal remains could be detected even after two decades.