Unplanned Complex Suicide - Poisoning Followed by Hanging

Abstract

Complex suicide is when more than one method is used to commit suicide. Sometimes the first method chosen fails to end one's life making  the person to adopt another method which was not thought of earlier. Such cases are termed as unplanned complex suicides. A33 year old  woman was found dead hanging in her bedroom. There was also a bottle of insecticide and a bowl containing a mixture of crushed glass  particles and insecticide in the same room. Autopsy revealed features of ante mortem hanging and stomach perforation caused by crushed  glass particles. Dichlorvos an organophosphorus insecticide was detected in stomach during chemical analysis. Perforation of stomach  caused acute pain abdomen and victim survived for some time. Intolerable pain during the survival period made the person chose another  method. Chain of events could be ingestion of organophosphorus compound mixed with crushed glass pieces and then hanging.