Masquerading of Homicidal Strangulation as Roadside Accident – A Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/jiafm.2023.45.3.14Keywords:
Strangulation, Identification, Autopsy, DNA profilin, Accident, Modus operandiAbstract
In many mechanisms of suspicious death, it is not unusual for the body to be discovered at a place that is not the actual location of crime. Perpetrators frequently attempt to prevent the recognition and solution of the crime committed by various means, such as by concealing or disposing off the corpse, removing the ligature or hanging device, and setting arson to make the victim's identification and death investigation difficult or even impossible. Cases of homicides with subsequent corpse disposal are of special criminological importance because the disposed-off victim and the unknown site of crime complicate the analysis of trace evidence. Acase of homicidal strangulation followed by dumping-off of the corpse in an open area, located subjacent to a national highway, is herein reported that was formally thought to be a traffic-related fatality. The autopsy in conjunction with crime scene details and ancillary investigations concluded the death resulting from ligature and possibly manual strangulation that initiated a potential homicide investigation, culminating finally in the arrest of possible perpetrators. Details of the police investigation, confessions of the suspects, and court proceedings are highlighted. A reappraisal of the key autopsy findings in strangulation-related deaths is also provided.
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