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ABSTRACT: A 51-year-old man was found dead face down and partially submerged in a bathtub alongside two hairdryers. The hairdryers had continued to work, as the victim had bypassed the electrical board of the house prior to dropping them into the water. This had resulted in death due to electrocution, with subsequent heating of the bath water causing marked putrefaction and softening of the immersed body parts. The back and feet, which were not submerged, were preserved. The degree of anterior decomposition was not in keeping with the postmortem interval; however, regional decomposition with sparing of the back and feet provided a clue at autopsy as to the sequence of events. Individuals with training in, or knowledge of, electrical circuitry are capable of modifying domestic wiring so that safety switches and/or fuses can be bypassed ensuring that electrical devices will continue to function even while under water.
Journal of Forensic Sciences 03/2013; · 1.23 Impact Factor
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The Medical journal of Australia 12/2012; 197(11):622. · 2.81 Impact Factor
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Journal of Forensic Sciences 09/2012; 57(5):1399. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 05/2012; · 1.44 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Assessment of injuries in marine mammals may be required to help authorities determine whether human activity was involved. Three cases of marine animal deaths involving propeller blade strikes are reported to demonstrate characteristic features of such cases and diagnostic difficulties that may occur. Case 1: A juvenile New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) suffered two parallel linear incised wounds of the flank and died following small intestinal herniation. Case 2: An Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin neonate (Tursiops aduncus) died from a deeply incised wound of the left side of the head with shattering of the skull and laceration of the underlying brain.Case 3: An adult female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus) died from two parallel chop wounds to the torso with opening of the thoracic and abdominal cavities with fractures of the ribs and vertebrae. Given that some animals may recover, and that the carcasses of those that are killed may simply not be found or reported, it is impossible to provide an estimate of the incidence of this type of injury amongst wild sea mammals. In cases that do come to forensic attention accurate evaluation of the type of injury may potentially have great medicolegal significance. Post-mortem putrefaction and post-mortem feeding by other sea animals may complicate assessments.
Journal of forensic and legal medicine 04/2012; 19(3):158-61.
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ABSTRACT: A retrospective study was carried out on 100 randomly selected medico-legal autopsies of victims who had committed suicide by hanging. All cases had undergone full police and coronial investigation. Complete external and internal examinations had been carried out including routine histological examination of organs. The age range of victims was 15-94 years (average, 41.7 years) with a male-to-female ratio of 7:1. External and internal injuries were consistent with the reported events. Diagnoses based purely on histology included hepatic steatosis (n = 16), asthma (n = 3), lymphocytic thyroiditis (n = 2), and pulmonary and cardiac sarcoidosis (n = 1). A large cell carcinoma of the lung and a rectal adenocarcinoma were confirmed. Histological evaluation was, however, of limited usefulness in contributing to the medico-legal evaluation of cases, with careful scene, external and internal examinations providing the most relevant information. The results of histological examination of tissues were all incidental to the cause, mechanism, and manner of death.
Journal of Forensic Sciences 02/2012; 57(4):976-8. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 01/2012; 8(2):81-3. · 1.44 Impact Factor
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Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 12/2011; 8(4):473-4. · 1.44 Impact Factor
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Calle Winskog
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ABSTRACT: Human trafficking of young men from Africa to Europe is a crime with often devastating consequences. The African continent loses members of the younger generation and many die during the attempt to reach their destinations. The identification of these victims is often difficult, however the structured and by now well-established procedures utilizing standard disaster victim identification protocols provide a reliable and functional approach. The logistics involved are straightforward, and one of the many functions of the team leader is to monitor and control the flow of cases through the system. The importance of ante mortem data for the purposes of identification is clear-no ante mortem data means no identification. Two different missions conducted in the Caribbean are described to illustrate particular difficulties that may occur.
Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 08/2011; 8(2):109-13. · 1.44 Impact Factor
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Calle Winskog
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ABSTRACT: An underwater disaster may involve a crime scene investigation which should be handled as if it were located above water and include a detailed description and documentation of items, belongings and findings. The environment, however, creates special circumstances, each with specific problems that are not encountered during land investigations. Risks associated with underwater recovery cannot be overestimated and underwater disaster recovery diving should not be performed without special training and careful pre-dive planning. Handling of cadavers in an underwater recovery operation also requires special training and a systematic approach to victim recovery. Environmental circumstances, local judicial requirements, religious and cultural issues and the scope of the disaster are only some of the factors that have to be considered before commencing any aquatic disaster victim recovery operation.
Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 08/2011; 8(2):174-8. · 1.44 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Review of the Australian National Coronial Information System and the Swedish National Forensic Database was undertaken over a 7-year period from 2001 to 2007 for all cases where death had been attributed to autoerotic death or sexual asphyxia. In Australia, there were 44 cases (M:F = 42:2) with the majority of victims aged >30 years (77%)-a yearly national rate of approximately 0.3/million. In Sweden, there were nine cases (M:F = 9:0) with the majority of cases aged <30 years (55%)-a yearly national rate of approximately 0.14/million. The usual male predominance was present in both populations, although the Australian victims were older than is usually reported. Lethal sexual asphyxia is uncommon in both the Australian and Swedish populations, with a lower rate than has been cited for North America. Whether this is because of different kinds of paraphilic activities in different populations or of differences in methods of central data collection is uncertain.
Journal of Forensic Sciences 08/2011; 57(1):129-31. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Transfer of knowledge is the cornerstone of any educational organisation, with senior staff expected to participate in the training of less experienced colleagues and students. Teaching in the field is, however, slightly different, and a less theoretical approach is usually recommended. In terms of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) activities, practical work under supervision of a field team stimulates tactile memory. A more practical approach is also useful when multiple organizations from a variety of countries are involved, as language barriers make it easier to manually show someone how to solve a problem, instead of attempting to explain complex concepts verbally. "See one, do one, teach one" is an approach that can be used to ensure that teaching is undertaken with the teacher grasping the essentials of a situation before passing on the information to someone else. The key principles of adult learning that need to be applied to DVI situations include the following: participants need to know why they are learning and to be motivated to learn by the need to solve problems; previous experience must be respected and built upon and learning approaches should match participants' background and diversity; and finally participants need to be actively involved in the learning process. Active learning involves the active acquisition of knowledge and/or skills during the performance of a task and characterizes DVI activities. Learning about DVI structure, activities and responsibilities incorporates both the learning of facts ("declarative knowledge") and practical skills ("procedural knowledge"). A fundamental requirement of all DVI exercises should be succession planning with involvement of less experienced colleagues at every opportunity so that essential teaching and learning opportunities are maximized. DVI missions provide excellent teaching opportunities and international agencies have a responsibility to teach less experienced colleagues and local staff during deployment.
Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 06/2011; 8(2):84-7. · 1.44 Impact Factor
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Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 05/2011; 8(1):56-7; discussion 58-72. · 1.44 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To identify and characterise cases of infant deaths where the fatal episodes were considered to be because of positional asphyxia from wedging and/or suffocation associated with sleeping on or near a mattress that had been placed on a floor.
Retrospective review of autopsy cases from Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, Australia, was performed over a 10-year period from January 2001 to December 2009 to identify such cases.
A total of five deaths were identified. In three cases, infants were wedged between the sides of mattresses and a wall or a sofa. In one case, the infant's head was wedged between a mattress side and a chest of drawers, and in the remaining case, the head was pressed into a plastic bag containing clothes. The age range was 2-10 months, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:2.
Although such deaths are not common, they may be more prevalent when there is overcrowding and reduced sleeping space. While the ideal situation is to provide an infant with his or her own sleeping space, infants sleeping on or near floor mattresses can have the risk of asphyxiation reduced if such mattresses are not located close to furniture or walls, and are not near items such as soft materials or plastic sheeting that could cause airway obstruction.
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 03/2011; 47(8):554-6. · 1.28 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Retrospective review of cases of suicide involving helium inhalation was undertaken at Forensic Science South Australia over a 25-year period from 1985 to 2009. No cases of helium-related suicides were identified in the first 15 years of the study, with one case between 2000 and 2004 and eight cases between 2005 and 2009. Australian data were also reviewed from 2001 to 2009 that showed 30 cases between January 2001 and June 2005, compared to 79 cases between July 2005 and December 2009, an increase of 163%. A review of Swedish data between 2001 and 2009 showed no cases between January 2001 and June 2005, compared to seven cases between July 2005 and December 2009. Thus, all three areas showed recent and striking increases in cases of suicide involving helium inhalation. Given the availability of helium and the recent promotion of this method of suicide, it is quite possible that this may represent a newly emerging trend in suicide deaths.
Journal of Forensic Sciences 03/2011; 56(3):649-51. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Pregnancy-associated death is defined as the death of a woman from any cause during pregnancy or in the year after delivery. This review concentrates on cardiac conditions that may result in pregnancy-associated death including, but not limited to, acute myocardial infarction, endocarditis, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and prolonged QT syndrome. Lethal vascular conditions may also occur involving arterial dissection and thromboembolism, on occasion exacerbated by hypercoagulability, and altered hormonal and physiologic states. The autopsy evaluation of these patients includes a careful assessment of the medical history particularly for prior pregnancy-related conditions, fetal loss, and episodes of unexplained collapse. A family history of sudden death at an early age may be significant. At autopsy, evaluation for underlying syndromes such as Marfan, or evidence of intravenous narcotism should be undertaken. Autopsy examination involves careful dissection of the heart and vessels with consideration of conduction tract studies and possible genetic evaluation for prolonged QT syndrome.
Journal of Forensic Sciences 11/2010; 55(6):1528-33. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Pregnancy-associated death is defined as the death of a woman from any cause during pregnancy or in the year after delivery. This review concentrates on cardiac conditions that may result in pregnancy-associated death including, but not limited to, acute myocardial infarction, endocarditis, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and prolonged QT syndrome. Lethal vascular conditions may also occur involving arterial dissection and thromboembolism, on occasion exacerbated by hypercoagulability, and altered hormonal and physiologic states. The autopsy evaluation of these patients includes a careful assessment of the medical history particularly for prior pregnancy-related conditions, fetal loss, and episodes of unexplained collapse. A family history of sudden death at an early age may be significant. At autopsy, evaluation for underlying syndromes such as Marfan, or evidence of intravenous narcotism should be undertaken. Autopsy examination involves careful dissection of the heart and vessels with consideration of conduction tract studies and possible genetic evaluation for prolonged QT syndrome.
Journal of Forensic Sciences 10/2010; 55(6):1528 - 1533. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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Journal of Forensic Sciences 07/2010; 55(4):1135. · 1.23 Impact Factor
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Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology 01/2010; · 1.44 Impact Factor
