Suicide identification during on-site inspection. Proposal and application of an interpretative method for death scene investigation. (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Visentin, Sindi; Massaro, Luca; Viel, Guido; Cecchetto, Giovanni; Montisci, Massimo
• Is Part Of: Forensic science international. Volume 297(2019)
• Page Start: 148
• Page End: 155
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: Forensic science -- Suicide -- On-site inspection -- Crime scene investigation -- Death scene investigation -- Scoring system; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Forensic -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine légale -- Périodiques; Chimie légale -- Périodiques; Gerechtelijke geneeskunde; Gerechtelijke chemie; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; Chemistry, Forensic; Medical jurisprudence; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 614.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.01.029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0379-0738

Abstract

Abstract: Death scene investigation (DSI) is critically important for the identification of the manner of death. The present study aims to present a scoring system for the correct framing of a case as a suicide starting from the DSI and its preliminary application. The method is based on five items: (1) statistical frequency of the method adopted; (2) victim's history of mental illness; (3) circumstantial data; (4) number of means; (5) compatibility of means and injuries with suicidal dynamics; and the application of a correction factor if suicide risk indicators are present. We blindly analyzed 180 cases of violent deaths equally divided into suicides, homicides and accidental deaths and the results obtained were compared with the established dynamics of death. The proposed method has proven to be efficient in the identification of suicide at the DSI, but further on-site studies making use of a wider number of cases is necessary.