Circular saw-related fatalities: A rare case report, review of the literature, and forensic implications. (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Janík, Martin; Straka, Ľubomír; Novomeský, František; Krajčovič, Jozef; Hejna, Petr
• Is Part Of: Legal medicine. Volume 18(2016)
• Page Start: 52
• Page End: 57
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Suicide -- Circular saw -- Autopsy -- Morphology -- Decapitation -- Amputation; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine légale -- Périodiques; Medical jurisprudence; Periodicals; 614.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2015.12.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1344-6223

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Circular-saw related fatalities are very rare and highly damaging events. Suicides with a sawing tool are predominantly employed by mentally ill people. The majority of fatal injuries are due to direct contact with a saw blade. Wounds caused with self-made saw differ from cuts caused with factory-made saw. Abstract: Fatalities attributed to powered circular saws appear to be vanishingly rare events with highly wounding and rapidly incapacitating effects. When they do occur, they are mainly self-inflicted in nature. We report the suicide committed by a 79-year-old man using a self-made circular table saw. Autopsy confirmed that the man received multiple heterogeneously distributed saw-type impacts to the head and neck resulting in complete amputation of the upper skull and partial beheading. Homemade or modified commercial sawing instruments and the resultant injuries pose a number of forensic challenges starting from the death scene investigation, continuing with technical examinations, and concluding with determining the manner of death. As with all deaths due to sharp force injuries, fatalities involving power tools such as chainsaws, circular, and band saws warrant a high degree of suspicion of criminal activity and require diligence during all phases of the death investigation.