Condom-murder is term used to describe a homicide where a person has been killed due to his recreational sexual behaviour and the killing has strong links with the recovered condom/contraceptive material on the scene or was in personal possession of victim. It can provide immediate clue about perpetrator. We present six cases of a similar nature. Four males and two females had condoms in their vicinity at crime scene. All incidents occurred at different timings and different places but there was striking similarity in method of killing. In four cases hands were tied on the back in three cases; similarly legs were also tied in three cases. In three cases strong electric cords were used. The presence of condoms give clue for investigation, possibility of DNA identification, about type of sexual behaviour as recreational and commercial method in these cases.
Death by hanging is believed to be a painless method of committing suicide. In most cases the noose has a knot and on this basis only it can be labeled as atypical or typical hanging. A 35 year Chinese man committed suicide by hanging with a ligature material made of electric wire where there was no knot present on the noose.
Several studies have been performed to recognize the main features in homicide and suicide sharp wound-related death, revealing that a single cutting wound to the neck is an infrequent event in suicide cases, and several hesitation marks near the fatal injury are usually present. We report a case of an atypical self-inflicted cutthroat injury without tentative marks involving a 79-year-old female. The weapon used, a kitchen knife, was found at the crime scene. The wound had clean margins, and no other incisions were found. Scene circumstances, namely the absence of signs of a break-in, the victim found on the bed, the knife located near the body, the vital wound in an accessible site, and the absence of defense injuries, collectively support a likely suicide. A literature review was also performed to compare forensic data of the case presented with the other 6 cases reported regarding atypical suicide characterized by a single incising cut to the throat without hesitation marks. Given the few cases reported and the lack of gross descriptions and histopathological data available in the literature, additional knowledge of such a case may help forensic pathologists in the identification of suicidal events when a single neck injury is observed. In this frame, suicide by a unique single incising cut to the throat without hesitation marks near the lethal injury may be observed as an atypical presentation, and the crime scene investigation, together with additional background information of the deceased, aid in the identification of the manner of the death.
Kerokan is a traditional Indonesian treatment involving abrading the skin over various parts of the body with a blunt object such as a coin or a piece of ginger which may create suspicious injuries. Here, the case of a 30-year-old woman who had undergone kerokan therapy is reported. She was complaining of retro-sternal pain and epigastric discomfort and subsequently became markedly short of breath and died. The observation of injuries predominantly located around the neck initiated a police investigation and forensic autopsy. Scattered abrasions, blisters and bruises were present on the forehead, the bridge of the nose extending to the ala, the upper and anterior aspect of the chin and the sternal notch, with discrete fresh and scabbed abrasions around the neck, over the sternum and on the backs of both hands. There were, however, no facial or conjunctival petechiae and no bruising of the underlying strap muscles, or fractures of the hyoid bone or thyroid cartilage. Histology revealed that myocarditis was the cause of death. Traditional practices may cause unusual bruises, abrasions, blisters and burns that may raise suspicion of inflicted injury from an assault. Knowledge of the manifestations of socio-ethnic practices such as kerokan is important in the evaluation of trauma in specific cultural groups.