A unique case of suicide by crossbow with indirect triggering and cranial injury: forensic issues and literature review

Abstract

Currently, crossbows are involved in some deaths, including suicides. These are rare events for which an accurate study of the body discovery site and reconstruction of the triggering mechanism of the crossbow represent crucial medicolegal elements. In this report, a unique case of suicide by crossbow is presented, in which the male victim constructed an elaborate scenario. He arranged two tripod stands to hold the crossbow at the height of his head, and a third to support a hollow tube positioned in front of the muzzle of the crossbow to direct the bolt. After positioning the center of the forehead in front of the hollow tube, the trigger was activated from a distance using a hooked metal rod. The methods used prompted a literature review on suicide by crossbow, which revealed only 14 reports from 1993 to 2023. The head and chest were the main target areas, and in almost all cases, the victims directly pulled the trigger with their finger. Only one case of indirect triggering was found, with the chest as the target. Therefore, in this scenario, the case presented stands as a unique report, due to the elaborate system devised to carry out the suicide and accurately strike the predetermined target.