An Unusual Suicide Inside a Grave with Two Gunshot Wounds to the Head—The Psychological Approach

Kastanaki, Anastasia E; Kranioti, Elena F.; Theodorakis, Pavlos N; Michalodimitrakis, Manolis

doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00983.x

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…In line with previous studies [1][2], suicide in the cemetery seems to be a phenomenon mostly connected to male gender; the mean age is mostly around adulthood-third age with frequent presence of a positive psychiatric history. All victims were affected by depressive disorders, 75% were under psychiatric pharmacological treatment, while the remaining 25% was affected by bipolar disorder with hypochondriacal ideation.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 65%

“…The cases were particularly interesting from a pathological-forensic point of you, both for the limited number of them in the time-frame under consideration , and for the limited number of studies in scientific literature focusing specifically on this topic [1][2]. In all cases presented, the diagnosis of death by suicide was formulated after a thorough analysis of the death scene, cross checking autoptic results with circumstantial details and examining suicide notes left by the victims to justify their act.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From this point of view, scientific literature enlists just a limited number of cases of graveside suicides: in one study, authors report a case of suicide by gunshot committed inside a grave under construction [1], and in another one, a review of Milan, with his head under the hub of the anterior wheel of his car. On the anterior seat, next to the driver, there was a farewell letter for his family, in which he motivated the suicide to the loneliness, due to the recent death of his wife; he also explained the modality of the suicide: he lifted the car by the jack, then he positioned himself under the car and lowered it on himself.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unusual Suicide Settings: A Forensic-Pathological Analysis Four Cases of Suicide in Cemetery

Zoja¹

2017

FRCIJ

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The Author choose the cases of suicides in the cemetery performed in a period of 24 years in Milan. They highlight the general aspects, together with the forensic pathology and the psychopathological data. In Milan area, the selected cases were 4. The selected sample validates that cemetery suicide are rare and victims present three common features: a depressive mental disorder, the male sex and the burial of a beloved person in the cemetery of the suicide. These observations could enrich the knowledge of epidemiological analysis of such modality of suicide.Keywords: Suicide; Cemetery; Forensic pathology 41 cases of graveside killings is offered, all committed between 1969 and 1992, among which 18 suicides are documented [2]. In the current study, through a manual search of autoptic files over 20 years , the authors identified analogous cases occurred in seven cemeter is in the city of Milan, Italy (Baggio, Bruzzano, Chiaravalle, Greco, Lambrate, Cimitero Maggiore and Cimitero Monumentale) and in the metropolitan area. For each of the cases, an analysis of the crime scene is offered together with details obtained from autoptic examination; finally, the authors provide a tentative psychopathological analysis of the possible motivations connected to this unusual suicide site. Materials and MethodsOut of 22.764 autoptic examinations carried out in over 20 years (January 1 st 1993 -December 31 st 2015) at the Medico-legal Bureau, Milan State University, 3.902 suicides were identified and, among them, those committed in cemeteries or surrounding area were extracted and compared to those with analogous setting committed in Italy. As for the latter type of information, reference was made for data processing purposes to the online archives and to the major Italian national daily papers (Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica), local newspapers (Il Giorno and Il Giornale), and to the database of the Italian national and regional press agency (ANSA). The study was integrated by consulting generic search engines and Internet websites, as well as printed paper volumes and repertories. ResultsThe cases identified for the purpose of the present study were 4 (0.017% of the total number of the autoptic examinations carried out in that time frame) and they constitute 0,10% of all suicides examined at the Medico-legal Bureau, Milan State University. In line with previous studies [1-2], suicide in the cemetery seems to be a phenomenon mostly connected to male gender; the mean age is mostly around adulthood-third age with frequent presence of a positive psychiatric history. All victims were affected by depressive disorders, 75% were under psychiatric pharmacological treatment, while the remaining 25% was affected by bipolar disorder with hypochondriacal ideation. Moreover, half of the sample had a history of previous suicide attempts; the remaining half, though the absence of suicide attempts, had frequently expressed suicide intent. Suicides occurred in a timeframe between three months and a year since their loving ones' death...

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Unusual Suicide Settings: A Forensic-Pathological Analysis Four Cases of Suicide in Cemetery

Zoja¹

2017

FRCIJ

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A hard way to die: when multiple lethal gunshots mean suicide

et al. 2021

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Medicolegal Investigations in Cases of Double Suicidal Gunshots to the Head Using 2 Different Handguns

Moreschi

Broi

Ciccone

et al. 2019

Am J Forensic Med Pathol

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Suicides committed by firing 2 gunshots to the head are rare events and pose a significant challenge for coroners and forensic pathologists. The evaluation of the victim's ability to fire 2 shots simultaneously, or to act after a first gunshot, is crucial for the reconstruction of the death scene and to differentiate between homicide and suicide. We report an unusual case of suicide involving 2 gunshot wounds to the head. The medicolegal investigations hypothesized that the victim had either fired 2 shots near simultaneously or he suffered from rapid incapacitation after the first gunshot but was still able to fire a second consecutive and fatal shot to the head. This article focuses on the diagnostic difficulties involved, together with analysis of the death scene and autopsy findings, in cases where the courts demand confirmation that a double gunshot to the head is in fact a case of suicide.

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An Unusual Suicide Inside a Grave with Two Gunshot Wounds to the Head—The Psychological Approach

Cited by 4 publications

References 36 publications

Unusual Suicide Settings: A Forensic-Pathological Analysis Four Cases of Suicide in Cemetery

Unusual Suicide Settings: A Forensic-Pathological Analysis Four Cases of Suicide in Cemetery

A hard way to die: when multiple lethal gunshots mean suicide

Medicolegal Investigations in Cases of Double Suicidal Gunshots to the Head Using 2 Different Handguns

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