Homicides Disguised as Fire Deaths

Abstract

Background: When conducting a forensic examination of burnt bodies, it is important to determine whether the victim was exposed to fire while alive or after death. The differential diagnosis between antemortem and postmortem burning is difficult and often cannot be made based on information obtained solely from the autopsy. The aim of the study is to review current literature on this topic and present clinical cases that illustrate how challenging the determination of vitality during the fire and manner of death can be.Materials and methods: We present four cases of burnt homicide victims, illustrating the complexity of forensic determination of the cause of death in the fire and the importance of differential diagnosis of antemortem and postmortem exposure to flames.Results: In the forensic assessment autopsy is a fundamental to determine the cause of death. When death is related to fire, particular findings during autopsy can help to suspect that the victim was alive. One of the main antemortem signs is the deposition of soot in the respiratory tract. Another important test is the toxicological analysis, which determines the level of carboxyhaemoglobin in the blood: a concentration of more than 50% indicates that the person died in the fire.Conclusions: Forensic examination of burnt bodies requires a comprehensive and detailed assessment of all available data. The autopsy, together with additional diagnostic forensic methods, including histological examination, toxicological analysis and postmortem computed tomography, allows the exact cause of death to be determined.

Postmortem Burns to Conceal Homicidal Deaths: an Eight-Year Study

“…In one case, skeletal remains were discovered and sex identification was established by anatomical examination and genetic analysis. On the other hand, victims' age range was 25 to 51 years (except for a single case of an infant), with a mean age of 30.92 years, which was comparable with other studies (6, 12-14); however, an isolated case of the elderly has also been reported (14).…”

“…However, firearm injuries were a common cause of death in studies conducted by Fanton et al (6) and Tumer et al (12). Although strangulation by any means was the most common cause of death reported by Dogan (17), it remains the second most common cause of death in most of the studies on this topic (12,14), including the present one. Strangulation was also reported as the cause of death in various case reports (22)(23)(24).…”

Pathological alterations and COHb evaluations as tools for investigating fire-related deaths in veterinary forensic pathology

“…Overall, one of the major challenges for a forensic pathologist is determining whether the victim died before or during a fire. Usually, a complete evaluation of the death scene, post-mortem macroscopic and histological findings, and toxicological analysis are necessary before making a final diagnosis ( 14 , 15 ). Indeed, CO poisoning can sometimes be the main cause of death in FRFs ( 2 ).…”