Mediastinal transfixion with a crossbow bolt

Mullan, F. J.; O'Kane, Hugh; Dasmahapatra, Himansu K.; Fisher, Russell S.; Gibbons, Joseph

doi:10.1002/bjs.1800780825

Cited by 25 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…14,19], and suicides [e.g. 1,3,5,6,8,13,22,25,29] have been published whereas the number of homicides with this type of weapon appears to be small [4,5,7,12,13,27,31]. This paper contributes eight homicides and examines the question whether this easy to purchase weapon is suitable for intentional killing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Crossbow homicides

et al. 2004

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A total of eight cases of homicide by crossbow are reported, including six intentional, assault-like killings and one hired killer. The bolts showed a high penetration capacity despite the rather low kinetic energy (<100 J): a field-tip traversed one upper arm and the thorax (36 cm) and two broadheads caused perforating injuries of the thorax (25-26 cm). This was due to the high sectional density and the split-like penetration mechanism. Wound morphology was especially important if the perpetrator had extracted the bolt, which occurred in half of the cases. The shape of the entrance wound depended on the type of arrowhead: broadheads produced star-shaped to triangular wounds, field-tips caused circular, oval or slit-like injuries. Foreign material from the arrowhead was found inside two injuries. In assaults, the crossbow was used to hunt the victim down from a short distance which does not require practice but still has the advantage of a distance weapon. However, immediate incapacitation occurred rarely so that additional violence was frequently applied. The noiseless character of the weapon explains why many victims were taken by surprise and why the corpses initially remained unnoticed. Crossbows can therefore be considered ideal weapons for man hunting and some were bought for the very purpose of the killing.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Crossbow homicides

et al. 2004

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“…Crossbow injuries are most often suicidal [1,2,4,10,11] or accidental [3,14,15] and a few homicides have been reported [4,13]. Crossbow injuries are most often suicidal [1,2,4,10,11] or accidental [3,14,15] and a few homicides have been reported [4,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The hunting broadhead tip causes triangular skin wounds and seems to be more dangerous because of its deep incising wounds. The pencil-like bolt tip has no razor effect and thus causes no incising injury so that even in cases with injuries of the brain stem, the spinal cord, the aorta or the heart, the patient survived [10,14,15]. The pencil-like bolt tip has no razor effect and thus causes no incising injury so that even in cases with injuries of the brain stem, the spinal cord, the aorta or the heart, the patient survived [10,14,15].…”

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confidence: 99%

Non-lethal penetrating cardiac injury from a crossbow bolt

Besler

Kleiber

Zerkowski

et al. 1998

International Journal of Legal Medicine

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Crossbow injuries to the thorax are nowadays uncommon. The type of arrowhead used determines not only the form of entrance wound but often the outcome of these injuries. We report the case of a 38-year-old man who attempted to commit suicide by firing a bolt from a sport crossbow into his heart. Although the bolt penetrated the mediastinum causing a deep intraseptal myocardial lesion and the pre-operative diagnostic procedure delayed the necessary operation, the patient survived.

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“…Although rare, suicide and homicide by crossbow have been reported in the literature [6][7][8][9][10][11]. The vast majority of crossbow injuries and fatalities occur in males, although there is a report of a female who committed suicide by crossbow [7].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%