Homicidal Cut Throat with Defence Injuries

 

This man was found dead at home with a cut injury (incised wound) on the neck. The most pertinent question raised by the police was whether this was a homicidal or a suicidal cut throat. It was rather an easy question in this case as the presence of so-called 'defence injuries' on the hands and another incised wound on the left forehead had already solved that question for us. If he had not sustained the defence injuries and the injury on the forehead it (the decision as to the manner of death) would have to be done only on the features of the 'cut injury on the neck' ('cut throat').

 

As is shown in this picture the homicidal cut throat injuries are generally horizontal, deepest at the centre, tend to be lower on the neck, with clean edges (as the neck is usually stretched in homicidal cut throat the edges tend to get cleanly cut), sans 'tentative' cuts, with defence injuries and with cut injuries on other places.

 

Suicidal cut throat injury is more vertical or rather starts from one side of the neck depending on the handedness of the victim, extends downward and then horizontally across the front of the neck. As it progresses downward it becomes shallower and shallower. There may be tentative cuts (or hesitant cuts) around the beginning of the  injury. The edges may be irregular as the neck is not as stretched as in homicidal cut throat. There are no 'defene injuries' or cut injuries to other places. However the victim may have cuts on the wrists from trying unsuccessfully to kill him/herself by injuring the radial artery. There may even be self-inflicted stab injuries to the chest and abdomen or telltale signs of other methods of suicide.

 



 

Defence injuries. They are usually found on the hands, a result of grabbing the knife and/or forearms, upper arms, hands and sometimes even the lower limbs, a result of warding off the attack. Presence of defence injuries tells the pathologist  that this should be a homicide and the person was alive and capable of putting up a resistance at the time of attack. 

 

Defence injuries on the back of the hand. Likely to have sustained as a result of warding off the attack.

 

Cause of Death

 

Cut injury to the neck (cut-throat)

 

Mechanisms of Death

 

There are several mechanisms from which the victim could die. The commonest may be shock and haemorrhage from carotid artery or jugular injury. Aspiration of blood through the cut trachea may cause asphyxial death. The victim may also die from 'air embolism' as negative pressure in the neck veins may cause air to be sucked into them when cut. Rarely cut of the cervical spine may be the cause of death.  

 

Priyanjith Perera

10/01/2013