- Email: [email protected]
Homicide and canicide with analogous killing pattern and agonal decapitation
Forensic Science International 296 (2019) 53–56
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Forensic Science International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/forsciint
Case Report
Homicide and canicide with analogous killing pattern and agonal decapitation Kai Zindler* , Wolfgang Grellner Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
A R T I C L E I N F O
A B S T R A C T
Article history: Received 11 October 2018 Received in revised form 7 January 2019 Accepted 9 January 2019 Available online 21 January 2019
Killings of human beings involving animals have rarely been described in the forensic literature. In the present case, the decapitated corpse of a woman as well as the decapitated, castrated and partially disemboweled corpse of a dog were found together. Both bodies also exhibited analogous, distributed massive sharp-force traumas. The approximately same pattern of actions as well as findings consistent with an exaggerated killing are particularly noteworthy. The perpetrator was found to be the son of the victim and had long exhibited psychological abnormalities. He was acquitted of the charge of manslaughter due to mental incapacity and was subsequently placed in a psychiatric hospital. © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Homicide Decapitation Animal Overkill
1. Introduction The discovery of several deceased persons/animals in the same temporal and spatial context often presents investigating authorities with the initial problem of providing a correct assessment regarding whether the scene is an accident, an (extended) suicidal event or a homicidal offense. Natural deaths of individuals can also lead to the death of other living beings if, for example, the time span between death and discovery is too long and domestic animals are no longer cared for. The initial forensic site can range from being inconspicuous or lacking in forensic evidence to showing massive devastation and significant manipulation of the discovered bodies. If a deceased animal is also found at the same site as the human corpse, additional forensic inspection of the animal corpse is also required. On the one hand, in such cases, intact animal corpses and severe trauma to the human corpse may suggest possible postmortem animal predation. On the other hand, obvious acts of violence against the human and animal initially suggest a non-natural death. But an initial determination of whether the latter is a (extended) suicidal event or a killing by another person cannot always be established immediately. Isolated case reports on the additional killing of animals [4–6,11,20] can only be found related to the subject of extended suicides. In the present case, the decapitated body of a woman and the decapitated body of a dog (pug rude) were discovered together. The initial forensic examination carried out at the site showed a strikingly analogous pattern of wounds
* Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (K. Zindler). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.01.018 0379-0738/© 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
to both the human and the animal. Such a case has not been described in the forensic literature to date. 2. Case report The decapitated corpse of a 48-year-old woman was found in the living room of a 4-room apartment. Her upper body was in a prone position with the head lying on the plane of decapitation next to the right arm. The corpse was found in a large pool of blood (Figs. 1A, 2 ). The decapitated, castrated and partially disemboweled corpse of a dog was found in the next room, inside an infant playpen, next to a pile of pillows. There was a 21 cm long piece of intestine between the pile of pillows; the testicles of the male dog were about 1 m from the dog on the floor inside the playpen. The dog’s head was face down in front of the entrance to the playpen (Fig. 1B–C). Both bodies showed numerous sharp-force traumas. The suspected weapon was discovered in the hall of the apartment. It was a single-edged butcher’s knife with large quantities of blood and fur transfer, a blade length of 24 cm, a blade width of 3.5 cm, and spine width of 0.3 cm. The perpetrator was found to be the son of the victim and had long exhibited psychological abnormalities. He was acquitted of the charge of manslaughter due to mental incapacity and was subsequently placed in a psychiatric hospital. 2.1. Autopsy results 2.1.1. 48-year-old woman: 160 cm, 78 kg The autopsy revealed the following major findings: 6 stab wounds on the trunk (Fig. 3B) including opening of the right ventricle, both thoracic cavities, the abdominal cavity and multiple
54
K. Zindler, W. Grellner / Forensic Science International 296 (2019) 53–56
Fig. 1. Corpse location. (A) Corpse of the decapitated woman. (B) and (C) Corpse of the decapitated dog. Head of the dog in front of the playpen (black arrow) with testicles draped imposingly in the playpen (red arrows). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article).
rough penetrations of the ribs. The stab lengths were between 2.2 cm and 4.5 cm; the stab channels could be represented to a depth of 15 cm. Pronounced defensive wounds were found on both hands, mainly on the flexor sides of the fingers and palms with partial tendon transection (Fig. 3C). The head was also found to be decapitated below the fourth cervical vertebra. The decapitation plane of the head showed non-bleeding wound margins and low quantities of blood in the soft tissues. Multiple superficial and partly convex skin incisions were also found directly at the decapitation plane (Fig. 3A). Moderately intensive aspirated blood foci could be detected in both lungs. There were no indications of other types of violence. Cause of death: internal and external bleeding, pericardial tamponade and bilateral pneumothorax with agonal decapitation.
Fig. 2. Decapitated head next to the corpse with large quantities of dried blood.
2.1.2. Male dog: 45 cm, 11 kg The autopsy also revealed 6 stab/cut wounds to the trunk (Fig. 4A, B). More severe trauma was found on the internal organs than on the surface of the skin, especially affecting the liver and
K. Zindler, W. Grellner / Forensic Science International 296 (2019) 53–56
55
Fig. 3. Autopsy of the woman. (A) Decapitation plane of the head. (B) Chest and thoracic region on the left side with 6 stab wounds (arrows) and superficial incisions. (C) Defensive wound on the right hand.
Fig. 4. Autopsy of the dog. (A) and (B) Representative stab wounds to the abdomen and trunk. (C) Liver and diaphragm with multiple stab and cut wounds. (D) Decapitation plane of the head.
56
K. Zindler, W. Grellner / Forensic Science International 296 (2019) 53–56
diaphragm (Fig. 4C). The testicles of the male dog were removed (status post castration) and there was a forward displacement of a 22 cm long intestinal section from a cut wound to the trunk and a separate 21 cm long intestinal section, which was already secured at the site (status post partial disembowelment). The dog’s head was sharply transected in the middle cervical area just above the larynx (Fig. 4D). The decapitation plane was predominantly straight with isolated irregularities, non-bleeding wound margins and low blood accumulation in the soft tissues. There was also an approximately 2 cm long notch in the fur starting from the edge of the decapitation plane. The lungs also had aspirated blood foci. Cause of death: Internal and external bleeding with agonal decapitation. 2.2. Chemical-toxicological analysis and alcohol analysis The chemical-toxicological examination of the femoral venous blood produced a positive confirmation in the corpse of the woman for the antidepressant venlafaxine (0.226 mg/L) and its main active metabolite O-desmethylvenlafaxine (0.365 mg/L). The calculated drug levels, at 0.591 mg/L, were overall slightly above the therapeutic range of 0.100–0.400 mg/L but well below the toxic drug level of 1.0–1.5 mg/L [14]. There were no indications of a substance influence in the body of the dog. The blood alcohol analyses were negative in both cases. 3. Discussion Decapitations are rare events, but they can occur in many different contexts. The scientific literature has isolated case reports of accidental decapitations [1,10], decapitations by animal attacks [3,16] or decapitations in the context of (extended) suicidal acts [2,7,13,15,19]. Decapitations in the context of homicides [8,9,12,17,18,21], with the exception of execution scenarios (Saudi Arabia: decapitation by sword for murder and rape, etc.), religiously motivated acts (e.g. decapitations by the Islamic State for media impact) or killings with a deterrent character in organized crime circles, are more of a rarity especially in the socalled Western world. The inclusion of animals in homicides is a rarity and has hardly been described in the forensic literature. In the present case, the autopsies of the woman as well as of the dog showed a nearly analogous killing pattern. Both cases showed the impact of 6 initial sharp-force traumas to the trunk, which in itself would already have been sufficient for cause of death. Decapitation also occurred in both cases, with each of the detected blood aspirations proving that the subject was still alive at the time of the decapitation. The minimal bleeding in the area of the decapitation plane, however, allows the conclusion to be drawn that these were the final actions and thus the last step in the killing process. From a forensic point of view, the intensity of the findings needed to be reconciled with an exaggerated act of killing (excess), with the dog corpse having more pronounced wounds. The additional, likely time-consuming, castration of the dog and draping of the testicles as well as the partial disembowelment gave the impression that the dog was given more “attention” within the entire activity. This assumption was supported by the fact that more severe trauma was found on the internal organs than on the skin, suggesting probative poking in the wounds. Given the overall investigation results, it was concluded that the woman was killed first. The time-consuming killing of the dog would not have gone unnoticed due to the proximity of the woman. Their son was identified as the perpetrator. He showed no dog bite injuries or consequences of sharp-force trauma during the forensic physical examination. During the course of the trial, it was found that the son already manifested very disturbing mental disorders 3 years before the crime. This often led to outpatient, day-patient and in-
patient psychiatric treatment over subsequent years. The symptomatology at the time consisted of delusional experiences among other things, and he was repeatedly admitted due to depressive symptoms. He was no longer conscious of the actual event except for a few isolated memories. The forensic psychiatric expert provided a diagnosis of schizophrenia, i.e. differential diagnosis of a schizoaffective disorder. At the time of the crime, the perpetrator experienced psychotic decompensation with loss of touch with reality and presumed delusion-driven actions. The delusion-driven nature of the actions at the time of the act was strikingly reflected in the pronounced and excessively imposing wounds. Loss of ability to reason and accountability could not be excluded from a psychiatric point of view. The court followed the psychiatric report and acquitted the accused of manslaughter due to mental incapacity. It ordered that the perpetrator be placed in a psychiatric hospital. The exact motive remained unclear. The relationship of the perpetrator to his mother and the family dog was described as inconspicuous prior to the act. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest. Bibliography [1] A. Angelino, P.T. Knudsen, P.M. Leth, Unusual accidental decapitation in road traffic incident, Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 14 (2018) 117–119. [2] K. Blässer, T. Tatschner, M. Bohnert, Vehicle-assisted suicide with a nylon rope causing complete decapitation, Arch. Kriminol. 232 (2013) 104–112. [3] S. Chattopadhyay, B. Shee, B. Sukul, Fatal crocodile attack, J. Forensic Legal Med. 20 (2013) 1139–1141. [4] B.K. Cooke, Extended suicide with a pet, J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 41 (2013) 437–443. [5] L. Hagemeier, C. Schyma, B. Madea, Extended suicide using an atypical stud gun, Forensic Sci. Int. 189 (2009) e9–e12. [6] B.E. Harding, L.M. Sullivan, S. Adams, R.A. Middleberg, B.C. Wolf, Multidisciplinary investigation of an unusual apparent homicide/suicide, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 32 (2011) 208–212. [7] P. Hejna, M. Safr, L. Zátopková, Suicidal decapitation by guillotine: case report and review of the literature, J. Forensic Sci. 57 (2012) 1643–1645. [8] T. Konopka, F. Bolechala, M. Strona, P. Kopacz, Homicides with corpse dismemberment in the material collected by the department of Forensic Medicine, Krakow, Poland, Arch. Med. Sadowej Kryminol. 66 (2016) 220–234. [9] V. Nikoli c, S. Savi c, V. Antunovi c, S. Marinkovi c, C. Andrieux, I. Tomi c, Decapitation in reality and fine art: a review, Forensic Sci. Int. 280 (2017) 103– 112. [10] P.-A. Peyron, E. Baccino, A case of accidental decapitation in a farm worker, Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 13 (2017) 92–95. [11] S. Pollak, Erscheinungsformen des erweiterten Selbstmordes, Forensia 2 (1977/78) 67–78. [12] J. Rajs, M. Lundström, M. Broberg, L. Lidberg, O. Lindquist, Criminal mutilation of the human body in Sweden — a thirty-year medico-legal and forensic psychiatric study, J. Forensic Sci. 43 (1998) 563–580. [13] M.A. Rothschild, V. Schneider, Decapitation as a result of suicidal hanging, Forensic Sci. Int. 106 (1999) 55–62. [14] M. Schulz, S. Iwersen-Bergmann, H. Andresen, A. Schmoldt, Therapeutic and toxic blood concentrations of nearly 1000 drugs and other xenobiotics, Crit. Care 16 (2012) R136. [15] C. Schyma, Y. Albalooshi, B. Madea, Extended suicide by use of a chain saw, Forensic Sci. Int. 228 (2013) e16–e19. [16] M. Tsokos, R.W. Byard, K. Püschel, Extensive and mutilating craniofacial trauma involving defleshing and decapitation: unusual features of fatal dog attacks in the young, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 28 (2007) 131–136. [17] E. Turillazzi, S. Di Donato, C. Fiore, V. Fineschi, Reconstruction of the weapon in a case of homicidal decapitation, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 30 (2009) 386– 390. [18] E.E. Türk, K. Püschel, M. Tsokos, Features characteristic of homicide in cases of complete decapitation, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 25 (2004) 83–86. [19] E.E. Türk, M. Tsokos, Vehicle-assisted suicide resulting in complete decapitation, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 26 (2005) 292–293. [20] M.A. Verhoff, M.H. Suntz, K. Köhler, H.F. Schütz, G. Weiler, G. Lasczkowski, Accident or “extended suicide with a pet” — a case study, Anil Aggrawal’s Internet J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 7 (2006). http://www.anilaggrawal.com/ij/ vol_007_no_001/papers/paper002.html. [21] C. Winskog, R.W. Byard, Decapitation: a rare form of postmortem mutilation, Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 12 (2016) 98–100.
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Forensic Science International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/forsciint
Case Report
Homicide and canicide with analogous killing pattern and agonal decapitation Kai Zindler* , Wolfgang Grellner Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
A R T I C L E I N F O
A B S T R A C T
Article history: Received 11 October 2018 Received in revised form 7 January 2019 Accepted 9 January 2019 Available online 21 January 2019
Killings of human beings involving animals have rarely been described in the forensic literature. In the present case, the decapitated corpse of a woman as well as the decapitated, castrated and partially disemboweled corpse of a dog were found together. Both bodies also exhibited analogous, distributed massive sharp-force traumas. The approximately same pattern of actions as well as findings consistent with an exaggerated killing are particularly noteworthy. The perpetrator was found to be the son of the victim and had long exhibited psychological abnormalities. He was acquitted of the charge of manslaughter due to mental incapacity and was subsequently placed in a psychiatric hospital. © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Homicide Decapitation Animal Overkill
1. Introduction The discovery of several deceased persons/animals in the same temporal and spatial context often presents investigating authorities with the initial problem of providing a correct assessment regarding whether the scene is an accident, an (extended) suicidal event or a homicidal offense. Natural deaths of individuals can also lead to the death of other living beings if, for example, the time span between death and discovery is too long and domestic animals are no longer cared for. The initial forensic site can range from being inconspicuous or lacking in forensic evidence to showing massive devastation and significant manipulation of the discovered bodies. If a deceased animal is also found at the same site as the human corpse, additional forensic inspection of the animal corpse is also required. On the one hand, in such cases, intact animal corpses and severe trauma to the human corpse may suggest possible postmortem animal predation. On the other hand, obvious acts of violence against the human and animal initially suggest a non-natural death. But an initial determination of whether the latter is a (extended) suicidal event or a killing by another person cannot always be established immediately. Isolated case reports on the additional killing of animals [4–6,11,20] can only be found related to the subject of extended suicides. In the present case, the decapitated body of a woman and the decapitated body of a dog (pug rude) were discovered together. The initial forensic examination carried out at the site showed a strikingly analogous pattern of wounds
* Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (K. Zindler). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.01.018 0379-0738/© 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
to both the human and the animal. Such a case has not been described in the forensic literature to date. 2. Case report The decapitated corpse of a 48-year-old woman was found in the living room of a 4-room apartment. Her upper body was in a prone position with the head lying on the plane of decapitation next to the right arm. The corpse was found in a large pool of blood (Figs. 1A, 2 ). The decapitated, castrated and partially disemboweled corpse of a dog was found in the next room, inside an infant playpen, next to a pile of pillows. There was a 21 cm long piece of intestine between the pile of pillows; the testicles of the male dog were about 1 m from the dog on the floor inside the playpen. The dog’s head was face down in front of the entrance to the playpen (Fig. 1B–C). Both bodies showed numerous sharp-force traumas. The suspected weapon was discovered in the hall of the apartment. It was a single-edged butcher’s knife with large quantities of blood and fur transfer, a blade length of 24 cm, a blade width of 3.5 cm, and spine width of 0.3 cm. The perpetrator was found to be the son of the victim and had long exhibited psychological abnormalities. He was acquitted of the charge of manslaughter due to mental incapacity and was subsequently placed in a psychiatric hospital. 2.1. Autopsy results 2.1.1. 48-year-old woman: 160 cm, 78 kg The autopsy revealed the following major findings: 6 stab wounds on the trunk (Fig. 3B) including opening of the right ventricle, both thoracic cavities, the abdominal cavity and multiple
54
K. Zindler, W. Grellner / Forensic Science International 296 (2019) 53–56
Fig. 1. Corpse location. (A) Corpse of the decapitated woman. (B) and (C) Corpse of the decapitated dog. Head of the dog in front of the playpen (black arrow) with testicles draped imposingly in the playpen (red arrows). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article).
rough penetrations of the ribs. The stab lengths were between 2.2 cm and 4.5 cm; the stab channels could be represented to a depth of 15 cm. Pronounced defensive wounds were found on both hands, mainly on the flexor sides of the fingers and palms with partial tendon transection (Fig. 3C). The head was also found to be decapitated below the fourth cervical vertebra. The decapitation plane of the head showed non-bleeding wound margins and low quantities of blood in the soft tissues. Multiple superficial and partly convex skin incisions were also found directly at the decapitation plane (Fig. 3A). Moderately intensive aspirated blood foci could be detected in both lungs. There were no indications of other types of violence. Cause of death: internal and external bleeding, pericardial tamponade and bilateral pneumothorax with agonal decapitation.
Fig. 2. Decapitated head next to the corpse with large quantities of dried blood.
2.1.2. Male dog: 45 cm, 11 kg The autopsy also revealed 6 stab/cut wounds to the trunk (Fig. 4A, B). More severe trauma was found on the internal organs than on the surface of the skin, especially affecting the liver and
K. Zindler, W. Grellner / Forensic Science International 296 (2019) 53–56
55
Fig. 3. Autopsy of the woman. (A) Decapitation plane of the head. (B) Chest and thoracic region on the left side with 6 stab wounds (arrows) and superficial incisions. (C) Defensive wound on the right hand.
Fig. 4. Autopsy of the dog. (A) and (B) Representative stab wounds to the abdomen and trunk. (C) Liver and diaphragm with multiple stab and cut wounds. (D) Decapitation plane of the head.
56
K. Zindler, W. Grellner / Forensic Science International 296 (2019) 53–56
diaphragm (Fig. 4C). The testicles of the male dog were removed (status post castration) and there was a forward displacement of a 22 cm long intestinal section from a cut wound to the trunk and a separate 21 cm long intestinal section, which was already secured at the site (status post partial disembowelment). The dog’s head was sharply transected in the middle cervical area just above the larynx (Fig. 4D). The decapitation plane was predominantly straight with isolated irregularities, non-bleeding wound margins and low blood accumulation in the soft tissues. There was also an approximately 2 cm long notch in the fur starting from the edge of the decapitation plane. The lungs also had aspirated blood foci. Cause of death: Internal and external bleeding with agonal decapitation. 2.2. Chemical-toxicological analysis and alcohol analysis The chemical-toxicological examination of the femoral venous blood produced a positive confirmation in the corpse of the woman for the antidepressant venlafaxine (0.226 mg/L) and its main active metabolite O-desmethylvenlafaxine (0.365 mg/L). The calculated drug levels, at 0.591 mg/L, were overall slightly above the therapeutic range of 0.100–0.400 mg/L but well below the toxic drug level of 1.0–1.5 mg/L [14]. There were no indications of a substance influence in the body of the dog. The blood alcohol analyses were negative in both cases. 3. Discussion Decapitations are rare events, but they can occur in many different contexts. The scientific literature has isolated case reports of accidental decapitations [1,10], decapitations by animal attacks [3,16] or decapitations in the context of (extended) suicidal acts [2,7,13,15,19]. Decapitations in the context of homicides [8,9,12,17,18,21], with the exception of execution scenarios (Saudi Arabia: decapitation by sword for murder and rape, etc.), religiously motivated acts (e.g. decapitations by the Islamic State for media impact) or killings with a deterrent character in organized crime circles, are more of a rarity especially in the socalled Western world. The inclusion of animals in homicides is a rarity and has hardly been described in the forensic literature. In the present case, the autopsies of the woman as well as of the dog showed a nearly analogous killing pattern. Both cases showed the impact of 6 initial sharp-force traumas to the trunk, which in itself would already have been sufficient for cause of death. Decapitation also occurred in both cases, with each of the detected blood aspirations proving that the subject was still alive at the time of the decapitation. The minimal bleeding in the area of the decapitation plane, however, allows the conclusion to be drawn that these were the final actions and thus the last step in the killing process. From a forensic point of view, the intensity of the findings needed to be reconciled with an exaggerated act of killing (excess), with the dog corpse having more pronounced wounds. The additional, likely time-consuming, castration of the dog and draping of the testicles as well as the partial disembowelment gave the impression that the dog was given more “attention” within the entire activity. This assumption was supported by the fact that more severe trauma was found on the internal organs than on the skin, suggesting probative poking in the wounds. Given the overall investigation results, it was concluded that the woman was killed first. The time-consuming killing of the dog would not have gone unnoticed due to the proximity of the woman. Their son was identified as the perpetrator. He showed no dog bite injuries or consequences of sharp-force trauma during the forensic physical examination. During the course of the trial, it was found that the son already manifested very disturbing mental disorders 3 years before the crime. This often led to outpatient, day-patient and in-
patient psychiatric treatment over subsequent years. The symptomatology at the time consisted of delusional experiences among other things, and he was repeatedly admitted due to depressive symptoms. He was no longer conscious of the actual event except for a few isolated memories. The forensic psychiatric expert provided a diagnosis of schizophrenia, i.e. differential diagnosis of a schizoaffective disorder. At the time of the crime, the perpetrator experienced psychotic decompensation with loss of touch with reality and presumed delusion-driven actions. The delusion-driven nature of the actions at the time of the act was strikingly reflected in the pronounced and excessively imposing wounds. Loss of ability to reason and accountability could not be excluded from a psychiatric point of view. The court followed the psychiatric report and acquitted the accused of manslaughter due to mental incapacity. It ordered that the perpetrator be placed in a psychiatric hospital. The exact motive remained unclear. The relationship of the perpetrator to his mother and the family dog was described as inconspicuous prior to the act. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest. Bibliography [1] A. Angelino, P.T. Knudsen, P.M. Leth, Unusual accidental decapitation in road traffic incident, Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 14 (2018) 117–119. [2] K. Blässer, T. Tatschner, M. Bohnert, Vehicle-assisted suicide with a nylon rope causing complete decapitation, Arch. Kriminol. 232 (2013) 104–112. [3] S. Chattopadhyay, B. Shee, B. Sukul, Fatal crocodile attack, J. Forensic Legal Med. 20 (2013) 1139–1141. [4] B.K. Cooke, Extended suicide with a pet, J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 41 (2013) 437–443. [5] L. Hagemeier, C. Schyma, B. Madea, Extended suicide using an atypical stud gun, Forensic Sci. Int. 189 (2009) e9–e12. [6] B.E. Harding, L.M. Sullivan, S. Adams, R.A. Middleberg, B.C. Wolf, Multidisciplinary investigation of an unusual apparent homicide/suicide, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 32 (2011) 208–212. [7] P. Hejna, M. Safr, L. Zátopková, Suicidal decapitation by guillotine: case report and review of the literature, J. Forensic Sci. 57 (2012) 1643–1645. [8] T. Konopka, F. Bolechala, M. Strona, P. Kopacz, Homicides with corpse dismemberment in the material collected by the department of Forensic Medicine, Krakow, Poland, Arch. Med. Sadowej Kryminol. 66 (2016) 220–234. [9] V. Nikoli c, S. Savi c, V. Antunovi c, S. Marinkovi c, C. Andrieux, I. Tomi c, Decapitation in reality and fine art: a review, Forensic Sci. Int. 280 (2017) 103– 112. [10] P.-A. Peyron, E. Baccino, A case of accidental decapitation in a farm worker, Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 13 (2017) 92–95. [11] S. Pollak, Erscheinungsformen des erweiterten Selbstmordes, Forensia 2 (1977/78) 67–78. [12] J. Rajs, M. Lundström, M. Broberg, L. Lidberg, O. Lindquist, Criminal mutilation of the human body in Sweden — a thirty-year medico-legal and forensic psychiatric study, J. Forensic Sci. 43 (1998) 563–580. [13] M.A. Rothschild, V. Schneider, Decapitation as a result of suicidal hanging, Forensic Sci. Int. 106 (1999) 55–62. [14] M. Schulz, S. Iwersen-Bergmann, H. Andresen, A. Schmoldt, Therapeutic and toxic blood concentrations of nearly 1000 drugs and other xenobiotics, Crit. Care 16 (2012) R136. [15] C. Schyma, Y. Albalooshi, B. Madea, Extended suicide by use of a chain saw, Forensic Sci. Int. 228 (2013) e16–e19. [16] M. Tsokos, R.W. Byard, K. Püschel, Extensive and mutilating craniofacial trauma involving defleshing and decapitation: unusual features of fatal dog attacks in the young, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 28 (2007) 131–136. [17] E. Turillazzi, S. Di Donato, C. Fiore, V. Fineschi, Reconstruction of the weapon in a case of homicidal decapitation, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 30 (2009) 386– 390. [18] E.E. Türk, K. Püschel, M. Tsokos, Features characteristic of homicide in cases of complete decapitation, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 25 (2004) 83–86. [19] E.E. Türk, M. Tsokos, Vehicle-assisted suicide resulting in complete decapitation, Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 26 (2005) 292–293. [20] M.A. Verhoff, M.H. Suntz, K. Köhler, H.F. Schütz, G. Weiler, G. Lasczkowski, Accident or “extended suicide with a pet” — a case study, Anil Aggrawal’s Internet J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 7 (2006). http://www.anilaggrawal.com/ij/ vol_007_no_001/papers/paper002.html. [21] C. Winskog, R.W. Byard, Decapitation: a rare form of postmortem mutilation, Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 12 (2016) 98–100.