Chapter 3 - A homicide and a chat with a neighbour

Abstract

During the investigation of a shooting homicide, a series of pelvic fractures was found in a young female victim. The cause of these fractures instigated a detailed investigation to establish their relationship, or otherwise, with the homicide. Pelvic fractures can involve any pelvic bones and achieve anatomical instability of the pelvic ring. They can be complicated by internal or external hemorrhages, related to lacerations of major blood vessels or organs, caused by sharp edges of dislocated bone fragments. These lacerations can be life-threatening by evolving into a rapidly fatal hemorrhagic shock. Most pelvic fractures result from high-energy injuries, typically in motor vehicle accidents and falls from a height. In falls from a height, a positive correlation between the level of the height and the seriousness of the injuries has been analysed in the scientific literature and established. Postmortem pelvic fractures are difficult to detect at the autopsy by reason of their anatomical location in the human body, thus the routine use of a non-contrast postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) before performing the conventional autopsy has been recommended since the late 2000s.