Complex patterns of shotgun injuries in a Suicide Pact; a Case Report

K M Tikiri Bandara Gunathilake,Muditha Vidanapathirana

doi:10.4038/mljsl.v7i1.7391

K M Tikiri Bandara Gunathilake, Muditha Vidanapathirana

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4038/mljsl.v7i1.7391

Copy DOI

Abstract

If firearm injuries involve more than one individual with unknown circumstance, it attracts the interest of the public, media and the law, especially regarding the manner of death. A suicide pact is an agreement between two or more people to commit suicide together at a given place and time. Following discussion is based on two dead bodies; a male and a female found dead with firearm injuries with unknown circumstances with complicated atypical firearm injuries. A male and a female were found dead. They were lovers in their young age and were not allowed to get married. However, both had conflicts in their marriages and they developed an extramarital affair among them for a one-year duration. Father witnessed the male committing suicide with a firearm holding with one hand and triggering using a stick and falling on the dead body of a female. Female had contact 12 bore shotgun injury with a cartridge containing buckshot pellets. Seven exited with shored exits. Of them, 6 recovered from the clothes and the scene and the remaining 8x8mm buckshot pellet recovered from the male. The male had two injuries on the abdomen; one contact 12 bore shotgun injury with 2x2mm birdshot pellets and another superficial non-fatal injury with a buckshot pellet. The first firearm shot was reconstructed and explained by a unique position of the victims; Male leaning behind the female. The accessibility to the trigger could have been achieved by using a stick. Finally, this was a failed suicide pact, ended up as a dyadic death.

Highlights

Sri Lanka is a country with the highest suicidal rates and in 2018, it ranked number 29th in the world.[1]
When involves more than one individuals with unknown circumstance, it attracts the interest of the public, media and the criminal justice system regarding the interpretation of the injuries and the reconstruction of the event
There are several interested parties involved in this case as there had been an extramarital affair among these two married individuals

Summary

Introduction

Sri Lanka is a country with the highest suicidal rates and in 2018, it ranked number 29th in the world.[1]. The underlying body of the male had a circular perforated laceration, 2.5 x 2.5cm, in the mid-third of the abdomen, along the midline, 2cm above the umbilicus. Figure 07: 12 bore buckshot pellet (8x8mm) recovered from the male In the autopsy of the female body, the T-shirt of the female, had a roughly circular perforation, 2.5 x 2cm, on the front left side, 5cm from the midline and 35 cm from the shoulder. The underlying body of the female had an oval-shaped perforated laceration, 3 x 2cm, on the right mid third of the abdomen, the centre of the injury was 3cm from the midline and 4cm above the umbilicus. The examination of the firearm revealed that there had been an empty birdshot cartridge trapped inside the gun

Discussion

Conclusions