Homicide by combination of methods of asphyxiation

Abstract

IntroductionHomicide by combination of suffocation methods is observed mainly in elderly people or with some physical impediment capable of counteracting the aggression. Material and methodsA retrospective observational study was carried out on 634 autopsies. Five met the characteristics of homicides by combination of asphyxiation methods. ResultsTwo (2) men and 3 women, average age 69 years, with negative toxicological studies, victims of a single aggressor, presented periorificial skin lesions (mouth and nose), muscle hemorrhages in the thorax, rib fractures, blunt injuries to the head interpreted as like submission. DiscussionIn the combination of asphyxia methods, the findings that must be seen together. Head injuries to subdue the victim, skin lesions on the neck, face, inner face of the lips, rib fractures, and counter-pressure injuries to the back, buttocks, or elbows, contextualized together, can explain the dynamics of this homicidal modality.