Archive for January, 2005

The following link is to an article by Jeremy Hudson of The Clarion Ledger: “Death of Union girl, 9, found hanged under investigation.” It was sent to me by a reader (range314) who questioned the likelihood of a 9 year-old girl committing suicide. I responded that the occurrence is rare, but it does happen.... »

The amount of foresight that some people demonstrate prior to committing suicide has always been of interest to me. Many people seem to have considered the ramifications of committing suicide—especially when they opt for a particularly devastating means such as a firearm. Of course, the preceding statement is just a gentler way... »

When a body is found after a fire has been extinguished, the extent of the damage to the individual can make positively identifying them difficult. The severity of the fire and the location of the body in proximity to its origin determines just how difficult. For example, someone found in a remote... »

As a general rule, I avoid watching Hollywood’s dramatic interpretations of death investigation. I can only assume that physicians have similar issues if or when they watch hospital dramas. The exception to this rule is when I stumble on a crime drama while channel surfing or I’m simply looking for something amusing... »

Q: Is it true that a person spontaneously urinates or defecates when they die? A: The short answer is no. The longer answer is that it does happen but not in every death. On average, only about one person in ten has urinated or defecated prior to death. Urination can... »