COMBINED HOMICIDE

Živana S Slović; Katarina Vitošević; Radica Živković-Zarić; Nenad Mlađenović; Miloš S Todorović

doi:10.5937/racter9-11810

Živana S Slović Faculty of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Department of Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Kragujevac
Katarina Vitošević Faculty of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Department of Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Kragujevac
Radica Živković-Zarić Faculty of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Department of Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Kragujevac
Nenad Mlađenović Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Clinical center Kragujevac
Miloš S Todorović Faculty of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Department of Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Kragujevac Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Clinical center Kragujevac

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/racter9-11810

Keywords: Wounds, Stab, asphyxia, Neck, Homicide,

Abstract

Introduction: Combined homicide is a combination of two or more different modes of killing. These homicides occur when multiple perpetrators have different mode of killing, to hide the true manner of death, or when an initially unsuccessful attack with one weapon is abandoned and changed by another mode which is more successful, or due to availability of weapons at the scene of homicide, or unexpected appearance of possible eyewitness, or else.

Case report: This case report is about 65-year old woman who was found in her residence on the floor next to the bed lying on her back with two kitchen knives in her neck. Autopsy revealed an abrasion on the frontal part of the neck and a bruise of the soft tissues of the neck with a double fracture of both greater horns of the hyoid bone and a fracture of both superior horns of the thyroid cartilage. The cause of death was exsanguination into right half of the thoracic cavity from the left subclavian artery which was cut, on the spot of stab wound in the neck.

Conclusion: Hemorrhage in the soft tissue near broken hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage indicate that the victim was first strangulated and then stabbed with kitchen knives. Combined homicides are caused by one or more killers in order to accelerate the killing, or to be sure to provide the fatal outcome. This case is also interesting because the killer left weapon in the victim’s neck.

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