Informatics Publishing Limited

Jitender Kumar Jakhar ¹, Kunal Khanna ¹, Ashish Tyagi ¹, S. K. Dhattarwal ¹, Kuldeep Panchal ¹

Affiliations
1 Deptt. of Forensic Medicine, Pt. B. D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, Pt. B. D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Estimation of time since death especially in a putrefied body is one of the common problems faced by the forensic experts. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult issues to resolve throughout the world. Lack of proper and systemic examination of each and every part of the body can lead to the wrong estimation of time since death. Generally, it is believed that decomposition to skeleton remains may occur in less than six weeks in moderate summer and in less than two months in winter conditions in a tropical country like India. But on certain occasions, moderate to severe scavenging activity by insects or animals may hasten the process of skeletonization to even less than 24 to 48 hours period. Here, we are going to discuss a postmortem case of a mutilated skeletonized body in multiple pieces which was being referred to us from a nearby city and later on which was proved to be a tricky one mainly for ascertaining the time since death. Hopefully, this case will enlighten you that how a detailed/ scrupulous autopsy could solve the uncertainty principle of estimating post mortem interval.

Keywords

Skeletonization, Gnawing, Time since Death, Scavenging, Post Mortem Interval

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Tarun Dagar ¹, Ashish Singla ¹, Varun Garg ¹, Kunal Khanna ¹, S. K. Dhattarwal ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Forensic Medicine, PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana, IN

Abstract

The ability to determine whether an individual has fired a firearm is of great significance in the investigation of both homicides and suicides. When the bullet emerges from the barrel of the gun, it is accompanied by a jet of flame, gas, powder, soot, primer residue , metallic particles stripped from the bullet, and vaporized metal from the bullet and cartridge case. These lead to what we know as Gunshot residue (GSR). The most widely used primer compositions contain a mixture of lead, antimony and barium. However, in the mid-1990s, cartridges free of all three metallic elements, primarily because of the threat posed by the 'Lead' constituent of the bullet to the environment as well as to the person firing the weapon due to the gases emitted during discharge of the firearm were introduced in some western countries. However, the availability of such type of ammunition posed a difficulty from the forensics point of view in detection of usual constituents of GSR i.e. lead, antimony and barium from the generally employed tests mentioned above. To deal with the problem of this new “eco-friendly” type of ammunition a new technique is under research called solid phase micro-extraction called as the 'Burleson Test' which can use a tiny amount of residue and uses a new method that can even identify components in newer eco-friendly ammunitions that do not contain lead or the metals other tests used for identifying residue.

Keywords

Gunshot Residue, Detection Technique.

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