E-ISSN: 2360 – 6754; ISSN-L: 2360 – 6754
European Journal of Law and
Public Administration
2020, Volume 7, Issue 2, pp. 195-200
https://doi.org/10.18662/eljpa/7.2/139
THE ARTEFACTS AT FORENSIC AUTOPSY
Lăcrămioara BĂLAN
Covered in:
CEEOL, Ideas RePeC, EconPapers,
Socionet, HeinOnline
Published by:
Lumen Publishing House
on behalf of:
Stefan cel Mare University from Suceava,
Faculty of Law and Administrative Sciences,
Department of Law and Administrative Sciences
THE ARTEFACTS AT FORENSIC AUTOPSY
Lăcrămioara BĂLAN1
Abstract
Artefact may be regarded as any change caused or feature introduced in the natural
state of the body that is likely to be misinterpreted at autopsy. Such artefact may be introduced
before death, at the time of death or after the death and, therefore, may accordingly be labelled
as therapeutic artefacts, agonal artefacts and postmortem artefacts.
Medicolegal Autopsy or Forensic Autopsy is learnt only through extensive practical
experience, and the doctor conducting the autopsy carries great responsibility over his shoulders.
Keywords:
Artefact; identification; therapeutic artefacts; agonal artefacts and postmortem artefacts;
I. Introduction
Artefact may be regarded as any change caused or feature introduced in
the natural state of the body that is likely to be misinterpreted at autopsy. Such
artefact may be introduced before death, at the time of death or after the death
and, therefore, may accordingly be labelled as therapeutic artefacts, agonal
artefacts and postmortem artefacts.
II. Therapeutic artefacts
The task of performing autopsy may sometimes become difficult in cases
where the victim has sustained serious injuries and has survived for a fairly long
time, undergoing surgical and other treatment; these may affect the
interpretation of findings at the time of conducting autopsy, if the autopsy
surgeon is not conversant with their origin and significance.
This focuses the necessity of going through all the records of the
antemortem treatment and if needed, a discussion with the doctors who attended
the victim during hospitalisation (Mallett et al., 2014). The following are a few
examples:
1Lecturer PhD, "Ştefan cel Mare" University of Suceava, Faculty of Law and Administrative
Sciences, Suceava, Romania, [email protected]
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THE ARTEFACTS AT FORENSIC AUTOPSY
_ Vigorous external cardiac massage may result in fractures of the ribs
and sternum.
_ Injection marks against the cardiac region and ring-like bruising caused
by a defibrillator may be the other sources of confusion.
_ Administration of fluids or multiple blood transfusions may introduce
changes in the blood alcohol concentration or concentrations of other toxic
agents.
_ Shape and size of the injury/injuries may be altered by the surgical
intervention.
The appearance of entrance and/or exit wounds may be distorted by
surgical interference or during washing/cleaning the wounds. Bullet or pellet(s)
may drop out unnoticed while removing clothing in the Emergency Wing.
Similarly, it may happen in the operating rooms too.
_ Changes intervene in the injuries with the passage of time in the form
of healing or becoming septic, etc.
III. Agonal artefacts
Absence of appreciable haemorrhage does not necessarily indicate its
postmortem origin nor does the presence of extravasated blood into the tissues
always suggest its antemortem origin. During the terminal moments of life, the
victim may pass rapidly into vascular collapse or shock that may prevent any
significant bleeding to occur. An individual may collapse and die along the
roadside and may subsequently be run over by some vehicle, leading on to
collection of blood in the body cavities and some into the tissues too.
IV. Postmortem artefacts
Postmortem artefacts imply any alteration, modification, addition or
subtraction of some postmortem features due to certain factors originating after
death. These may be classified as following:
_ Artefacts induced by transportation/storage/ handling, etc.
_ Artefacts induced by embalming, decomposition, etc.
_ Artefacts induced by predators or deliberate mutilation/
dismemberment by the criminals.
_ Artefacts induced by improper autopsy procedures.
Artefacts Induced by Transportation/Storage/Handling, etc.
These are as follows:
_ Postmortem lividity is usually purplish in appearance.However, this
lividity appears pinkish in refrigerated bodies or bodies exposed to cold
environment.
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Lăcrămioara BĂLAN
_ Postmortem collection of blood in the occipital region due to bumping
of head.
_ Protruding areas of the body may get abraded due to dragging of the
body.
_ Rigor mortis may be broken during lifting or handling of the bodies
giving wrong clues towards time since death (Mallett et al., 2014).
_ Rarely, fractures of the long bones may be caused particularly in
debilitated, elderly dead bodies with osteoporotic changes.
_ During transportation, dead body may be contaminated with dirt, soil,
grease, etc., which may give wrong impression about the place of occurrence of
death.
_ Tearing of the clothing during transportation may appear to be due to
some scuffle during life.
_ Attempt to remove ornaments from the body parts like nose, ears,
neck, etc., may cause injury to these parts and may send wrong impressions.
Artefacts Induced by Embalming, Decomposition, etc.
These are as follows:
_ The embalming technician may pass trocar in any of the wounds
already present upon the body or may make a fresh cut. Embalming fluid used
may pose problems in chemical analysis of viscera.
_ Decomposition of the body may lead to production of most common
artefacts, i.e.:
_ Bloating, discolouration and blistering of a decomposing body may not
be mistaken for disease or injury. Dark bluish areas of discolouration must be
distinguished from bruising.
_ Distension of parts of the body having loose tissues like lips, eyelids,
breasts, penile and scrotal regions and protrusions of tongue may impart false
sense of obesity.
_ Expulsion of blood-tinged fluid from the mouth and nose may be
mistaken as bleeding originating during life.
_ If the deceased were wearing tight clothing or having a neck-tie, a
groove may appear around the neck and this along with bulging of the eyes and
protrusion of the tongue may be mistaken for strangulation
_ Fissures or splits formed in the skin during decomposition may
simulate incisions or lacerations.
_ Expulsion of semen or vaginal discharge due to pressure of putrefying
gases may wrongly suggest involvement of sexual activities with the cause of
death.
_ Marked bluish discolouration of the loops of intestines, especially in
the pelvic cavity, may not be mistaken for infarcted bowel (Mallett et al., 2014).
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THE ARTEFACTS AT FORENSIC AUTOPSY
_ Autolytic rupture of stomach can occur postmortem with release of
the stomach contents into the peritoneal cavity.
_ Pancreas too may undergo autolysis due to proteolytic enzymes within
it. This autolysed organ may appear haemorrhagic and mistaken for pancreatitis.
However, histology will be helpful in resolving the issue.
Artefacts Induced by Predators or Deliberate
Mutilation/Dismemberment by the Criminals
Common terrestrial creatures attacking the dead body in and around the
mortuary are rats, rodents, ants etc. Ants and insects mostly attack the exposed
parts and moist areas such as face, arms, genitals, groins and axilla, etc.
Rats, cats and dogs usually destroy the soft tissues of the exposed parts.
All these are devoid of evidence of haemorrhage and vital reaction and their
edges appear nibbled (Swanson et al., 2012).
Bodies recovered from open space may be attacked by dogs, cats,
vultures or another animals, and the bodies recovered from water may show
gnawing by fish, crabs and other aquatic animals. Flies, maggots, larvae, etc. may
alter the wounds.
Sometimes, mutilation or dismemberment of the corpse may be done by
the criminals for easy disposal and removal from the scene of crime. Injuries
may also be inflicted after death merely to mislead investigations (Geberth,
2012).
Often, persons may be killed and thrown in water or the dead body may
be set on fire.
Occasionally, the victim may be poisoned and hanged after death and so
on.
Artefacts Induced by Improper Autopsy Procedures
_ In usual practice, the vault of the skull is sawn and then removed gently
by inserting and twisting the chisel at various places through the gap generated
by sawing. Any vigorous sawing or using chisel and hammer may result in
extension of the existing fractures, or fresh fractures may be caused.
_ In deaths due to compression of the neck, it is preferable to open the
skull first. The draining out of the blood from the neck vessels due to prior
removal of skull and brain provides a clearer view for the study of the neck
structures and will avoid occurrence of congestive artefactual haemorrhages in
the neck structures as cautioned by Prinsloo and Gordon.
_ When the neck structures are pulled forcefully or improperly, air may
enter the vessels of the neck or there may be seepage of blood into the tissues
or there may occur fracture of the hyoid bone especially in the elderly.
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_ During removal of the sternum, damage to the heart or internal
mammary vessels may lead to seepage of blood in the pleural or pericardial
cavities.
_ While abdomen or peritoneum are being cut open, coils of intestines
may get involved.
_ Improper pulling apart of the liver may cause tears in the diaphragm
and denudation and laceration of the bare area of the liver.
_ Collection of viscera in a single container or use of contaminated dirty
bottles/jars or preservatives may result in wrong conclusions for visceral
analysis.
Heat Effects
When the body is exposed to intense heat, the skin becomes tense,
leathery, hard and frequently exhibits splits that may be mistaken for wounds.
Heat fractures may also be encountered.
In conflagrations, when the head has been exposed to intense heat, scalp
may show splits, and the skull cap may present fissured fractures that may be
mistaken for fractures due to trauma. Furthermore, ‘heat haematoma’ within the
burnt skull can resemble an extradural haemorrhage of antemortem origin
(Geberth, 2012).
The frothy brown appearance of the false clot along with heating effects
upon the adjacent brain helps in differentiation.
Medico-legal Autopsy or Forensic Autopsy is learnt only through
extensive practical experience, and the doctor conducting the autopsy carries
great responsibility over his shoulders. It is obvious that if he is unable to furnish
proper interpretation of the findings, the pangs of justice will be disturbed and,
therefore, it is imperative that all unusual findings must be meticulously
examined and photographed and if need be, some experienced, better qualified
colleague may be approached there and then since, as stated earlier, a poor
opinion is worse than no opinion at all. The doctor should learn to draw
conclusions logically and rationally instead of forming hasty judgement. Further,
if he misinterprets the findings, he will have to face rough time in the court
during the cross-examination, if the defence counsel incidentally being aware of
these pitfalls attempts to discredit the evidence.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Geberth, V. J. (2012). Practical Homicide Investigation. CRC Press. pp. 325, 327.
Harris, H. A., & Lee, H. C. (2019). Introduction to forensics & criminalistics (2nd
ed.). CRC Press. pp. 85-101.
Mallett, X., Blythe, T., & Berry, R. (2014). Advances in Forensic Human. CRC
Press/Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 30, 41, 92.
Swanson, C., Chamelin, N., Territo, L., & Taylor, R. W. (2012). Criminal
Investigation. The McGraw-Hill Companies. pp. 235-268.
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