Autopsy features relevant for discrimination between suicidal and homicidal gunshot injuries

Area of Science:

• Forensic Pathology
• Legal Medicine
• Ballistics

Background:

• Gunshot fatalities are a significant public health concern, with accurate determination of intent (suicide vs. homicide) crucial for legal and epidemiological purposes.
• Previous research has identified certain wound characteristics associated with suicide, but a comprehensive analysis integrating multiple factors is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze gunshot autopsy findings to identify features differentiating suicides from homicides.
• To evaluate the diagnostic value of individual and combined autopsy findings in determining the intent of gunshot fatalities.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 624 gunshot autopsies from legal medicine institutes.
• Detailed recording of firearm type, ammunition, wound characteristics, shooting distance, and internal bullet path direction in a subsample of 577 suicides and homicides.
• Binary logistic regression analysis applied to bullet path data.

Main Results:

• Significant differences observed in firearm type (short-barrelled vs. long arms), number of gunshot injuries, and shooting distance between suicides and homicides.
• Suicides predominantly involved contact/near-contact range shots (89%) and specific entrance wound locations (temple, mouth, forehead, left chest).
• Certain bullet path directions (e.g., downwards/back-to-front in temple shots, left-to-right in left chest shots) were more common in suicides, while others were indicative of homicide.

Conclusions:

• While isolated autopsy findings may suggest suicide or homicide, a combined analysis of multiple factors significantly enhances the probability of accurate determination.
• Specific bullet path directions, when considered alongside other evidence, can help differentiate between suicidal and homicidal gunshot deaths.