[The case of a corpse found in a fox's den--forensic and criminological aspects]

Whenever foul play is suspected in a death, the forensic pathologist is required to examine the corpse where it is found. In the case described here, the unusual location of the corpse initially led investigators to suspect a crime was involved. A thorough examination of the site and the autopsy results ultimately pointed to a not-violent manner of death, although the advanced state of decomposition made it impossible to determine the exact cause of death. The fact that the victim crawled into a fox's den to die can be interpreted as a primitive reaction in a case of death due to hypothermia. Criminological aspects of the case are also discussed.