Patterned injuries from a modified sickle: Forensic observations and insights-Case report

Sharp weapons are common homicide weapons. However, in rare cases, unusual weapons are used for crimes and can pose a challenging task to the forensic pathologist during autopsy. Darat is an indigenous agricultural tool used in the hilly regions of India. Darat is a modified sickle, and literature on injury patterns caused by it is exceptionally rare. This case report describes a double homicide involving a 72-year-old man and his 65-year-old wife, who were killed by a Darat. Autopsy findings revealed multiple chop, stab and incised wounds to the head, neck, and shoulders, consistent with heavy, sharp, and curved weapons. A patterned contusion, probably produced by a nail and washer on the weapon handle, as well as characteristic injuries, provided critical evidence for identifying the Darat as the murder weapon. The correlation between the dimensions of the weapon blade and the wounds can be influenced by several factors, including skin elasticity, the angle of the weapon relative to the skin surface, postmortem changes, and the degree of applied force. A detailed analysis of injury patterns and weapon-specific characteristics is crucial for identifying the weapon and linking it to crimes.