The oriental latrine fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), is a potential forensic indicator in Mediterranean countries due to its first report in southwestern Europe in 1998. It was first recorded in Alicante (southeastern Spain) and is expanding across the Iberian Peninsula. Until now, this synanthropic species of forensic importance had been captured in baited traps...
Recent statistics show that drowning deaths are a reality in Switzerland. Although drowning remains a diagnosis by exclusion for forensic pathologists, post-mortem multidetector computed tomography (PMCT) is a real complementary resource to establish the cause of death. The aim of this study was to determine whether the sinuses’ fluids visualized in post-mortem MDCT in case of...
This study investigates the intraindividual variability and ex-vivo stability of vitreous humor (VH) analytes for forensic thanatochemistry. VH, an anatomically isolated and robust postmortem fluid, provides valuable insights into the postmortem interval (PMI) and potential antemortem medical conditions. A total of 207 VH samples were collected from 36 cases and divided into...
Skeletal trauma assessment is an important task of forensic anthropologists and pathologists. This applies in particular to badly preserved bodies where the soft tissue cannot provide forensic evidence. Yet, the interpretation of ballistic long bone trauma can be difficult due to little conclusive data. Thus, this study explored the variability of diaphyseal fracture patterns...
Targeted amplicon sequencing (TAS) employs massively parallel sequencing technology to generate profiles comprised of several thousand single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assist in identifying an individual and generating investigative leads. By targeting a range of SNP classes, profiles are able to be analysed to infer biological sex, externally visible characteristics...
The post-mortem diagnosis of hyperglycemia and/or ketoacidosis is challenging and usually requires costly ancillary testing of vitreous humor or serum samples. A screening tool that would help to determine whether ancillary testing is needed is therefore desirable. The aim of this study was to add to the literature testing the validity and diagnostic utility of post-mortem...
Despite numerous case reports in the literature, high-quality postmortem images of honeybee sting are scant in postmortem literature. We report a case of a fatal anaphylactic death from honeybee stings with detailed high-quality annotated macroscopic and microscopic morphological images. A woman in her mid-60’s was found dead in her garden cabin unexpectedly after mowing the lawn...
Cardiovascular diseases are major causes of morbidity and death worldwide, and most cardiac deaths are related to ischemic injury of the myocardium (myocardial infarction). As underlined in the current clinical definition and classification of myocardial infarctions, not all myocardial injuries are due to ischemia: irreversible injury, ending in necrosis, can be induced also by...
The need for molecular analyses has become increasingly common in the forensic sciences, particularly in forensic pathology, to better shape the causes of death. This approach is called the “molecular autopsy,” where conventional medico-legal findings are often enhanced with specific molecular tests to provide reliable clinical and forensic diagnoses. In this context, FFPE...
Hymenoptera anaphylaxis led to the death of a bee and wasp venom sensitized 41-year-old man suffering from systemic indolent mastocytosis. While at work in a vineyard, the man suffered a serious anaphylactic crisis and cardiovascular arrest; despite ongoing attempts of resuscitation, he died in hospital 12 h after being stung. Autopsy confirmed that death was due to post-anoxic...
Synthetic models (also called “surrogates”) simulating human tissues are widely used in wound ballistics. Although there are a large number of commercial models showing interesting properties, these are limited to generic shapes. The result of the interaction between the projectile and the target varies based on several parameters; therefore, using a case-specific, custom-shaped...
A forensic genetics laboratory may well receive requests that are out of the ordinary and pose challenges like the one presented in this case. A mixture from three individuals was analysed from a crime scene. Reference samples were obtained from two individuals. The Person Of Interest (POI) was not available, only a putative daughter. The analysis of Y and X-STR markers indicated...
Postmortem interval (PMI) estimation is a challenging task in forensic investigations. PMI assessment frequently requires the application of the currently available methods which can lead to unsatisfactory results due to the poor accuracy of time interval estimation. To address these concerns, the present study aimed to evaluate whether there is a correlation between human hair...
Forensic examination of a scene where two bodies were found after a fall from a high-rise apartment building revealed a distinct tissue imprint resembling facial contours on the asphalt between the two bodies as well as a laceration on the back of the head and an abrasion on the forehead of one body. Tissue imprints located away from the positions of the bodies can indicate...
The last few decades have seen the emergence of forensic imaging, both clinical and post-mortem. Year after year, the scientific community has refined the radiological tools that can be used for post-mortem and clinical forensic purposes. As a result, scientific societies have published recommendations that are essential for the daily work of forensic imaging. This third part of...
Over the last few decades, forensic imaging has become an essential part of current forensic practice. The aim of this 4-part review is to provide a comprehensive overview of forensic imaging over the first 25 years of this century. After a brief historic review, this first part details the advantages and limitations of post-mortem imaging for the indications most frequently...
This fourth part of the review of the current state of forensic imaging describes the future potential influence of artificial intelligence in forensic imaging. In addition to this important point, training in forensic imaging is discussed in detail, as are the documentation possibilities offered by non-conventional imaging tools such as photography, photogrammetry, 3D surface...
Clinical forensic imaging could be defined as the use of imaging first realised for medical care as evidence for a judicial purpose. It requires both forensic experts and clinical radiologists to have a good understanding of imaging modalities and indications and a solid knowledge of the correct terminology. This second part of the review describes the main situations in which...
Lethal rotational acceleration induced injury to the brain may leave few detectable intracerebral injuries if the survival time is short. Eighty-two Sprague Dawley rats were utilized in a validated model for standardized rotational acceleration traumatic brain injury to investigate the number and area of subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhages. The rats were divided into...
In South Africa, high rates of unidentified human remains necessitate the establishment of regionally specific high resolution taphonomic data to facilitate accurate reconstruction of postmortem circumstances and timing, as well as identification. This study investigates the effects scavenging and environmental conditions on the decomposition process using porcine models as human...
The patella has been used in various studies to verify its value in the estimation of biological sex. However, there is limited understanding regarding the alterations the bone undergoes when exposed to the effects of fire and how it affects sexual dimorphism. The current study aims to study the efficacy of three patella measurements, and generate an equation and cut-off points...
Facial soft tissue thickness (FSTT) was measured from computer tomography scans of 55 Nigeria adult males. Forensic facial reconstruction (FFR) with own population FSTT values can be vital in recognition of skeletal remains and has been used as an adjunct in forensic science.There are no published FSTT values for this population. Measurements were obtained at 12 mid-sagittal and...
In forensic anthropology, personal identification is mainly performed through a qualitative assessment and comparison of morphological bone and dental features between antemortem and postmortem data. Although non-metric traits have been traditionally considered as individualizing features, their potential has been limitedly investigated. Indeed, frequencies of variants can...