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#149
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10-12-2011, 06:00 PM
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Re: Gasoline Boy Torched
Fire has effects on the body that should be taken into account when interpreting the remains. For example, fire causes skin to shrink and the shrinking skin may split, which can be mistaken for blunt trauma injuries. In another example, fire causes the muscles to contract, flexing the joints of the body. This can create the "pugilistic pose," which has been mistaken for a defensive posture of a victim being attacked, when in fact it was caused by a fire effect. Taking this effect further, severe flexion of joints from thermal effects can fracture bones, which have been mistaken for pre-fire injuries. Similarly, skulls do crack, often along the suture lines, as a result of the swelling of brain tissue or expansion of gases inside the skull as the body heats. Possible explanations like these should be taken into account when the body is evaluated. For a detailed discussion of interpreting fire effects in the pathological examination, consult the Kirk's Fire Investigation chapter on Fire-Related Deaths and Injuries. In addition, an extensive discussion of the effects of combustion on a body and of postmortem changes in the body can be found in NFPA 921. http://www.interfire.org/features/fatalities.asp |