[hermantheshocker]

TL;DR - Germany. Translated by Hermantheshocker. The bodies of a 27-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man were found lying entwined on their bed. A revolver lay on the bed next to them. The forensic examinations revealed a fatal, sagittal gunshot wound of the thorax with a trajectory from back to front in the woman. The man showed a retained projectile with a sagittal bullet track from the entrance wound in the middle of the anterior chest wall to the spinal column. IDK what is on the man’s arm and chest, maybe a sloppy attempt to remove tattoos.

Scene examinations were carried out to estimate the time since death and showed consistent results for both persons with a coincident time of death approximately 7 h before. The results of toxicological investigations revealed an exceptionally high concentrations of amphetamine in the woman and a combined intoxication with amphetamine, ecstasy, and alcohol in the man. Both individuals showed metabolites indicative of previous cocaine consumption. In conjunction with the police investigations, the forensic medical findings strongly suggested an unusual case of double suicide.

In a shared apartment, one of the 3 residents heard a loud noise and found his two roommates who were in a relationship lying lifeless and tightly embraced on the bed. The man was sprawled on his back and the woman was in a straddling position on top of him; her arms wrapped around his neck and torso. To the right of the man, at waist level, was a revolver with the cock knocked off (relaxed).

Neither person had a job and did not have a gun license. They were regular users of drugs. The relationship between the two has been described by witnesses as very emotionally impulsive and affective; they argued in the days before but eventually reconciled.


Fig.1 Position of the firearm next to the deceased.


Fig.2 Position of the deceased on the bed.


Fig.3 Bullet wound on the back of the woman.

Both persons had an identical interval between the time of death of about 7 hours before the time of discovery. The injuries were restricted to the upper body region. There were large blood-soaked areas on the clothes on both the front sides and the back of the man's body as well as the mattress.

On the woman's back was a bullet wound with a non-adaptable, central skin defect and a straight-line wound about 2.4 cm × 1.2 cm on the front side of the body. The autopsy showed a bullet path that rose slightly from the back to the front with smoke deposits on the skin and penetration of the fifth thoracic vertebrae, the aortic arch and the esophagus and the trachea and the manubrium sterni. Numerous bullet fragments seen in the X-rays were distributed along the bullet path.

The man's corpse showed a bullet wound to the front of the chest with a non-adaptable, central skin defect 2.5 cm to the left of the body centerline, projected onto the 2nd intercostal space. In addition, a ragged gunshot wound with blackish smoke deposits burns to the epidermis on the left little finger and ring finger were visible. The path of the bullet rose slightly from front to back with penetration of the aortic arch and trachea and the left main bronchus. The final position of the bullet was directly in front of the sixth thoracic vertebrae with no visible bony injury.


Fig.4 Bullet wound on the front of the woman below the suprasternal notch.


Fig.5 Bullet wound on the chest of the man.


Fig.6 Bullet wound on the left hand of the man.

The cause of death in both persons was hemorrhagic shock with pronounced bleeding. In both persons, massive blood aspiration could be detected as an indication of an at least short-term phase of agony. There were no defensive injuries to be seen that indicated a fight or a physical confrontation.

The toxicological tests showed a concentration of amphetamine in the woman's blood. In the urine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, benzoylecgonine, and ecgonine methyl ester (cocaine analogue) were detectable, but no ethanol. The man had an average blood alcohol concentration of 0.68 g / l. In addition, mixed intoxication with amphetamine and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was detected. In addition, benzoylecgonine (metabolite of cocaine) was also detectable in the urine.

The firearm used was a 6-shot revolver made by Smith & Wesson, model 629 in .44 Rem. Mag. With a 4 inch (102mm) long barrel. The drum magazine contained a fired, empty case and 5 unfired cartridges.

During the forensic medical examination of the site of the incident, a static-looking crime scene with a limited blood trail was noticed. The firearm was to the right of the man, at hip level, in a position that could have slipped off the woman's back from the firing hand. Together with the lack of defensive wounds or indications of a previous dynamic physical confrontation, the findings on site already gave a picture that could be explained as a suicide pact.

Since both persons were shot through the aortic arch, the resulting large blood loss is likely to have quickly resulted in the incapacity to act, with massive blood aspiration suggesting an at least brief agony phase of seconds to a few minutes in both. The penetration of the fifth thoracic vertebrae and the spinal cord undoubtedly caused an immediate inability to move in the lower half of the body in the woman.


Fig.7 X-ray of the woman. Numerous metallic artifacts from items of clothing and numerous radiopaque fragments (bullet fragments) around the gunshot wound in the fifth thoracic vertebrae.


Fig.8 X-ray of the man. Radiopaque bullet fragments and the bullet at the sixth thoracic vertebrae.


Fig.9 a Smith & Wesson 629, 4′′ revolver. b Bullets caliber .44 Rem. Mag.15.55g. Left, not used. right, the bullet recovered from the man's chest at the sixth thoracic vertebrae.

It is difficult to differentiate between a suicide pact and a murder–suicide, although in general suicide pacts rarely occur. whether a consensual approach to suicide pact can be traced back to a close temporal context and whether a homicidal offense without the consent of the other (often closely related) person preceded the suicide of the perpetrator and thus a murder–suicide. The particular sequence of events in this case with a single shot, together with the close and intimate posture of the two people, speaks for a consensual decision to want to die together at the same time.

The differentiation between a homicidal offense with subsequent suicide by the perpetrator (murder–suicide) and a suicide pact is at the center of forensic investigations in a death investigation. However, this involves the evaluation of individual findings which, like a mosaic, only give a scientifically founded overall picture when viewed together and ultimately require interdisciplinary cooperation.

The overall picture of the scene, blood trace patterns, smoke traces, autopsy findings, and the results of the toxicological investigations spoke in this case for a very unusual suicide pact with a single shot. This required the use of a high-performance cartridge, as in the .44 Rem. Mag. A non-consensual killing of the woman is unlikely, although it could not be clarified whether the shooter must have been aware of the high projectile energy with the high probability of a bullet through the body. The final assessment could only be made by looking at the results of the criminal investigation and the forensic medical findings.

This post is for educational purposes only and is nonprofit. Under Section 107 of the US Copyright Act of 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. No copyright infringement intended. This post does not encourage or glorify violence or harassment. All/some of the images have been upscaled and sharpened/enhanced. The text might have been shortened and simplified, and/or reorganized for online view. Original case report by Binder S., Banaschak S., Beike J., Rothschild M.A., Kamphausen T. - Rechtsmedizin 2018.

[wujuan]

[Killgaad]

With an ass like that—suicide should be a felony.

[oudja]

nice post. too bad there isn't uncensored post

[imbok]

The S&W 629 is a fine revolver.

[dogleg818]

Ok, interesting suicide but really WTF is that on his arm?
cooties!

[William May]

Originally Posted by dogleg818 ↗

Ok, interesting suicide but really WTF is that on his arm?
cooties!

I thought it might be vomit, from shock. But if she was paralyzed, she couldn't move. And she was dead in 10 more seconds anyway.

[LittleNightmare]

REDRUM underwear

[mshope24]

The thing on his arm looks like an attempt to blur the tattoo by the original owner of the pic.

[Tracy210t]

Originally Posted by LittleNightmare ↗

REDRUM underwear

Whoa I had to go back and look but it does say redrum.