Comparison of false starts by saw created on flesh and dry bones; as close as possible to the real conditions of criminal dismemberment

In most experimental protocols, false starts are produced on dry bones obtained through a maceration process for anthropological analyses, for the sake of reproducibility. Although this allows for controlled experimental conditions, the absence of soft parts when experimentally creating false starts does not correspond to the real conditions of criminal dismemberment. The main objective of this study was to determine if the results of experimental work on the characteristics of false starts were valid under medico-legal conditions. In this experimental study, a hand saw (rip saw, wavy set, TPI 32) was used. 240 false starts were produced on human and pig bones. Randomly, the false starts were either produced on a dry bone or on a flesh bone. The criteria for microscopic analysis included the shape of the walls, the shape and visibility of striae on the floor, the shape of the profile, and the minimum width of the false start. On human bone, 100% of the false starts produced on a bone that had previously undergone a maceration process for anthropological analyses (dry bone) allowed the definition of all the blade characteristics. This was the case for 78.3% on bone in the presence of soft tissue (flesh bone). The striae on the floor of the false start are in some cases less visible with flesh bones, implying that it may be more difficult to conclude on the characteristics of a saw under medico-legal conditions.

"Scalping" in the context of criminal dismemberment and mutilation-a case report and review of the literature

We report on a case of criminal dismemberment and attempted scalping of a homicide victim with a "Mohawk" haircut. Case findings are presented. A review of the literature was performed for scalping in its historical and cultural context and particularly in criminal dismemberment and mutilation: Historically, scalping was prevalent in many ancient cultures around the world, where scalps were taken as trophies or "proof of kill", much like shrunken heads, trophy skulls, and other artefacts. Scalping was particularly widespread in Northern America in the context of tribal warfare, both before and after colonization. The iconic "Mohawk" haircut is closely linked with scalping, as it was meant to taunt the enemy. In the modern forensic context, scalping constitutes a form of criminal mutilation. However, cases of criminal dismemberment and mutilation are rare in forensic casework. Our literature review revealed a low number of scalping in criminal dismemberment and mutilation cases. The documentation was overall poor. Positioning scalping within the classification of criminal mutilation and dismemberment was difficult. In literature, even though case numbers were small, the majority of "textbook scalping" cases were German. The presented case, to our best knowledge, is the first modern-day photo-documented case of (attempted) scalping, even more so of a person wearing a "Mohawk".

Case closed - Wrappings and encasement delays and reduces fly presence on body parts

Homicide, particularly where a body has been concealed, is uniquely challenging for investigators to estimate the time of occurrence due to the methods employed by perpetrators to hide the body or its constituent parts from detection. The regularity of necrophagous insect lifecycles to determine minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI) is widely employed but remains an unreliable technique if used without a clear understanding of the factors that affect insect access and oviposition behaviour to concealed remains. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of wrapping body parts on fly colonisation and implications for minPMI calculations. Field studies were carried out using four treatments of pork (as surrogate body parts), in five replicates, one unwrapped, the other three wrapped in either a black plastic sack, a small-zipped wash bag (to simulate a suitcase), or a plastic sack further placed in a wash bag. Over a 48-h period all the methods of wrapping significantly disrupted the host-finding process of blowflies to dismembered carcasses, with a delay of initial contact and oviposition of 30+h (dependant on wrapping) and even more in wet conditions (48+ h). Egg numbers were also reduced by as much as 99.1% on wrapped samples compared to unwrapped. These new findings highlight the importance of applying adjustments to minPMI calculations when encountering wrapped remains. Advances in the accuracy of minPMI calculations will prevent the waste of valuable police time and resources and better focus the search for witnesses and suspects in homicide investigations.

Development and implementation of forensic anthropology in Swedish forensic practice

This paper presents the ongoing development of forensic anthropology in Sweden. We discuss the background of the discipline, its application, as well as its current and potential development in Swedish forensic practice. Collaboration with osteoarchaeologists in skeletal forensic cases has a long tradition in Sweden. Analyses of skeletal remains are performed ad-hoc, in contrast to analyses of fleshed human remains. While several law enforcement employees are educated in forensic anthropology and/or osteoarchaeology, they are not employed in these fields, and regional variations are evident. Internationally, forensic anthropology has become an autonomous forensic discipline over the past decades, requiring skills beyond mere skeletal analysis. To keep on a par with international standards, it may be time to revisit the concept of forensic anthropology in Sweden. Despite the limited presence of supporting organisational structures and systems, forensic anthropological and hard-tissue-reliant physico-chemical analyses have proven valuable in Swedish forensic practice, especially in cases of personal identification, trauma analysis and search efforts. We argue that Sweden could benefit from making qualified forensic anthropology expertise available in all law enforcement regions, starting to implement and promote forensic anthropology in routine forensic casework and formalising the role of forensic anthropology practitioners.

Criminal mutilation homicides in Japan: Corpse dismemberment and disposal pattern types, and offender characteristics

This study examined the offender characteristics of criminal mutilation homicides in Japan for offender profiling. The current sample (N = 108) showed that the most typical offender was a male, in his 30s (age that observed most often), one-person, and acquainted with the victim. This study highlighted that the cases of mutilation homicide differed in comparison with the regular homicide group in terms of the victim-offender (VO) relationship and the number of offenders. Furthermore, the multiple correspondence analysis classified mutilation homicides into four behavioral pattern types based on two dimensions (level of "efforts of corpse dismemberment" and "efforts of corpse disposal"). In the first type "high evidence destruction effort (n = 29)", having the greatest efforts to destroy evidence, all offenders were men. The rates of no VO relationship and serial murders were higher. In the second type "convenient disposal (n = 32)", likely to abandon victim body in home and trash, the rate of female offenders who assaulted family members was statistically significantly higher among the four types. In the third type "high geographic distance (n = 23)", traveling long distances for corpse disposal, the percentage of cases by co-offenders was likely to be higher than in the other types. Lastly, the offenders in "low evidence destruction effort (n = 24)" were likely to kill other acquaintances and have the least efforts for corpse dismemberment and disposal. From these results, the criminal profilers can estimate mutilation homicide offenders on the basis of efforts of corpse dismemberment and disposal.

The Role of Forensic Investigation in an Unusual Case of Patricide by a Schizophrenic Woman Involving Dismemberment of a Decomposed Body

Dismemberment is characterized by the fragmentation of the body into anatomical sections. It can occur because of a murder, suicide, or accident. In the literature, there are no cases of patricide perpetrated by a daughter in which the offender performed the dismemberment. However, in this paper, we reported a case of patricide by a schizophrenic daughter that was not treated with antipsychotic therapy. Post-mortem Computed Tomography (PMCT), autopsy, and histological examinations were performed. The soft tissues were removed through maceration techniques and chemical treatment. An analysis was performed to study the bone margins and clarify the weapon and manner of death. This investigation, which used radiological and histological studies, helped to assess the vitality of the injuries. The purpose of the study is to discover the weapon used, the cause, and the manner of death, with particular interest in this case due to the dismemberment. Moreover, we emphasize the correlation between patricide, dismemberment, and a lack of antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia.

Foreign Object Insertion in Sexual Homicide: A New Perspective

Foreign object insertion (FOI) is considered as an unusual behavior and has been defined as the involuntary insertion of any object, by another individual, into any orifice of the victim. Although there is some research on the prevalence and nature of FOI in sexual homicides, there is very little on the characteristics of cases where FOI occurs, and no previous research has compared cases with and without FOI. Given the lack of research on FOI in general and the dissemination of untested ideas regarding the correlates of this behavior specifically, the current study aims to shine new light on sexual homicide cases involving FOI by examining the offender, victim, and crime characteristics associated with FOI. Using a sample of 662 cases of sexual homicide, chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to compare cases with and without FOI. Results showed that offenders who experienced sexual dysfunction and victims who used alcohol/drugs prior to the crime were more likely to be involved in cases with FOI. Cases where victims were beaten, vaginal/anal fisting acts were perpetrated, and mutilation of genitals were observed, were more likely to show evidence of FOI. Finally, postmortem sexual activities and the use of strategies by offenders to avoid police detection were also more likely to occur in sexual homicide cases characterized by FOI. These findings are discussed in light of the literature on sexual homicide, the vulnerability of victims, and the manifestation of sadism. Practical implications are also discussed.

Body Part Removal: A Thematic Exploration of U.K. Homicide Offenses

Body part removal (BPR) is a rare homicide phenomena, which emerges as a result of a variety of motives. Fifty-eight BPR U.K. homicide cases were analyzed. Findings indicated key characteristics within BPR murder offenses, with most offenders males; aged around 31 years; knew their victims; with presence of alcohol, drugs, and mental health issues; and more than two thirds of the sample had previous convictions, more than 50% for theft. Offense behaviors showed "multiple wounds" and "victim naked" as highest frequency, with the head as the most frequently removed body part. Smallest space analysis (SSA) identified two behavioral themes (expressive and instrumental) with 62.1% of cases classified as one of these. The study has provided the largest U.K. sample of BPR homicide, furthering understanding this type of offense and the offenders who commit it.

Criminal mutilation in Sweden from 1991 to 2017

We identified 43 cases of mutilation homicides in a nationwide population-based study in Sweden during the period of 1991-2017. 70% of cases were classified as defensive mutilations where the main motive was disposal of the body, while 30% were classified as offensive, that is, due to an expression of strong aggression, necro-/sexual sadism, or psychiatric illness. In comparison with a previous study covering mutilation homicides in Sweden between 1961 and 1990, we noted an increase in incidence. The percentage of cases involving mutilation had increased from 0.5% of all homicides in the 1960s to 2.4% in the 2010s. The most common cause of death was sharp force, but in 28% of the cases, the cause of death could not be determined. The clearance rate in cases of mutilation homicide was 67%, and in a large majority of the cases, the offender was known to the victim. With regards to gender women made up 44% of the victims, whilst men constituted 56% of the victims and a total of 95% of the offenders. Half of the offenders had a personality disorder, however, only 13% were sentenced to forensic psychiatric care.

The Psychology of Murder Concealment Acts

The escalating trend of murder victim concealment worldwide appears worrying, and literature does not reveal any specific study focusing on victim concealment amongst convicted male Malaysian murderers. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the psychological traits that may underlie the act of murder concealment in Malaysia via mixed method approaches. Male murderers (n = 71) from 11 prisons were selected via purposive sampling technique. In the quantitative analysis, a cross-sectional study design using the validated questionnaire was used. The questionnaire contained murder concealment variables and four Malay validated psychometric instruments measuring: personality traits, self-control, aggression, and cognitive distortion. The independent sample t-tests revealed the significantly higher level of anger in murderers who did not commit concealment acts (8.55 ± 2.85, p < 0.05) when compared with those who did so (6.40 ± 2.64). Meanwhile, the Kruskal–Wallis H test revealed that anger and the personality trait of aggressiveness-hostility significantly varied across the different groups of murder concealment acts (p < 0.05). The qualitative data obtained via the in-depth interviews revealed two important themes for the murderers to commit murder concealment acts: (1) fear of discovery and punishment and (2) blaming others. These findings discussed from the perspectives of the murderers within the context of criminology and psychology may provide the first ever insight into the murder concealment acts in Malaysia that can benefit the relevant authorities for crime prevention and investigation efforts.

"We Boil at Different Degrees": Factors Associated With Severity of Attack in Sexual Killing

Degree of injury, as measured by the Homicide Injury Scale (HIS), was examined to advance understanding of the dynamics of sexual killing. A total of 350 nonserial, male sexual killers were included, and the different ways that the sexual element of their offenses and the act of killing were connected was accounted for by determining that cases were either directly sexual (the sexual element and killing were closely bound), or indirectly sexual (killing was not a source of sexual stimulation). The two groups, direct and indirect sexual killers, were each subjected to multiple linear regression analyses to examine the group-specific relationship between level of injury and predictor variables previously found to be associated with increased severity of attack. No differences in the mean total HIS scores between the indirect and the direct cases were found, suggesting a comparable emotional intensity between the groups. However, given that the groups differed in terms of the functional role of fatal violence, severity of attack could not be sufficiently explained as driven by anger. In line with this hypothesis, different predictors appeared to be associated with increased degree of injury sustained by victims of indirect compared with direct sexual killers. As such, situational components appear to play a role in the behavior of indirect sexual killers, whereas the behavior of direct perpetrators tends to be linked with the enactment of existing deviant fantasies. The role of anger in sexual homicide is discussed further, and overall, it is argued that irrespective of whether violence was initially driven by anger, evidence of sexual arousal to severe violence must be scrutinized within sexual homicide research as well as in psycholegal contexts.

Perpetrators' actions after a murder, in particular handling the corpse to evade criminal responsibility - Discussion of study findings

Perpetrators behave in a variety of ways after the crime. This study analyses murderer's actions after the crime, in particular their handling of the victim's corpse in order to evade criminal responsibility. The study material included 500 criminal cases (Art. 148 of the Penal Code). The study group included 604 perpetrators and 521 victims. Handling victims' bodies took place in 123 cases; the bodies were disposed of in a simple way in 68 cases, in complex ways - in 51 (the body was not found in 2 cases), failed attempts at disposing of the body - in 3, faked suicide - only in 1.

Correlation between saw blade width and kerf width

Most studies of saw marks have focused on morphological characteristics and their utility in identifying saws suspected to have been utilized in cases of criminal dismemberment. The present study examined the extent to which metric analysis may be used to correlate saw blade measurements with minimum kerf widths (MKWs). A sample of 56 partially defleshed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) long bones was utilized as proxy for human remains. The long bones were cut using a variety of commercially available saws, including 11 manual-powered and 5 mechanical-powered saws. A total of 496 false start kerfs (FSKs) were created. Two experiments were performed, with the first test examining the MKWs of FSKs produced on specimens that were restrained using a bench vise, while the second test analyzed the MKWs of FSKs produced on minimally restrained specimens. Statistical analysis using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) indicated a positive relationship between saw blade width (mm) and MKW, with blade width (p < 0.001) and the overall difference between the mechanical- and manual-powered saws (p = 0.029) tested, reaching statistical significance. A comparison of MKWs produced using manual-powered saws on restrained and minimally restrained bones suggests that restraint condition (p = 0.009) has a statistically significant effect. In comparisons of MKWs to blade widths, the average ratio for mechanical-powered saws is 18.7% greater than the average ratio for manual-powered saws. While the mode of the ratios was 1.42, thus supporting the general rule that MKW does not exceed 1.5 times blade width, multiple individual ratios did surpass 1.5.

Kin-Avoidance in Cannibalistic Homicide

Cannibalism in the animal kingdom is widespread and well characterized, whereas the occurrence of human cannibalism has been controversial. Evidence points to cannibalism in aboriginal societies, prehistory, and the closely related chimpanzees. We assembled a non-comprehensive list (121 offenders, ~631 victims) of cannibalistic homicides in modern societies (since 1900) through internet-searches, publications, and expert questioning. Cannibalistic homicides were exceedingly rare, and often sex-related. Cannibalistic offenders were mainly men and older than offenders of non-cannibalistic homicides, whereas victims were comparatively young. Cannibalistic offenders typically killed manually (stabbing, strangulating, and beating) rather than using a gun. Furthermore, they killed more strangers and fewer intimates than conventional offenders. Human cannibals, similar to cannibalism in other species, killed and ate conspecifics, occasionally vomited and only rarely (2.5% of victims) ate kin. Interestingly, cannibalistic offenders who killed their blood relatives had more severe mental problems than non-kin-cannibals. We conclude that cannibalistic homicides have a unique pattern of murder methods, offenders, and victims.

Corpse dismemberment: A case series. Solving the puzzle through an integrated multidisciplinary approach

The finding of corpse parts poses several challenges for the forensic pathologist presenting implications for identification, diagnosis of death and determination of wounds vitality. Further interpretative difficulties in cases of cadaveric dismemberment derive from the scarcity of tanatochronological parameters useful to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) and the absence of uniform investigative protocols in the different centres of forensic pathology. The present study proposes an investigation protocol for the cadaveric dismemberment through the discussion of a case series. The study group consisted of cases in which the dismemberment was performed after the murder. For all cases, a study protocol based on crime scene investigation, post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT), autopsy, toxicological, histological, immunohistochemical and genetic investigations was implemented. In particular, the standardised use of radiographic study before the autopsy allows all to have information that can guide the forensic pathologist during the autopsy. The use of immunohistochemistry allows an assessment of the vitality of the lesions possibly involved in the determinism of death, as well as of the surfaces of dismemberment, representing a tool of considerable utility for forensic purposes. The genetic investigations allow the identification of the victims, while the toxicological ones highlight the possible abuse of substances. The implemented protocol presents a demonstrated usefulness in improving diagnostic accuracy in corpse dismemberment cases.

Deadly violence in Sweden: Profiling offenders through a latent class analysis

BACKGROUND

Sweden has in recent years witnessed increasing rates of firearm-related violence and homicide, which has contributed to increased rates of deadly violence. Attempts to profile offenders committing such crimes are of major importance, because such efforts may contribute to better preventive measures. We therefore aimed to study the characteristics of individuals convicted and/or suspected of homicide, attempted homicide, preparation to commit homicide as well as conspiration to commit homicide (for simplicity called homicide+) in Sweden.

METHODS

By using information from the Swedish Crime Register and the Swedish Criminal Suspect Register, individuals being 15-60 years old and convicted and/or suspected of homicide+ between 2000 and 2015 were included in the study. Using these registers and also other population and health care registers, information on previous criminality, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders were added to the Latent Class Analysis (LCA) that was used to identify latent classes of individuals convicted and/or suspected for homicide+. In addition, several individual variables were added for validation purposes.

RESULTS

A total of 14,466 individuals were included in the analysis. The majority were male (n = 12,802; 88.5%) and Swedish-born with Swedish-born parents (n = 8247; 57.0%). The LCA identified three classes where Conviction Class (CC) contained mostly convicted individuals whereas Mixed Class A (MCA) and Mixed Class B (MCB) contained almost equal rates of both convicted and suspected individuals. The CC was characterized by individuals with low rates of previous criminality, substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. The MCA and the MCB were characterized by individuals with higher rates of previous criminality, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders as well as lower education and worse economy in comparison with the CC.

CONCLUSION

While MCA and MCB may be constituted by "traditional" criminals often well known by the police and/or the social authorities, the CC was mainly constituted by convicted offenders who may more easily escape the radar of the authorities.

Homicide and concealment of the corpse. Autopsy case series and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

The concealment of the body following a homicide undermines different moments of the forensic and medico-legal investigations. The aim of the present study is to provide an overview of the literature and the forensic casuistry of the Institute of Legal Medicine of Padova for analyzing and discussing diverse methodological approaches for the forensic pathologist dealing with covered-up homicides.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A literature review, updated until September 2019, was performed, and a literature pool of forensic cases was built. In-house cases were included by conducting a retrospective analysis of the forensic caseworks of Padova of the last 20 years. Data regarding epidemiology, methodology of assessment, methods of concealment, and answers to medico-legal issues were extracted for both data sets.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Seventy-eight papers were included in the literature review (78.2% being case reports or case series, 17% retrospective studies, and 6% experimental studies or reviews). Literature and in-house data sets consisted of 145 and 13 cases, respectively. Death scene investigation, radiology, toxicology, and additional analyses were performed in 20-54% of literature and 62-77% of in-house cases. Cover-up by multiple methods prevailed. Death was caused by head trauma in about 40% of cases (both data sets), strangulation in 21% of literature, and 7% of in-house cases, and was undetermined in 17% of literature and 7% of in-house cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The methodology of ascertainment should be case-specific and based on a multidisciplinary and multimodal evaluation of all data, including those gained through novel radiological and/or analytical techniques.

Victim body mutilation in sexual homicides: Exploring Chinese sexual homicide cases

Little exists beyond medicolegal case reports on victim mutilation homicides, much less on those occurring in the context of sexual homicides. As limited information is available on sexual homicides that occurred in China, this study aims to explore the offending characteristics of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) who mutilated their victims and to compare their modus operandi with non-mutilation sexual murderers. The offender, victim, and offense characteristics of 82 sexual homicide cases (i.e., 31 mutilation and 47 non-mutilation cases; 1988-2018), derived from police data of three regions and published case reports, were examined. In addition to the descriptive offender and victim characteristics of Chinese SHOs who performed victim body mutilation, findings indicate that offenders who mutilated their victims were more likely than those who did not mutilate the victim to have a previous sexual offense conviction. They were motivated primarily by sex and least motivated by financial gain. Victim abduction prior to the offense was more frequently reported in non-mutilation sexual murders. These findings may offer some insights for police who need to prioritize their investigative strategies in cases of sexual homicide with victim mutilation.

Mutilation in Korean Homicide: An Exploratory Study

Mutilation is a rare and unusual act performed on a victim, especially in cases of homicide. Knowledge on mutilation homicide is scarce as the base rate of this type of homicide is very low. Moreover, previous studies examining this specific criminal behavior have been mainly descriptive, neglecting to look at other factors related to the act of mutilation. Furthermore, depending on the cultural context and country of origin, the infliction of mutilation pre-, per-, or post-homicide translates into different meanings. Therefore, it is important to examine mutilation homicide in the context of non-Western countries. Using crime and forensic examination reports subjected to forensic examination and convicted for a homicide between 1995 and 2011 (N = 1,200) in Korea, the rate of mutilation homicide was estimated. Based on the 65 cases (5.4%) identified, information on the offenses and offenders were described. Moreover, using a series of bivariate analyses, the current study compared cases of mutilation homicides in Korea with other countries. Findings revealed interesting differences and similarities between mutilation homicide cases from Korea and the other countries. For instance, offender-victim relationship, victim's gender, and criminal history were significantly different from the comparison groups. In addition, compared with Korea, mutilation homicide cases were significantly more likely to involve an accomplice in Finland, suggesting the need to carry the body over a long distance. Investigators and researchers need to understand the cultural context in which these acts are committed as the infliction of mutilation may serve different purposes across different countries.

Australian no-body homicides: Exploring common features of solved cases

Offenders successfully disposing of a homicide victim's body creates challenges to the criminal justice process, yet no research literature exists on no-body homicide cases. We explored 25 solved homicides in Australia where no part of the victim's body was recovered. Coroners' findings, case law, and media reports from 1983 to 2017 were examined qualitatively and descriptively. Features of the cases differed based on whether the homicide was related to organized crime, serial sexual offences, or domestic violence. Challenges posed by each type of case are discussed and opportunities for solving these cases are examined.

Homicide with post mortem dismemberment of the victim with previous amputation of right lower limb: Case report and review of the literature

The dismemberment of a corpse is comparatively rare in forensic medicine and usually performed with different types of sharp tools. The victim is always the victim of a homicide. Dismemberment usually occurs where the killing took place without prior planning by the perpetrator. We report a case of homicide with post mortem mutilation of the victim's body with previous amputation of right lower limb in which the perpetrator was not identified. At autopsy, several fractures were detected on the cranial vault, and the cause of death was due to skull and brain injuries from multiple blunt force traumas.

Accidental decapitation: a case report

We report a case of an accidental decapitation of an agriculture worker in a field. The scene investigation revealed that the worker had loosely tied a scarf tied over his face in an attempt to diminish his exposure to barley dust, to which he was allergic, while distributing the barley loads with a shovel upon a trailer. The trailer was simultaneously being loaded by a helix elevator machine and its rotating shaft suddenly caught the victim's scarf and pulled it down to the victim's neck. The rotating motion immediately tightened the scarf around the neck resulting in hanging/strangulation noose that, by continued tightening, caused decapitation of the victim. The victim's body was found on the ground by the trailer and the victim's head was discovered in the barley load in the trailer. Examination revealed that the neck was severed at the level of the second and third cervical vertebrae.

Corpse dismemberment in the material collected by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Cracow, Poland

In this study, we present 23 cases of dismembered bodies examined by the Cracow Department of Forensic Medicine in 1968-2005 period. Presented material includes 17 instances of defensive mutilation, three instances of offensive mutilation and two cases when dismemberment (decapitation) was a direct cause of death. One case is hard to classified, the perpetrator dissected free skin from the all torso. Analysis of all presented cases and other publications concentrating on the problem of dismemberment gave us the possibility to perform some conclusions. Apart from rare cases of necrophilia, the victim of dismemberment is always a victim of homicide. Homicides ending with corpse dismemberment are most commonly committed by a person close to, or at least acquainted with the victim and they are performed at the site of homicide, generally in the place inhabited by the victim, the perpetrator or shared by both. Such instances are generally not planned by the perpetrator and rarely serial in character.

Dismemberment

The authors describe 3 cases of dismemberment. Numerous methods of hiding a body and thus erasing proof of murder have been devised. Those most frequently described in the literature include: burial of the body in an unusual or impervious place such as a wood, grotto or mountain; charring the body by wrapping it in a tire, for example, to fuel the fire until all traces of the crime have been erased and identification of the victim is difficult; and dropping the weighted-down body in the open sea or in a well in the hope that it will never be found. Dismemberment is in reality a relatively rare method whereby, after killing the victim, the murderer uses a very sharp cutting weapon (a saw, axe, etc.) to sever the limbs and cut the body into small pieces. The operation is generally carried out immediately after the crime, although more rarely a long time may pass between the 2 events.

An unusual case of corpse dismemberment

A case of corpse dismemberment into 850 fragments was investigated at the Cracow Department of Forensic Medicine. The perpetrator employed various tools to divide the body into fragments and subsequently boiled the pieces to reduce their volume. The thus-prepared body decreased its volume to 30 kg. Subsequently, the perpetrator placed the body fragments in 2 large pots, which were then positioned in the space under the stairs and walled in.

An act of homicide and what it brings to mind: a case presentation

There are many views and studies as to the motive, manner, and victim of homicide, which is one of the severest forms of violence. The case presented here is that of a man who was strangled with a nylon ligature by his prison cellmate who later stabbed his victim's eyes with a piece of wood and a nail and slashed his face. The study is presented with respect to how the murder was committed and how the defendant was evaluated.

Features characteristic of homicide in cases of complete decapitation

Four cases of complete decapitation connected to homicidal acts are presented. In 3 cases, decapitation was inflicted postmortem after killing the victim. The motives for decapitation were considered defensive, aggressive, and a possible combination of the 2 in one case each. In one case, decapitation was a vital injury and accounted for death. In this case, an offensive motive for mutilation was suspected. The combination of death scene findings and autopsy results will in most cases distinguish between homicidal and other modes of death.

Victim's scalp on the killer's head. An unusual case of criminal postmortem mutilation

A case of unusual postmortem mutilation of a victim's body is presented. After killing his father, the son decapitated his body and dissected the scalp free, forming a mask of the father's head and neck. The young man wore the scalp-mask over his own head to imitate the father. The motive of the murder was revenge, and the postmortem mutilation was the realization of the perpetrator's fantasies, symbolically representing a penalty for the reprehensible past life of his father.