autopsy,
Modern science and research in the field of
Forensic medicine has enough documented evidence to prove the extent to which
this is true. Dead can speak and speak
the truth; we only need a patient and discerning mind to ‘hear’ and understand
what they speak” is valid.
DEAD CAN TELL TALES:Raudha's Dead Body Tells The Truth Of Her Death
The old saying that “dead cannot speak” is incorrect. They do speak and speak the truth; we only need a patient and discerning mind to ‘hear’ and understand what they speak. It has been proved innumerable times that reliable information, based on scientific facts, can be derived from the dead; but only if we know “when, where, what & how” to look for the facts.
The following is a case investigated at
department of Forensic Medicine and
Toxicology,Govt. Medical College Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
 |
| Depressed Signature Fracture on top of the skull in the right parietal bone. |
The
case was exhumed 11 months after internment. The accused had, after
killing the victim, some how convinced the victim’s family that he had died
after being bitten by a snake. This, in turn proved his nemesis, as the
deceased’s kin buried him instead of cremating his body (an age-old belief
among North Indians that people dying of snake bite should not be cremated).
Later following objections raised by some
relative the body was exhumed and taken for a second post mortem investigation..
A sealed packet submitted by the investigating agency, containing human
skeletal remains recovered on exhumation 11months after burial was studied at
the department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Govt. Medical College
Hospital, Chandigarh.
The following post mortem findings were
made:
The mandible was broken into 3 pieces. A
Depressed Signature Fracture measuring 3.5cm x 2.5cm x 0.5cm was present on top
of the skull in the right parietal bone, 2cms above the right parietal
eminence.
From the upper angle of the depression, a
fissure fracture was extending to join the saggital suture at the vertex,
followed by sutural separation of the saggital up to the Bregma and then to the
left limb of the lambdoid suture. Separation of the left temporo-parietal
suture was also present. The depressed fracture of the skull pointed towards
the cause of death.
A careful and thorough examination of bones
may yield a wealth of information, which if properly interpreted, may tell a
lot about the individual during his life. The case investigated
here, however, point towards a definite cause of death-Blunt force
impact to head leading to Cranio-cerebral Damage. This is particularly true of
the case, where the depressed signature
fracture on the right parietal bone, even 11 months after internment, gave the
following information:
1. That the weapon of assault (probably a
hammer like object) had an oval striking face of about 3.5 x 2.5cms.
2. That the assailant was to the left of the
victim at the time of assault and
3. That he was positioned relatively higher
than the victim i.e. the victim was either kneeling /crouching / or sitting,
etc, while the assailant was standing.
The dimension of the depression on the left
supraorbital region was the almost same as that on the right parietal area,
implying thereby that the victim was struck twice with the same weapon.
In all medico-legal cases, the investigation
of a deceased body involves two major methods of approach. One is the
examination of the body details of a cadaver or skeletal remains in comparison
with the ante-mortem details of the suspected victim. Formal records like
dental charts, x-rays, medical records, passports and photographs, etc, along
with personal effects like family photographs, personal belongings and news paper
clippings are some of the important means of comparative identification.
Forensic expert guides the investigating
officer using his expertise in defining important physical and morphological
features of the person or the dead body with which the investigating officer is
not acquainted but which are of great significance in establishing the
identity. The medico-legal expert or specialist in Forensic Medicine is not a
detective.
One of his important functions is to furnish
the investigating agencies with specific information on matters of which he has
specialized knowledge. He sees the case as a whole; he observes, infers and
even speculates. To him, because of his special knowledge, a non-medical clue
may have a significance that even an astute policeman may not be able to grasp.
His peculiar experience and talents may enable him alone to deduce the correct
interpretation of the facts .
Raudha's Dead Body Tells The Truth Of Her Death
The Islami Bank Medical College at Rajshai alledge that they found Raudha Athif hanging
from the celing fan of her hostel room at the college. The investigation of a
hanging case starts with crime scene findings and police inquest report and
most importantly from the observations that were made based on ligature mark
and material.
There were bruise marks of manual
strangulation on Raudha’s neck and chin ,and contusions on her ankles. The
ligature mark of her neck does not match
with a ligature mark of hanging and that of ligature material which consist of
two shawls tied together.
There were cadaveric spasms in her hands. The condition is not part of rigor mortis,
which is characterized by a progressive rigidity of the deceased body due to
bio-mechanical changes in muscles occurring 10-12 hours after death. It has
been argued that cadaveric spasm is most likely associated with high muscular
exertion prior to death and often it is associated with violent deaths.Cadaveric spasm is a persistent occurrence when it happens, and the
individual will continue to hold that pose from death until putrefaction allows
for decay of the affected limb.
The college officials are trying their best
to hide the real truth oh her death but the injuries and the external
postmortem findings clearly indicate the cause of her death as homicide. It is
to be noted that Rajshahi Executive Magistrate court rejected the case of
Raudha death which was filed by Rajshahi metropolitan police as a case
of unnatural death by suicide suspecting foul play. Therefore how much the college
officials trying to stage her death appear as suicide or how the three member
autopsy team prepared a fabricated autopsy report which even the court has
refused to accept, the injuries and the signs on Raudha’s body speaks the truth
of her death.
Identification means determination or
establishing the individuality of a person. A dead body is evidence, evidence
to be photographed, X-rayed, described, analyzed in depth and correlated with
circumstances. The objective is to search thoroughly for crucial information
that enables one to judge what did happen and did not happen to the decedent [1].A
forensic expert, with his specialized knowledge, would be able to deduce - who
was the person, what happened, and what evidence indicates the presence or the
absence of culpability? This is essential to establish the Corpus Delecti,
which in cases of homicide consists of three parts-a) the identity of the
victim, b) determination that death was not natural, and c) the death resulted
from the criminal act of another person.
Standard protocols for medico legal autopsies were not followed by the 3 members autopsy team who conducted Raudha’s autopsy.
Adequate photographs are
crucial for thorough documentation of autopsy findings.
Photographs should be in color (transparency or negative/print), in
focus, adequately illuminated, and taken by a professional or good quality
camera. Each photograph should contain a ruled reference scale, an identifying
case name or number, and a sample of standard grey. A description of the camera
(including the lens "f-number" and focal length), film and the
lighting system must be included in the autopsy report. If more than one camera
is utilized, the identifying information should be recorded for each.
Photographs should also include information indicating which camera
took each picture, if more than one camera is used. The identity of the person
taking the photographs should be recorded. Photographs should be comprehensive
in scope and must confirm the presence of all demonstrable signs of injury or
disease commented upon in the autopsy report.
But there were no proper external examination
and identification of Raudha’s body and proper photographic or video recording
of the positive and negative forensic findings were not performed. Serial photographs reflecting the
course of the external examination were not performed.
Documentation of any skeletal system or soft tissue injury by X-ray
or CT or MRI was not done.
The internal examination for internal evidence of injury
should clarify and augment the external examination. The internal findings did
not match the external injuries on her body. Histological examination of the
skin was not performed. There was no attempt to describe and document injury
patterns to differentiate manual, ligature and hanging strangulation. The
ligature mark does not match with ligature material and ligature knot.
The ligature mark and gross
features only may not be necessarily the deciding factors. Similar ligature
mark as of hanging can also be produced by means of fabrication by applying a
ligature within 24 hours or even later after death of an individual. Thus, any kind
of mark may not be conclusive evidence to that – the hanging took place during life
[2]. Hence, a detailed internal examination of neck structures (soft tissue,
bones & cartilages) and histopathological examination of the mark and
internal neck structures gives additional and necessary information.
In these cases the
histopathological examination reveals the presence of effusion of red cells,
congested blood vessels, hemorrhages, tissue reaction etc., in cases of ante
mortem hanging.But histopathological examination of the mark and internal neck
structures were not performed. . A low hanging is
more likely to lead to asphyxia and there may be some facial congestion and a
purple protruding tongue. But these findindigs were not on Raudhas’s dead body.
Validity of the old saying that “dead can
speak and speak the truth; we only need a patient and discerning mind to ‘hear’
and understand what they speak” being proved with certainty in one case but
only partially in the other validates yet another old saying that “all
possibilities can not be ruled out beyond reasonable doubt.
References
01.Sir Smith
S,Mostly murder.Dorset Press.NewYork.1988 pp35.
02 .
Taylor, A.S. Principles and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence.
Edited
by Keith Mant A. 13thed (1994) 316.
Posts
Hi Doctor Athif,
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Stay strong.
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