Two Unusual Cases of Complete Suicidal Hanging

Abstract

Abstract— Hanging is mostly considered as suicidal. Literature pertaining to forensic medicine is very rich for various methods of unequivocal and atypical suicidal hanging. This abstract describes such two cases. Presence of a noose around the neck with a knot is the rule rather than the exception in a case of suicidal hanging. A 45 year old male had managed to self- suspend from a ceiling fan by using a broad string of cloth. Without much support the dead body had perfectly been completely hanging for few hours before the dead body was recovered. One of the “classical signs” of asphyxial type of death is the presence of petechial haemorrhages though petechiae are not commonly seen in cases of complete hanging. The other case is regarding a 22-year-old married lady committing of suicide after narrating her story in a suicidal letter. It is very uncommon to see copious petechial haemorrhages in palpebral conjunctivae and bulbar conjunctivae along with scleral ecchymosis. When a forensic pathologist sees petechiae and ecchymosis in a case of hanging shrewd medico-legal investigation is justified to exclude a possible case of homicide. Contrary to the belief that the incidence of having petechial haemorrhages and congestion of face is more in partial hanging, rarely there are cases of undoubted complete hanging with florid petechial haemorrhages. An inexperienced pathologist may be misled and get confused with such rare findings resulting in unnecessary lengthy investigations even up to the extent of arresting of an innocent.

Keywords— suicidal complete hanging, petechial haemorrhages in asphyxial deaths, knot and noose