Fig6: 2020. A man died when trying to enter a auto workshop in Sete Lagoas, Brazil.

Fig7: 2014. Propriá, Brazil. A woman locked her husband in at home because he was an alcoholic. The man desperate for more alcohol tried escaping from a window with deadly consequences.

Fig8: 2017. In São Miguel do Guamá, Brazil, a burglar died when trying to break in to an elementary school.

Fig9: 2015. The body of a drug user and trafficker was found dead in Santa Vitória, Brazil. The man had attempted to rob his uncle’s house who was in prison but got stuck in a window and died.

Fig10: 2014. A burglar died after trying to enter the office of an auto parts shop in Calafate, Brazil.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker

Observed at the autopsy was the body of an approximately 175 cm (5'9) tall and 94.8 kg (209 lbs) heavy man in an advanced state of putrefaction, which particularly affected the neck and head area. The main autopsy findings were signs of a longer period of time with the corpse being infested with fly maggots and a subtotal separation of the head from the trunk between the 5th and 6th cervical vertebrae. In addition, blood inhalation were found in all lobes of the lungs. There were no indications of any significant internal diseases. For identification purposes, the dental status was recorded and compared with the available dental records. The presumed identity of the deceased could be confirmed in this way.

The cause of death was decapitation. Assessing the findings, especially the wound in the head and neck area, was significantly more difficult due to the advanced state of putrefaction with extensive maggot damage. The differentiation between ante and post-mortality of the wound based on the wound characteristics alone was rather difficult. However, there were signs of blood inhalation, suggesting vitality of the injury and at least minimal survival time after the neck was transected.

The death was deemed a suicide based on the findings by the investigating authorities (locking conditions, testimonies from work colleagues, autopsy findings), neither histological nor forensic-toxicological examinations were commissioned. The complex construction and attachment of the guillotine alone spoke for long-term planning of the suicide.

Only a few publications on suicide cases using a guillotine or guillotine-like constructions have appeared in recent decades. Complete or subtotal decapitations are very rarely observed within the large spectrum of different suicide methods. However, they aim to ensure that the attempted suicide is as “successful” as possible. Thorough planning of the suicide, which can be seen from the method, can also be evaluated against this background and also indicate a longer-lasting preoccupation of the deceased with the topic itself.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker

Figs.6-7 In situ view of the oro-pharynx showing soot and grey-black granules.

Fig.8 Base of skull showing a blow-out fracture involving chiefly the cribriform plate and sella turcica.

Fig.9 Cut surfaces of the brain showing pin-point hemorrhages of variable sizes (involving the white matter of the frontal lobes and genu of the corpus callosum), and focal cerebral cortical contusions.

Fig.10 Police investigating the scene.

Fig.11 From the scene. A photograph of the deceased.

Fig.12 The court was closed for the day following the incident.

Fig.13 From the crime scene at the court.

TL;DR January 2017 - Pretoria, South Africa. A 76-year-old Caucasian man was admitted to a medico-legal postmortem examination after suffering severe blast-induced craniofacial injuries due to the detonation of a firework inside his mouth. The event took place in a corridor inside the Tshwane municipal court. According to witness reports, the decedent retrieved an object from his bag, placed it in his mouth, and proceeded to ignite it. The aforementioned object exploded almost immediately, according to witness accounts, and blew up inside the decedent’s mouth resulting in death at the scene.

There were no resuscitative measures instituted on the decedent. At the scene, the decedent was found lying prone with the left side of his mutilated face flat against the floor (Fig. 1). A BICTM lighter was found gripped in his right hand (Fig. 2). Dispersing caudally, fragments of skull bone, soft tissue, dentures, and spectacles were identified at the scene. A fragment of an explosive (firework) (Fig. 3) was found about 30 cm (1 ft) from the decedent’s head and small paper and cardboard fragments scattered around the body. The aforementioned fragments were later identified as being from the so-called “Gorilla Bomb” firecracker (according to personal communication with the bomb squad experts). The body was sent to a medico-legal postmortem examination. The postmortem examination was performed approximately 19 h after death and refrigeration of the body for storage.

A review of the scene photos, autopsy, and case history (which included interviews with police investigating officers and a member of the bomb squad) revealed relationship problems. A review of the victim’s place of residence also showed a newly opened pack of “Gorilla Bombs” missing only a single firecracker.

Autopsy

At autopsy, there were blast-induced injuries involving the middle and lower thirds of the face with lacerations and contusions of the lips, gums, tongue, palate, nose, and orbits, and comminuted fractures of the mandible and maxilla. The mandible was traumatically bisected along the sagittal plane and the temporomandibular joints were disrupted (Fig. 4). The oropharyngeal mucosa was stained with soot and grey-black granules (Fig. 6). The ears showed no injuries and the tympanic membranes were intact. Fragments of glass were present inside the oropharynx (from the damaged spectacles).

There were no fragments of paper or plastic recovered inside the oropharynx. Fragments of tissue; predominantly lips, nose, bone, and an eye were recovered separated from the body. The left eye was protruding from the left orbit and there were lacerations around the borders of the left orbit. The right orbit showed peri-orbital hemorrhage and a laceration involving the medial border. The trachea was clear.

The anterior cranial fossa showed a fracture with a central cavity involving the cribriform plate and sella turcica. The brain showed diffuse acute subarachnoid hemorrhage, pinpoint hemorrhages of variable sizes (involving the white matter of the frontal lobes and genu of the corpus callosum), and focal cerebral cortical contusions of the frontal lobes (Figs. 8 and 9). Other organs were inconspicuous and showed no gross pathological changes or injuries. A postmortem blood sample was taken for ethyl alcohol and carboxyhemoglobin analyses. Pharyngeal swabs were also taken for analysis for priming agents.

Upon completion of the examination, the primary cause (and/or mechanism) of death was concluded as being blast-induced craniofacial injuries due to a firework. Although the manner of death in SA is pronounced by the presiding judicial officer as per the Inquests Act 58 of 1959, the opinion of the pathologist was in keeping with suicide.

Unfortunately, no postmortem CT-scan imaging was conducted on this case prior to the commencement of the autopsy. The Lodox Statscan showed severe tissue distortion of the face. Identification was done with fingerprints and personal possessions.

Discussion

Deaths due to explosives generally attract immediate attention due to their inert characteristics which include creating a loud noise and their destructive nature. When an explosion occurs in a public space like a government building, as in the case presented, added attention is attracted as fears of terror activity have become part of the social consciousness.

In the presented case, the unusual nature of the death and the method used to cause the death presented many interesting aspects to the investigation. An investigation of a scene of death due to explosives requires particular attention to detail as many clues to the device used to cause the explosive might lie in the smallest of fragments of burnt or unburnt trace evidence. Personal communication with the head of the South African Police Service (SAPS) bomb squad unit reveals that forensic pathologists and forensic medical officers in SA have limited practical experience in bombs and explosives.

It is advantageous for the forensic pathologist to attend the scene of death, in order to gain valuable guidance in the investigation and to obtain a scientific perspective that will be integrated with other specialized teams including the police bomb squad. Also of importance, is the opportunity for the pathologist to integrate the scene findings with the autopsy examination. In the presented case, the initial impression corroborated with the accounts from the witnesses, subsequent autopsy findings, and findings at the home of the decedent.

Conclusion

The case describes an unusual method of suicide by means of intra-oral detonation of a firecracker. These cases occur rarely, but in the event that the pathologist does not attend the scene of death, it is important to recognize these injuries at autopsy. Fortunately, identification was still possible in this case, and no other innocent bystanders were injured. The worrisome aspect is that this occurred in a public place which should be closely monitored pertaining to entry and exit of potentially hazardous/dangerous articles. Although the selling of these firecrackers is meant to be regulated, it would be nearly impossible to arrest the person who sold the firecracker to the deceased. Stricter access control to public places should be enforced in order to protect innocent bystanders – not only from physical but also from emotional damage.

Key points

1. Self-inflicted explosive deaths due to intra-oral detonation of firecrackers are rare.

2. Flash-powder based firecrackers can result in severe craniofacial injuries.

3. Stricter legislation pertaining to the obtainment of firecrackers should be in place.

4. The brain injuries seen in these cases should be classified as blast-induced neurotrauma.

5. A coordinated approach between the different agencies: police investigative unit, bomb squad, police forensic science unit, and the forensic pathology service, enhanced the investigation and helped the pathologist integrate the autopsy findings.

News reports:

News24 .com - Jan 16th

Pretoria – An elderly man killed himself by putting a firecracker in his mouth and lighting it, in a municipal court in Pretoria on Monday morning, Tshwane metro police said. The 76-year-old man had been summoned to attend a "protection order case" at the court on Monday morning.

At around 08:00, witnesses saw him standing in the passage and taking out something that they thought was a cigarette. He put it in his mouth and when he lit it, it blew up in his face. He died on the scene. The court was closed for the day. No one else was injured.

Netwerk24 .com - Jan 18th

Pretoria - A Pretoria widow who applied for a protection order against a man who was harassing her, was left traumatized when she saw him kill himself by putting a firecracker in his mouth and light it. “My client is in her 60s. It happened right in front of her,” her lawyer, told Netwerk24 on Tuesday.

The woman was at the Family Court in Pretoria on Monday morning, to have a protection order against the man, when he killed himself. The lawyer said the client and the man's paths crossed when they were neighbors in the Western Cape. About two years ago, he started harassing her with messages and phone calls, presumably of a suggestive nature.

Her lawyer did not want to elaborate on the application for the protection order but did confirm that despite the woman moving to Pretoria, the harassment continued. “My client couldn’t handle it anymore”. She obtained a provisional protection order from the police against her former neighbor. Police served the notice and the man had to respond before Monday when the two parties had to appear in court. The two had never had a relationship.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker

According to a statement from a resident who lived next door to the deceased, a loud 'pop' was heard from around 07:00 - 07:30 the day before the death was discovered, and the woman's moans were briefly heard 3 or 4 times after that. said The occupant living on the lower floor of the deceased also said that he heard a 'pop' around 07:10 - 07:20 the day before the death was discovered, but did not hear a moan.

There was an oblique cut measuring 9 cm in length in the right sternocleidomastoid region just above the right clavicle. The surface of the cut wound showed irregular edges and the internal jugular vein was severed in the depth of the wound. She appeared to have fallen down the steps onto the ground floor and been fatally injured in the neck by a piece of broken glass. Most sharp force fatalities are attributed to homicide or suicide, with only a few accidental cases reported to date. Broken glass accounts for most of these accidental fatalities.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker

Fig.5 Female victim: Entrance wound at inspection.

Fig.6 Female victim: 3D-CT reconstruction of the entrance wound and a reconstruction evidencing a deformed jacketed bullet in the sphenoidal sinus, beneath the central portion of the sella turcica. Bullet track at neuropathological examination.

When a 38-year-old policeman did not arrive at work and could not be reached by telephone, two colleagues suspected an accident and entered his house opening the door with a spare key. In the bedroom, they found the man lying lifeless on the right part of the bed in a supine position and the corpse of his 50-year-old wife resting in a lateral position on the left part of the bed. Due to the presence of hypostasis and rigor mortis on both bodies, no resuscitation attempts were made and the death scene remained unchanged until the arrival of the scientific police and the medico-legal expert.

A self-loading Glock pistol, mod. 17 Austria 5180, cal. 9 mm, was found between the two corpses near the left forearm of the man, with the upper part of the barrel placed upon the bed. On the floor, at the right side of the bed, a single brass-colored cartridge case (‘‘9 mm x 21 CBC’’) of a full metal jacket ammunition was identified and collected. Police investigations highlighted that, since a couple of months, the woman had started an extramarital relationship with a colleague. The husband discovered this relationship two weeks before the incident and the same day of the murder he wrote a telephone message to his wife’s lover saying ‘‘I’ll never let you take her away from me’’.

In the man’s right anterior temporal region, a 1.7 cm wide irregularly round-shaped skin defect with blackened margins was observed. Beneath the skin and subcutaneous lesions, in the temporal fossa, a 2.2 cm wide round bone defect with internal bevelling and numerous bone fragments were identified. In the skullcap surrounding the entrance wound radial and circular fractures were found, some of which running through the bony skull base; the sagittal suture showed a significant diastasis. Along the bullet track, with right-left, down-up, and anteroposterior direction, metal fragments were both radiologically and macroscopically visible. In the left parietal bone, a 2.5 cm round bone defect with cone-shape external bevelling and extra-cranial bone fragments was detected. At the skin level, a 1.4 cm wide round-shaped lacerated wound with everted margins was present.

In the woman’s right temporal region, a 1.3 cm wide round-shaped skin defect and a 2.2 cm wide round bone defect with internal bevelling and numerous bone fragments (both intra- and extra-cranially) were identified. Along the bullet track (with posteroanterior and right-left direction) metal fragments (two of which of 1 cm in diameter) were visible; in the sphenoidal sinus, beneath the central portion of the sella turcica, a highly deformed jacketed bullet was detected. A screening on blood and urine excluded the presence of alcohol, drugs of abuse, and medicines in both victims.

The man had leaned over the female while in bed and aligned his head with her head before taking the shot. After firing a single bullet that traveled through his head and into the female's head, the man's body fell back towards the bed, and the gun fell between the two bodies.

Homicide–suicide incidents are rare events, making up a relatively small proportion of homicides overall. Interdisciplinary cooperation between police investigators, crime lab representatives, and forensic pathologists is recommended for differentiating double homicide from double suicide or murder-suicide, and for reconstructing the most probable dynamics of the event. As a matter of fact, in firearm-related murder-suicide cases, the contribution of ballistic experts and forensic radiologists can be pivotal.

In this case, prior to forensic autopsy, on both corpses, a whole-body multi-slice post-mortem CT was performed and provided precious information to differentiate the entrance wounds from the single exit lesion on the man’s skull, localize the retained bullet in the female’s skull, reconstruct the wound track direction, and hypothesize the most probable relative position of the bodies when the shot was fired.

Autoptic and histological findings determined that the murderer died immediately after the shot for a lethal brainstem injury, whereas the female victim survived for a few minutes after the shot.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker

On June 22, 2013, an airplane carrying wing walker Jane Wicker crashed at the Vectren Dayton Air Show, killing both Wicker and pilot Charlie Schwenker. Video

The wing walker had positioned herself on the bottom side of the lower left wing, according to a preliminary NTSB report. The pilot rolled the plane upside down and while flying in front of spectators the nose pitched slightly above the horizon. “The airplane abruptly rolled to the right and impacted terrain in a descending left-wing-low attitude,” the document continued.

A video posted on WHIO-TV shows the small plane turn upside-down as the performer sits on top of the wing. The announcer narrates as the plane glides through the sky and rolls over while Wicker perches.

'Now she's still on that far side. Keep an eye on Jane. Keep an eye on Charlie. Watch this! Jane Wicker, sitting on top of the world,' the announcer said, right before the plane makes a quick turn and nosedive, erupting into flames as spectators screamed.

Stan Thayer who witnessed the event told the Dayton Daily News: "All of a sudden I heard screaming and looked up and there was a fire ball."

Shawn Warwick who was also there, said: "I noticed it was upside down really close to the ground. She was sitting on the bottom of the plane, I saw it just go right into the ground and explode."

A spectator at the event couldn't tell exactly what happened, but it appeared that the plane stalled and didn't have enough air speed, he said. He credited the pilot for steering clear of spectators and potentially saving lives.

In image 10 You can see her goggles and head cap torn off and what appears to be some head or shoulder injuries. Legs are also visible.

Vandalia City Councilman Dave Gerhard told WHIO: "It seemed like everything was just routine, It was flying upside down. I just nose-dived into the ground. Quick as you can blink your eye there was an explosion. It was a nose dive. Boom. Big Explosion."

Following the impact the aircraft burst into flames, destroying the majority of the right wing and front of the fuselage, the NTSB stated.

Initial statements gathered by the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the pilot and wing walker had practiced the performance the day before the accident. Following the practice, neither the pilot nor the pilot-rated wing walker, reported any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.

The daredevil wing-walker had been planning to marry her pilot fiance on the wings of the same biplane the plummeted to earth and killed her, it has been revealed.

Jane Wicker, a world-renowned aerobatic stunt-woman, wanted to seal her three-year relationship with Rock Skowbo at a spectacular airshow wedding in front of thousands of spectators in 2014, she revealed on her website.

Their romance all started after Skowbo, a former commercial airline pilot, noticed Wicker's beloved Boeing Stearman Biplane - Aurora. Skowbo later became Wicker's pilot and mechanic - though he wasn't in the cockpit when Wicker's plane crashed on Saturday afternoon.

Wicker's website says she responded to a classified ad from the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, Va., in 1990, for a wing-walking position, thinking it would be fun. She was a contract employee who worked as a Federal Aviation Administration budget analyst, the FAA said.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker

Fig.6 The victim’s car was found abandoned in this rural area in the early morning hours.

Fig.7 The car’s front left tire was cut and the four-way safety lights were fashing. The vehicle represented an additional crime scene.

Fig.8 Amanda’s body was found in a heavily overgrown area near the railroad tracks.

Fig.9 This aerial view of the crime scene shows an ATV parked just outside the brush where Amanda’s body was found.

Fig.10 These areas were thoroughly searched by investigators who were able to locate additional pieces of evidence spread over a large area.

Fig.11 An excellent example of portraying for the court the various crime scene locations involved in this major case investigation.

Fig.12 Another excellent example for the courts. This figure showed an overview of all of the locations where evidence and/or witnesses as well as the suspect’s home were located.

Fig.13 A photo of Amanda in life as remembered by her family

Fig.14 Amanda was only 19-years-old.

Fig.15 Dustin McCowan was arrested and charged with murder without bond.

2011 - Portage, Indiana, USA. A 19-year-old woman named Amanda A.B. was reported missing by her father on the morning of September 16 after her car was found abandoned and disabled in a rural area. A road deputy had been dispatched to the location at Dean’s Store on a report of a disabled vehicle and discovered the victim’s car on the road. The deputy observed that the vehicle had a flat tire and that the hazard lights had been activated. He also noted that the front left door was open and that her purse and other personal items were inside the vehicle. The deputy prepared a routine report of a disabled vehicle and notified Amanda’s father after checking the owner's registration to ascertain who might have been in the auto. The father told the deputy that his daughter Amanda had left the house at 10:00 p.m. on the evening of September 15 and was going to meet up with an acquaintance named Dustin.

The deputy obtained Dustin’s cell phone number and called him regarding Amanda. Dustin told the deputy that he and Amanda had been at his house from 11:00 p.m. till 1:30 a.m. and that Amanda had left in her car and had driven northbound on CR 625W at 1:30 a.m. Dustin told the deputy that he would call around to their friends and see if he could find out where Amanda was. The deputy then provided his cell phone number to the father and made arrangements for a tow company to retrieve the auto and bring it to Amanda’s home.

The deputy never notified detectives regarding the suspicious circumstances under which the car was found. The deputy never considered that the car may have been a crime scene and that the owner may have been a victim. The deputy never initiated a missing person’s report. The vehicle as well as the location where it was found was never photographed. This became an issue during the trial. The deputy allowed Amanda’s vehicle to be towed back to her father’s home by the tow operator. The deputy, the tow truck driver, and Amanda’s father actually entered the vehicle before it was processed. The father actually commented on the fact that the driver’s front seat had been moved back for a much taller person to drive.

Amanda’s father contacted the police later the next morning to advise them that he had located a witness when he went back to the neighborhood that his daughter had been to the evening before. He reported that a neighbor of Dustin had heard a male voice in the early morning hours state, “Get up Amanda! Get up!” That same neighbor also heard a female voice say, “I can’t believe this is happening.” Investigators responded to the location and met with the father. An official missing person’s case was initiated by Porter County, and Captain Jef Biggs directed his detectives to formally interview the witness that the father had located.

A crime scene was established where Amanda’s vehicle had been located and a request was made for a Porter County helicopter to conduct an aerial search in the vicinity where the vehicle had been recovered. Investigators coordinated a search involving hundreds of people including friends and family as well as concerned citizens who had come out to look for Amanda. The search continued throughout the day and into the evening. The search would continue the next day, September 17, when Amanda’s body was found.

The recovered vehicle, which was also treated as a crime scene was brought to the police station for processing and recovery of any evidence. An examination of the flat tire indicated that someone had cut into the sidewall with a single-edged blade and that the front driver’s seat had been moved back for a taller person than Amanda to have driven the car.

Captain Biggs established a crime scene in the area of Dustin’s home and directed that a neighborhood canvass be conducted around Dustin’s residence since Dustin had reportedly been the last person to be with Amanda. During that canvass, a neighbor was located who reported hearing three gunshots in the early morning of September 16.

Amanda was a 19-year-old female who recently graduated from Portage High School in May 2011. She lived at home with her mom, dad, and younger sister. Amanda worked as a hostess at a local Quaker Steak & Lube in her hometown. She had plans to start college the following year. Her family and friends described her as happy and outgoing. Family and friends described Amanda and Dustin’s relationship as “on-again, of again.” They also indicated that the couple frequently had loud verbal arguments and that Dustin had anger issues. Amanda was planning on telling Dustin that evening that she wanted to end their relationship. Amanda was starting a new relationship with Dustin’s friend Brandon. Amanda had recently told Brandon that she wanted to be a couple with him and they began dating.

Dustin was the last person to see Amanda before her abandoned and disabled car was found in the early morning hours 2 miles away from his house. Dustin told the deputy that he would call around to their friends and see if he could find out where Amanda was. However, a later review of cell phone records indicated he only tried to call Amanda’s phone twice 21 minutes after the officer talked with him at 4:36 a.m. Dustin never tried her phone again. At this point in the investigation, Dustin was considered a possible person of interest in the missing person’s case and Captain Biggs directed detectives to do a complete background and information workup on Dustin.

On September 17 at approximately 3:45 p.m. a female’s body was located in an area heavily overgrown with brush and vegetation on the south side of the railroad tracks east of CR 675W. The body was that of a white female with brown hair and a very small build, which was consistent with Amanda’s description. The victim was lying on her back. Her arms were over her head and her upper clothing was pulled of her chest area to her wrists/hands, which exposed her breasts. Her upper torso and body were completely nude except for her panties. Her pants were missing but she was still wearing her panties and her legs had been spread open. Her feet did not have shoes or socks on them. The victim’s pants were later recovered hanging from some trees in this overgrown wooded enclave.

Captain Biggs inspected the body. He observed blood around the face and neck area. He began to feel around the head for any type of exterior wounds, which he did not locate. He then began to inspect the face and neck area and located a small hole in the neck. The hole appeared to be from a gunshot or puncture from a sharp object. The coroner arrived on the scene and took possession of the body and it was moved to the morgue. Once the body was removed, the officers searched the area for any other evidence. The victim’s pants were located just south of the victim hanging in the trees. Detectives expanded the scene and one of the victim’s flip-flops was found east of the roadway.

On September 17 as investigators were processing the location where Amanda’s body had been found. Captain Biggs requested Captain Sheets obtain a search warrant for Dustin’s residence. This would be an additional crime scene. The mother opened the door for the officers who proceeded up the stairs to where Dustin’s father was located. He immediately directed the detectives to a loaded semi-automatic pistol sitting on the floor of the living room. The firearm was secured and later confiscated. It wasn’t until the end of the father’s interview that he disclosed that he had a .38 caliber revolver missing from his residence. He and his wife stated that he kept the gun under the couch in the living room. They both denied knowing anything about Amanda’s murder.

Their son Dustin was already being detained at the station. After the interview of his parents and the information about the missing .38 caliber gun from the house, Dustin was held in custody pending his arrest. Porter County Sherif’s Police searched the entire house and surrounding property as they looked for additional evidence. The authorities were looking for the missing .38 revolver as well as Amanda’s cell phone. Sgt. Jones recovered bullets from Dustin’s father, who advised the detectives that the bullets were the ones he had for his missing .38 revolver.

An autopsy of Amanda was performed in Indianapolis on September 19. The forensic pathologist determined that the injury to the victim’s neck was a gunshot wound. A .38 caliber bullet that killed Amanda was recovered from the body. During the autopsy of Amanda’s body the medical examiner noted the presence of perimortem injuries on the victim’s back. According to the medical examiner, these abrasions were consistent with the body being dragged across the rough terrain where the body was found. These perimortem abrasions also indicated that the victim was still alive when she was dragged into the woods. The .38 caliber bullet was matched to the bullets recovered from Dustin’s house and the missing .38 caliber revolver. An FBI expert later testified that the bullet removed from Amanda’s neck was a Federal Hydra-Shok and could have come from Dustin’s father’s gun.

Cell phone records placed Dustin around the location of Dean’s Store where Amanda’s vehicle was found at 3:00 a.m. on September 16. When the initial deputy called Dustin at 3:30 a.m. on September 16, Dustin told the officer that he would call around and see if he could find out where she was. However, detectives ascertained from the cell phone records that Dustin had lied when he said he had tried to call Amanda on her cell phone. Cell phone records indicated that Dustin had been by himself in the early morning hours. There were several text messages between Dustin and a female friend between 3:17 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. during which time she invited him over and Dustin kept giving her excuses why he couldn’t meet up.

On September 19 a.m. an extensive search was conducted from the area where Amanda’s body was found. The authorities were looking for Amanda’s cell phone and Dustin’s father’s .38 revolver that Dustin’s father told authorities was missing from the house. The crime scene started small but needed to be expanded to search for other evidence. Officers searched in a linear fashion through the cornfields north and south of the railroad tracks until they came upon a body of water. The fields, water, and areas surrounded by the houses were searched. This extensive search revealed Amanda’s second flip-flop and Dustin’s shirt with Amanda’s blood on it.

The motive according to the prosecutor was jealousy. There was no DNA evidence and the police never recovered the gun. It was largely a circumstantial case. However, the cell phone and text messages clearly inculpated Dustin as the one and only person who had motive, means, and opportunity to kill his ex-girlfriend Amanda. Dustin was found guilty after trial and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. He is eligible for release in 2040.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker

Do yall prefer this format where I label each picture individually or do yall prefer if I put the labels all in a group?

Fig.2 Wooden log shortened out in right lateral position.

Fig.3 Airway secure through tracheostomy.

Fig.4 Access through mandibular swing.

Fig.5 Removal of wooden log.

Fig.6 Reduction & fixation of mandible.

Fig.7 Post operative facial photograph of patient.

At the time of admission the patient complained of dyspnea and dysphasia. On examination there was significant oronasopharyngeal bleeding with no neurological deficit. A moderate trickling of blood from the entry site was noted. The wooden log was seen protruding through his mouth. The management of the patient was done by following the advanced trauma life support (ATLS) guidelines established by the American College of Surgeons, which begins with a rapid assessment of the airway, breathing, and circulation. The patient was unable to lie in a supine position due to the wooden log stuck behind the neck. Tracheotomy was performed under sedation and local anesthesia. General anesthesia was then administered. There were no other associated injuries.

A midline lip-split incision was given till the anterior extension of the penetrating wound. Exploration was performed through existing mandibular symphysis fracture. Comminuted fracture of the left body of the mandible and symphysis were identified. Access was gained by swinging the mandible through the fracture symphysis (Fig.4). After adequate exposure, the wooden log was removed in toto (as a whole) (Fig.5). There was no injury to great vessels and nerves of the neck. Reduction and fixation of fracture mandible were done by stainless steel mini pates and screws (Fig.6). The wound was then closed in layers after securing the suction drain. CT scan revealed that there were no associated head injury, cervical spine injury, maxillofacial injury, or any other foreign body.

The postoperative evaluation showed no injury to the facial and lingual nerve. The patient had an uneventful postoperative period and was discharged on the 10th day with the tracheostomy tube removed. He was followed up regularly. A 1-month review showed no functional or major aesthetic problems (Fig.7).

Penetrating injuries of the face and neck though uncommon are potentially life-threatening entities. Many cases of penetrating neck injuries that required massive surgical intervention and repair have been reported. Initial clinical presentations sometimes may not reflect the true injury that has occurred internally. A clinically superficial-looking minor stab wound can have a vascular or aerodigestive injury when the wound is explored.

Credits to /u/hermantheshocker aka /u/hermanshocker