Simultaneous Homicide–Suicide: A Case Report of Double Drowning†
Corresponding Author
İpek Esen Melez M.D.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Adnan Menderes Bulvarı, Vatan Caddesi, 34093 Fatih, İstanbul, Turkey
Additional information and reprint requests:
İpek Esen Melez, M.D.
Bezmialem Vakif Üniversitesi, Tip Fakültesi, Adli Tip Anabilim Dali,
Adnan Menderes Bulvari, Vatan Caddesi, 34093 Fatih
İstanbul
Turkey
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbdullah Avşar M.D.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Avşar Kampüsü Yerleşkesi, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorBünyamin Başpınar M.D.
The Council of Forensic Medicine, The Ministry of Justice, Çobançeşme, Kımız Sokak, 34196 Bahçelievler, İstanbul, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorDeniz Oğuzhan Melez M.D.
The Council of Forensic Medicine, The Ministry of Justice, Çobançeşme, Kımız Sokak, 34196 Bahçelievler, İstanbul, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorFatih Şahin M.D.
The Council of Forensic Medicine, The Ministry of Justice, Çobançeşme, Kımız Sokak, 34196 Bahçelievler, İstanbul, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorTaşkın Özdeş M.D.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Abant İzzet Baysal University, Gölköy, 14280 Bolu, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
İpek Esen Melez M.D.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Adnan Menderes Bulvarı, Vatan Caddesi, 34093 Fatih, İstanbul, Turkey
Additional information and reprint requests:
İpek Esen Melez, M.D.
Bezmialem Vakif Üniversitesi, Tip Fakültesi, Adli Tip Anabilim Dali,
Adnan Menderes Bulvari, Vatan Caddesi, 34093 Fatih
İstanbul
Turkey
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbdullah Avşar M.D.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Avşar Kampüsü Yerleşkesi, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorBünyamin Başpınar M.D.
The Council of Forensic Medicine, The Ministry of Justice, Çobançeşme, Kımız Sokak, 34196 Bahçelievler, İstanbul, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorDeniz Oğuzhan Melez M.D.
The Council of Forensic Medicine, The Ministry of Justice, Çobançeşme, Kımız Sokak, 34196 Bahçelievler, İstanbul, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorFatih Şahin M.D.
The Council of Forensic Medicine, The Ministry of Justice, Çobançeşme, Kımız Sokak, 34196 Bahçelievler, İstanbul, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorTaşkın Özdeş M.D.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Abant İzzet Baysal University, Gölköy, 14280 Bolu, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Homicide–suicide is a tragic phenomenon which typically does not result in a criminal charge or trial. However, correct diagnosis and classification of homicide–suicide cases are important to determine the perpetrators and dynamics of each category properly. The deaths in the homicide–suicide acts can be divided into two categories with respect to the number of involved individuals: dyadic deaths and triple or multiple deaths. These two categories can also be divided into two subgroups according to the chronology of the incidents: simultaneous deaths and consecutive deaths. Herein, a simultaneous homicide–suicide case of a father and daughter where both deaths occurred through drowning which was not found in the selected literature review and where the victim was a child is presented. The article aims to clarify the term discrepancies about multiple death cases in the literature and to discuss the pathological and psychosocial characteristics of the simultaneous dyadic death cases.
References
- 1Lecomte D, Fornes P. Homicide followed by suicide: Paris and its suburbs, 1991-1996. J Forensic Sci 1998; 43(4): 760–4.
- 2Liem M, Barber C, Markwalder N, Killias M, Nieuwbeerta P. Homicide–suicide and other violent deaths: an international comparison. Forensic Sci Int 2011; 207(1–3): 70–6.
- 3Kunz J, Bolechała F, Kaliszczak P. Medicolegal problems of “dyadic death”. Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol 2002; 52(3): 163–76.
- 4Galta K, Olsen SL, Wik G. Murder followed by suicide: Norwegian data and international literature. Nord J Psychiatry 2010; 64(6): 397–401.
- 5Milroy CM. Murder-suicide. In: J Payne-James, editor. Encyclopedia of forensic and legal medicine. Oxford, U.K.: Elsevier, 2005; 358–61.
10.1016/B0-12-369399-3/00283-4 Google Scholar
- 6Cantürk N, Cantürk G, Odabaşı AB, İşbaşar T. Yüksekten düşme: ikili ölüm olgu sunumu. J For Med (Turkey) 2008; 22(1): 39–43.
- 7Ege B, Hancı IH, Erturk S, Karali H, Yemiscigil A. İkili ölüm. Ege J Med 1991; 30(4): 530–2.
- 8Hancı IH, Ege B, Erturk S, Yemiscigil A, Karali H. İkili ölüm: bir olgu sunumu. J For Med (Turkey) 1991; 7(1–2): 75–7.
- 9Karadeniz Z, Ege B, Hancı IH, Karali H, Demircin S. İkili ölüm: bir olgu bildirisi. Ege Journal of Medicine 1993; 32(3–4): 637–8.
- 10Teyin M, Canogulları G, Balcı Y. İkili ölüm: Eskişehir'den iki olgu bildirisi. Turkiye Klinikleri J Foren Med 2004; 1(2): 80–3.
- 11du Plessis M, Hlaise KK. Homicide-suicide (dyadic death): a case study of double hanging. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2012; 33(3): 262–4.
- 12Barber CW, Azrael D, Hemenway D, Olson LM, Nie C, Schaechter J, et al. Suicides and suicide attempts following homicide: victim-suspect relationship, weapon type, and presence of antidepressants. Homicide Stud 2008; 12(3): 285–97.
- 13Campanelli C, Gilson T. Murder-suicide in New Hampshire, 1995-2000. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2002; 23(3): 248–51.
- 14Dettling A, Althaus L, Haffner HT. Criteria for homicide and suicide on victims of extended suicide due to sharp force injury. Forensic Sci Int 2003; 134(2–3): 142–6.
- 15Felthous AR, Hempel A. Combined homicide-suicides: a review. J Forensic Sci 1995; 40(5): 846–57.
- 16Harper DW, Voigt L. Homicide followed by suicide: an integrated theoretical perspective. Homicide Stud 2007; 11(4): 295–318.
- 17Liem M. Homicide followed by suicide: a review. Aggress Violent Behav 2010; 15(3): 153–61.
- 18Logan J, Hill HA, Black ML, Crosby AE, Karch DL, Barnes JD, et al. Characteristics of perpetrators in homicide-followed-by-suicide incidents: national violent death reporting system–17 US states, 2003-2005. Am J Epidemiol 2008; 168(9): 1056–64.
- 19Milroy CM. Reasons for homicide and suicide in episodes by dyadic death in Yorkshire and Humberside. Med Sci Law 1995; 35(3): 213–7.
- 20Hanzlick R, Koponen M. Murder-suicide in Fulton county, Georgia, 1988-1991. Comparison with a recent report and proposed typology. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1994; 15(2): 168–73.
- 21Marzuk PM, Tardiff K, Hirsch CS. The epidemiology of murder-suicide. JAMA 1992; 267(23): 3179–83.
- 22Chan CY, Beh SL, Broadhurst RG. Homicide–suicide in Hong Kong, 1989–1998. Forensic Sci Int 2004; 140(2): 261–7.
- 23Townsend E. Suicide terrorists: are they suicidal? Suicide Life Threat Behav 2007; 37(1): 35–49.
- 24 Department of Health. Safety first: five-year report of the national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness. London, U.K.: Department of Health, 2001; 127–9.
- 25Pan YJ, Lee MB. Charcoal burning and maternal filicide-suicide trends in Taiwan: the impact of accessibility of lethal methods. J Formos Med Assoc 2008; 107(10): 811–5.
- 26Flynn S, Swinson N, While D, Hunt IM, Roscoe A, Rodway C, et al. Homicide followed by suicide: a cross-sectional study. J Forens Psychiatry Psychol 2009; 20(2): 306–21.
- 27Liem M, Postulart M, Nieuwbeerta P. Homicide-suicide in the Netherlands an epidemiology. Homicide Stud 2009; 13(2): 99–123.
- 28Byard RW. Murder-suicide. In: M Tsokos, editor. Forensic pathology reviews. vol. 3. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press Inc, 2005; 337–47.
10.1007/978-1-59259-910-3_11 Google Scholar
- 29Hata N, Kominato Y, Shimada I, Takizawa H, Fujikura T, Morita M, et al. Regional differences in homicide patterns in five areas of Japan. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2001; 3(1): 44–55.
- 30Hannah SG, Turf EE, Fierro MF. Murder-suicide in central Virginia: a descriptive epidemiological study and empiric validation of the Hanzlick-Koponen typology. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1998; 19(3): 275–83.
- 31Danto BL. Suicide among murderers. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol 1978; 22(2): 140–8.
- 32Travis AR, Johnson LJ, Milroy CM. Homicide-suicide (dyadic death), homicide, and firearms use in England and Wales. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2007; 28(4): 314–8.
- 33West DJ, Criminology UoCIo. Murder followed by suicide: an inquiry carried out for the Institute of Criminology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1966.
- 34Piette MH, De Letter EA. Drowning: still a difficult autopsy diagnosis. Forensic Sci Int 2006; 163(1–2): 1–9.
- 35Piette MH, Desmet B, Dams R. Determination of strontium in human whole blood by ICP-AES. Sci Total Environ 1994; 141(1–3): 269–73.
- 36Azparren JE, de la Rosa I, Sancho M. Biventricular measurement of blood strontium in real cases of drowning. Forensic Sci Int 1994; 69(2): 139–48.
- 37Pérez-Cárceles MD, Sibón A, del Castillo MLG, Vizcaya MA, Osuna E, Casas T, et al. Strontium levels in different causes of death: diagnostic efficacy in drowning. Biol Trace Elem Res 2008; 126(1–3): 27–37.
- 38Azparren JE, Perucha E, Martínez P, Muñoz R, Vallejo G. Factors affecting strontium absorption in drowning. Forensic Sci Int 2007; 168(2–3): 138–42.
- 39Azparren JE, Vallejo G, Reyes E, Herranz A, Sancho M. Study of diagnostic value of strontium, chloride, haemoglobin and diatoms in immersion cases. Forensic Sci Int 1998; 91(2): 123–32.
- 40Pérez-Cárceles MD, del Pozo S, Sibón A, Noguera JA, Osuna E, Vizcaya MA, et al. Serum biochemical markers in drowning: diagnostic efficacy of strontium and other trace elements. Forensic Sci Int 2012; 214(1–3): 159–66.
- 41Gurler AS, Buyuk Y, Sahin MF, Melez DO, Gundogmus UN. Suda boğulma tanısında biyokimyasal analizler ve stronsiyumun önemi. J For Med (Turkey) 2011; 25(2): 125–36.
- 42Mathews S, Abrahams N, Jewkes R, Martin LJ, Lombard C, Vetten L. Intimate femicide–suicide in South Africa: a cross-sectional study. Bull World Health Organ 2008; 86(7): 552–8.
- 43Gregory M. Masculinity and homicide-suicide. Int J Law Crime Justice 2012; 40(3): 133–51.
- 44Cohen D, Llorente M, Eisdorfer C. Homicide-suicide in older persons. Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155(3): 390–6.
- 45Salari S. Patterns of intimate partner homicide suicide in later life: strategies for prevention. Clin Interv Aging 2007; 2(3): 441–52.
- 46Saleva O, Putkonen H, Kiviruusu O, Lönnqvist J. Homicide-suicide - an event hard to prevent and separate from homicide or suicide. Forensic Sci Int 2007; 166(2–3): 204–8.
Citing Literature
