Relationship of Bullet Trajectory, Types of Bullet, Gunshot Residues in Suicide and Homicide from Forensic Autopsy
Bullet Trajectory Relationship between Suicide and Homicide
Keywords:
suicide, homicide, bullet trajectory, manner of death, forensic autopsyAbstract
The autopsy results of firearm deaths from forensic doctors are very important and affect the cases. However, the knowledge of the trajectory of ammunitions in relation to the manners of death in Thailand is still partially studied. This study aimed to study bullet trajectory, bullet types, and gunshot residuals which relate to manners of death from gunfire injuries. This retrospective case control study was carried out by using documents from forensic identification data of gunfire injuries by the Forensic Department at Lampang Hospital from Jan 1, 2015-June 9, 2019. We found 113 people died from gunfire injuries, 22 of them were suicides which were all men and 91 were homicides, 78 people were male (85.7%). In the suicides, both handguns and shotguns, most ranges of suicide were at contact range (81.8%) with probable found gunshot residual in the wound. The trajectory fires from the front, passing through the upper left side of the body compared to the normal position. As for homicides, more than half used handgun by shooting at a distance and no gunshot residual were found. It also had a variety of trajectories. In conclusion, suicide may be used trajectories to tell the manner of death
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