NCJ Number
133627
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 36 Issue: 6 Dated: (November 1991) Pages: 1753-1759
Date Published
1991
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Death during autoerotic activities is a special concern to law enforcement officials, medical examiners, the decedent's family, and society in general, and the authors present a case of autoerotic accidental asphyxial death which was initially misinterpreted as suicide.
Abstract
As in the probing of any violent demise, accurate identification, management, and preservation of all physical evidence is mandatory. Also essential in evaluating and interpreting a case are complete photographic documentation of the scene and the body, scene reconstruction, and interviews with the family and acquaintances. Because many autoerotic fatalities share common characteristics with suicide and homicide, these cases are often misinterpreted. The reported case of autoerotic accidental asphyxial death occurred in April 1988 in Puerto Rico. The investigating team found the body of a man on the floor in his room. He was gagged and partially nude, and had a noose around his neck and left wrist. The room was orderly and showed no signs of a struggle. Physical examination revealed a marked congesion of the face and pinpoint hemorrhagic infiltrates in the conjuctivae and sclerae. Investigators concluded the cause of death was asphyxia by hanging, although the case did not fulfill the requirements for establishing suicide as the manner of death. Subsequent scene reconstruction and interviews with the family and acquaintances determined the case involved autoerotic asphyxial death. 25 references and 4 figures (Author abstract modified)