NCJ Number
118069
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: (May 1989) Pages: 638-646
Date Published
1989
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Five hundred psychological autopsies on equivocal (suicide versus accident) deaths were reviewed to ascertain which factors are significant in making the determination between suicidal and accidental deaths.
Abstract
Factors varied in relative importance according to the method used to cause death. Significant factors included life-style, recent stress, suicidal communications, previous self-destructive behaviors, history of depression, and obvious factors from the physical evidence such as large amounts of drugs in the blood. Although the court-provided decision guideline is 'a preponderance of the evidence,' in practice, the assembled evidence is often used to construct a 'most credible' scenario to explain the death. (Author abstract)