NCJ Number
215156
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 51 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2006 Pages: 893-895
Date Published
July 2006
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on two cases of suicide in Colorado in which the victims started fires before their deaths.
Abstract
In one case, the victim died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after setting several fires in his house. In the second case, the victim hung himself after setting several fires in his residence and an adjoining building. In both cases, the victims died a significant distance from the origin of the fires, suggesting that the fires were not intended to be a backup means of death if the primary suicide mechanism failed. In the first case, the victim apparently set the fire to destroy the house and its contents in order to avoid burdening family members with the disposition of property. In the second case, the motive for the arson was apparently in revenge for being evicted. Neither victim showed a significant percentage of carboxyhemoglobin or thermal damage from the fires. Had the fire caused more damage to the bodies and dwellings, however, a finding of suicide might not have been made. These two cases suggest that when the victim's body is found some distance from the fire's origin, the arson probably stemmed from motives other than homicide or concealment of another crime. Determining the mechanism that caused the fire should help to distinguish between an accidental fire and arson. More cases are required to broaden understanding of these unusual suicide scenarios. 9 references