NCJ Number
209762
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 50 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2005 Pages: 676-678
Date Published
May 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article reports a case study of an unusual death from a wine enema.
Abstract
Deaths from ethanol intoxication are relatively uncommon yet they do occur, usually from alcoholic beverages ingested orally. This article reports on the first case in the English medical literature of an individual who died from a self-administered wine enema. The victim was a 55-year-old White man with no known medical conditions. The victim was found by his step-father lying unresponsive in his bathtub. The scene investigation was of great importance to determining the cause of death in this case, which was ruled accidental. The presence of a wine-filled enema, sex toys, lubricant, and other clues led investigators to conclude the victim had accidentally poisoned himself with the wine enema, resulting in his death. The postmortem toxicology analysis revealed a blood ethanol of 0.40 g/dL and a vitreous ethanol of 0.41 g/dL. Figure, references