Suicidal Hanging Versus Homicidal Hanging - A Case Report

Suicidal hangings are rarely encountered by crime scene investigators, while evidence of suicidal deaths are usually more common and recognizable. There have been cases where the victim has attempted to disguise suicidal hanging as a case of homicide with suspicion of foul play. Sometimes it poses difficult challenges to investigating officers. Most of the reported cases of suicidal deaths staged as homicide involve death by gun shot. Few authors have reported suicidal deaths staged as accidents. Most of such suicides staged as accidents involved the use of motor vehicle. The following case is a case of a suicidal hanging in which the victim has tied his upper limbs behind his back, which creates a suspicion of homicide. But the findings from the scene of crime investigation and autopsy made it evident that the manner of death by hanging was suicidal in nature.