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Suicide With Associated Acts of Arson: Two Cases from Colorado
Author(s) -
Adair Thomas W.,
Fisher Angela
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2006.00181.x
Subject(s) - arson , poison control , medical emergency , suicide prevention , injury prevention , forensic engineering , occupational safety and health , human factors and ergonomics , engineering , medicine , criminology , psychology , pathology
We report on two cases of suicide in which the victims started fires before their deaths. In one case the victim died of a single self‐inflicted gunshot wound to the head after setting several fires in his residence. In the second case the victim hung himself after setting several fires in his residence and an adjoining building. In both cases, the victim's position was not near the origin of the fires suggesting that the arson was not a failsafe device to the primary mechanism of suicide. Neither victim showed a significant percentage of carboxyhemoglobin, or thermal damage from the fires. Both cases are remarkable in that, had the fire caused more damage to the remains and dwellings, a finding of suicide may not have been reached. We discuss similar aspects between the two reported cases and discuss differences observed with similar events such as complex suicide, suicide by self‐immolation, and concealed homicide by burning. Similar cases should be reported to broaden our understanding of these complex events.