Strangulation Using Cable Ties and a Suicidal Manner of Death: A Case Report and Literature Review Addressing an Atypical Suicidal Mode
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Case Report
2.1. Medical History of the Victim and Circumstantial Data
2.2. External Examination of the Corpse
2.3. Autopsy Findings
2.4. Cause and Manner of Death
Differential Diagnosis Between Suicidal and Homicidal Manner
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- two cases of attempted suicide in the same way (mother and daughter);
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- the absence of DNA evidence or other injuries could be explained by, for example, the use of gloves by a potential killer;
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- the isolated location where the victim was found.
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- Psychiatric disorders can have a family component, and suicidal behaviour might be familiarly transmitted [17].
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- The mother also confirmed that she had attempted suicide in the same way and that her daughter, before committing suicide, had repeatedly expressed suicidal ideation.
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- The absence of DNA evidence alone is not decisive in identifying a suicide. However, the absence of any other injuries, while not specific, is extremely suggestive of suicide in this case. This statement is supported by the complete negativity of the toxicology tests, which suggest that the victim was conscious at the time of the event. Therefore, it is unlikely that a conscious individual would not attempt to free themselves from the cable tie in some way. In the case of a sleeping individual, it is highly improbable that the application of a cable tie would not cause them to wake up. If the individual were immobilized, it is unlikely that no injury would be found to the limbs.
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- The public place where the body was found (beside a cycle path by a river) may seem unusual for a suicide. Instead, as shown in the literature, public places are often chosen by suicide victims [18]. Furthermore, the investigations did not identify any elements that might suggest that the woman was not alone. Finally, there were no signs indicating that the body had been moved.
3. Narrative Review
3.1. Methods
3.2. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Sex | Age | Ligature Tool(s) | Psychiatric History | Anti-Conservative Behaviours | Suicide Note | Haemorrhagic Petechiae | Haemorrhagic Infiltration of Neck Soft Tissues | Fractures in the Neck Structures | Toxicology Report | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[8] Case 1 | M | 37 | Two cable ties and a belt | Positive | No | Absent | Conjunctival | Absent | Absent | Positive |
[8] Case 2 | F | 63 | Multiple cable ties | Positive | No | Absent | Conjunctival, facial, and on the neck | Multiple, small, focal | Absent | Positive |
[8] Case 3 | M | 54 | Two cable ties | Positive | Yes | Present | Absent ** | Absent ** | Absent | Positive |
[19] | M | 50 | One cable tie | Negative * | No * | Present | Conjunctival | Contusion of the neck muscles | Absent | Positive |
[20] | M | 75 | One cable tie | Positive | Yes | Absent | Facial | Small amount of bleeding | Absent | Positive |
[21] | M | 48 | Multiple cable ties | Negative * | No * | Present | Conjunctival | Right thyrohyoid muscle | Absent | Negative |
[22] | M | 40 | Two cable ties | Positive | No | Present | Conjunctival and palpebral | Absent | Absent | Unspecified |
[23] | M | 25 | Two cable ties | Negative * | No * | Absent | Conjunctival and on the mouth mucosa | Contusion of the neck muscles | Absent | Positive |
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Cecannecchia, C.; De Simone, S.; Baldari, B.; Cipolloni, L.; Cioffi, A. Strangulation Using Cable Ties and a Suicidal Manner of Death: A Case Report and Literature Review Addressing an Atypical Suicidal Mode. Forensic Sci. 2025, 5, 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5010001
Cecannecchia C, De Simone S, Baldari B, Cipolloni L, Cioffi A. Strangulation Using Cable Ties and a Suicidal Manner of Death: A Case Report and Literature Review Addressing an Atypical Suicidal Mode. Forensic Sciences. 2025; 5(1):1. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5010001
Chicago/Turabian StyleCecannecchia, Camilla, Stefania De Simone, Benedetta Baldari, Luigi Cipolloni, and Andrea Cioffi. 2025. "Strangulation Using Cable Ties and a Suicidal Manner of Death: A Case Report and Literature Review Addressing an Atypical Suicidal Mode" Forensic Sciences 5, no. 1: 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5010001
APA StyleCecannecchia, C., De Simone, S., Baldari, B., Cipolloni, L., & Cioffi, A. (2025). Strangulation Using Cable Ties and a Suicidal Manner of Death: A Case Report and Literature Review Addressing an Atypical Suicidal Mode. Forensic Sciences, 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5010001