Drowning with Bound Wrists: Report of Two Autopsy Cases

Abstract

Drowned bodies with bound wrists are occasionally observed in forensic practice. Suicidal victims may bind their hands or feet with a rope to ensure success of the suicide attempt, but the possibility of homicidal drowning cannot be excluded. We report on two autopsy cases of drowning with bound wrists. A 51-year-old man (case 1) was found in the bathroom beside the bathtub, with his head under the water in the bathtub. His wrists were tied with a green bath towel. An 83-year-old man (case 2) was found dead in a reservoir. His wrists were loosely bound with blue nylon traps on the back, and both ankles were loosely tied with socks, with a simple knot on the left ankle. At autopsy, the lungs were hyperinflated, and foamy fluid was exuded from the bronchi in both cases.