An Unusual Case of Postmortem Burning Following Suicide

In this case study, a 63-year-old male, holding with his right hand a 12 gauge, double trigger shotgun, loaded with one cartridge, was found completely carbonized inside a burnt out car. The body showed a degree of destruction by fire, consisting of a level 3 of the Crow-Glassman Scale (CGS). Toxicological analyses were performed on still available soft tissues and body fluids. Based on X-ray examination and autopsy findings, the victim was not still alive at the time of fire. The death was determined by a cranio-facial trauma due to a shotgun . The fusion of the lower right limb with the accelerator pedal suggested to the investigators an uncommon way to ignite the car. In fact, not only there was not found accelerant, but it was determined that the fire started from the engine.