NCJ Number
246876
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 59 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2014 Pages: 841-843
Date Published
May 2014
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A 19-year-old woman was found dead with her face and head wrapped in plastic adhesive tape in a cupboard beside an opened helium cylinder.
Abstract
A 19-year-old woman was found dead with her face and head wrapped in plastic adhesive tape in a cupboard beside an opened helium cylinder. Despite the alleged presence of a suicide message on a social networking website, the unusual circumstances raised the possibility at the time of autopsy of either accidental death from sexual asphyxia or homicide. A carefully monitored reenactment demonstrated, however, that the type of commercial adhesive tape that had been used did not cause complete airway obstruction and that it was possible to wrap a considerable length of tape around the head and neck with the breath held. All of the features at autopsy were, therefore, compatible with self-infliction. Asphyxial death was attributed to the combined effects of smothering from tape and anoxia from helium, an extremely rare combination in young females. Abstract published by arrangement with Wiley.