In majority of deaths from asphyxiation that affect the cerebral blood flow, compression occurs at the neck. Compressive asphyxia caused by a heavy weight is usually the result of an accident. The authors used the Korean national police agency's scientific crime analysis system to identify two cases of suicide by strangulation which were not otherwise specified, wherein asphyxiation occurred from an object pressing on the neck. In the first case, a man in his 50s died after the compression of his neck with a barbell shaft using a bench press. In the second case, a man in his 80s died due to compression from the side bar of a single bed that pressed on his neck. As far as the authors know, there have been no reported cases of suicide in forensic literature that occurred due to compression from an object such as a barbell shaft of a bench press or a side bar of a bed. Upon classifying the types of asphyxiation, accurate statistics should be prepared and researched, with accurate understanding and classification of the terms therein. Each case in the present report is discussed along with a brief literature review.

Dry ice is a solid form of carbon dioxide and is commonly used in everyday life to keep food or medicine cold. In South Korea, there have been rare cases of carbon dioxide asphyxiation and poisoning from dry ice, though there have been no reports of its use in suicide. In the first case, a man was found lying down dead and left a large amount of dry ice in his room. In the second case, a man died by tying a belt around his neck after placing a plastic bag filled with dry ice over his head. The third death was by placing a large amount of dry ice in a large rubber basin in his room and filling it with water. Dry ice itself is mostly harmless, but if it is not handled carefully in a confined space, it can cause accidents due to accidental oxygen deprivation. Its easy availability in everyday life also means it is likely to be misused for suicidal purposes. Investigators should consider the potential for asphyxiation or poisoning incidents if they discover dry ice or its packaging at the forensic scene.

Hanging is the most common form of suicide, but the use of a single ligature in a suicide pact is very rare. The authors identified three cases of double hanging through the National Police Agency's Scientific Crime Analysis System over 11 years in Korea, from 2008 to 2018. Of the six deaths, all but one were suicides; one was a victim of murder (suicide after murder). A couple was found hanging by a single ligature over a beam, wherein a man hanged himself using the weight of the woman he had strangled to death. A mother and her daughter used a chest of drawers as a fulcrum off which they hanged themselves, with one on each side of the drawers, using a single rope. Two lovers were found sitting at each end of the rope, using a single ligature, with a tree branch as an abutment. Each of these cases is discussed and reported along with a brief literature review. In a double hanging case, investigators should be cautious in determining the manner of death by distinguishing between a suicide pact from a homicide-suicide.

One of the most common methods of suicide is hanging, and suicide by ligature strangulation is quite rare. Vehicles have a confined space, making them an unusual place for committing suicide by hanging or ligature strangulation, because they are more typically the location of suicide by carbon monoxide intoxication by briquette or drug intoxication. Here, we present three cases of unusual suicide by ligature strangulation, discuss the mechanism of asphyxia in each case, and review the literature. In case 1, the victim used a backpack to perform reverse hanging by wrapping the shoulder strap of the backpack around his neck and then tossing the backpack behind the backrest of the driver's seat. In case 2, the victim did not use the internal structures of the vehicle, but pulled down on a ligature wrapped around both his knees and neck. In case 3, the victim hanged himself using a package line fixed to the roof handle grab of the back passenger seat.

One of the most common methods of suicide is hanging, and suicide by ligature strangulation is quite rare. Vehicles have a confined space, making them an unusual place for committing suicide by hanging or ligature strangulation, because they are more typically the location of suicide by carbon monoxide intoxication by briquette or drug intoxication. Here, we present three cases of unusual suicide by ligature strangulation, discuss the mechanism of asphyxia in each case, and review the literature. In case 1, the victim used a backpack to perform reverse hanging by wrapping the shoulder strap of the backpack around his neck and then tossing the backpack behind the backrest of the driver's seat. In case 2, the victim did not use the internal structures of the vehicle, but pulled down on a ligature wrapped around both his knees and neck. In case 3, the victim hanged himself using a package line fixed to the roof handle grab of the back passenger seat.

One of the most common methods of suicide is hanging, and suicide by ligature strangulation is quite rare. Vehicles have a confined space, making them an unusual place for committing suicide by hanging or ligature strangulation, because they are more typically the location of suicide by carbon monoxide intoxication by briquette or drug intoxication. Here, we present three cases of unusual suicide by ligature strangulation, discuss the mechanism of asphyxia in each case, and review the literature. In case 1, the victim used a backpack to perform reverse hanging by wrapping the shoulder strap of the backpack around his neck and then tossing the backpack behind the backrest of the driver's seat. In case 2, the victim did not use the internal structures of the vehicle, but pulled down on a ligature wrapped around both his knees and neck. In case 3, the victim hanged himself using a package line fixed to the roof handle grab of the back passenger seat.

Many people end their lives by committing suicide every year. Most of these people inflict their own death using a method that is considered least painful such as hanging, gun shots, and drug overdose. Some choose to use their surroundings and jump off high buildings. We here present two cases of extremely rare suicide methods compared to the typically observed self-inflicted deaths. In the first case, a woman amputated her foot above the ankle with a kitchen knife, and in the second case, a man used an abrasive saw to cut his neck. Both victims had a psychiatric problem consistent with schizophrenia. Examination of these extraordinary death cases warrants a thorough scene investigation and an autopsy to determine past and present psychiatric illnesses and drug prescriptions.
Ankle ; Autopsy ; Drug Overdose ; Drug Prescriptions ; Female ; Foot ; Humans ; Methods ; Neck ; Schizophrenia ; Suicide

Most cases of ligature strangulation are generally homicides, and deaths due to suicide or accident are rare. We present a very rare case of a man using a recliner sofa as an aid for strangulation. The deceased, a man in his 50s, cut his wrists using an industrial cutter several times and placed his hands into a bathtub containing warm water, which, however, did not lead to death. His suicide attempt through self-ligature strangulation using a recliner in the living room finally resulted in his death. After considering the results of the scene investigation, testimony of the witnesses, and the autopsy findings, the cause of death was determined to be self-ligature strangulation, and wrist incisions were found to be a contributory cause of death.

Many people end their lives by committing suicide every year. Most of these people inflict their own death using a method that is considered least painful such as hanging, gun shots, and drug overdose. Some choose to use their surroundings and jump off high buildings. We here present two cases of extremely rare suicide methods compared to the typically observed self-inflicted deaths. In the first case, a woman amputated her foot above the ankle with a kitchen knife, and in the second case, a man used an abrasive saw to cut his neck. Both victims had a psychiatric problem consistent with schizophrenia. Examination of these extraordinary death cases warrants a thorough scene investigation and an autopsy to determine past and present psychiatric illnesses and drug prescriptions.

Complex suicide refers to a type of suicide that leads to death using two or more methods. We report three cases of unique and rare examples of complex suicide, with the plan of the second and/or third method working simultaneously if the first suicidal attempt had failed. In the first case, the victim used three methods of asphyxia: hanging by a safety belt, plastic bag suffocation, and self-ligature strangulation by stretching rubber bands within the vehicle. In the second case, the victim hanged himself with electrocution by attaching electrical leads to the right side of his head. In the third case, the victim with the intention of drowning jumped 20 m above the water surface on the bridge by tying metal chains to the bridge rail and self-immolation by gasoline. Planned complex suicide involves more successful methods to commit suicide and may conversely be camouflaged as suicide in murder case.