An unusual complex suicide involving a chainsaw and a hanging: a case report

BACKGROUND: Suicides or suicidal attempts with power tools such as band or circular saws are rarely encountered in forensic medicine practice; in the forensic literature, only a few cases have been reported. We present the case of a “combined suicide” (self-injurious actions using different methods and involving various bodily sites) carried out with uncommon deadly methods: chainsaw and hanging. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old Caucasian man was found dead by his wife, hanging from the basement ceiling of the cellar in which he lived. During the investigation of the crime scene, external examination revealed a wide incised wound in the umbilical area showing the muscular and adipose tissues below. On inspection of the garden around the courtyard, the police found a chainsaw with blood spatter on both the blade and the handle. The blade appeared to be compatible with the abdominal injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Since the corpse presented this incised wound, it was crucial to establish the manner and the causes of death, as well as to exclude any third-party involvement. In this case, the presence of multiple injuries, potentially lethal, required a differential diagnosis between suicide or homicide. A detailed post-mortem examination, in association with a precise study of the circumstantial data, led the authors to assume that they were dealing with a “complex suicide.”