title: Death due to cocaine intoxication initially thought to be a homicide.
abstract: We present a case of accidental death due to cocaine ingestion in which the victim's bizarre behavioral manifestations initially led law enforcement officials to consider the death a homicide. By virtue of the medical examiner's thorough investigation, the true accidental nature of the death was brought to light.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Prahlow
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D003042:Cocaine; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine