Suicide by fire in a car trunk: a case with potential pitfalls.
We present an unusual case in which an adult female committed suicide by fire while enclosed in the trunk of her vehicle. A finding of suicide was reached only because several key investigative facts were uncovered. Without these discoveries the case may still remain open as a suspicious death. Fire is rarely used as a mechanism of suicide in Western culture, and, as such, similar cases should be reported to advance our recognition of this phenomenon.
Adair
Thomas W
TW
Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, 13101 E. Broncos Parkway, Centennial, CO 80112, USA.
DeLong
Laura
L
Dobersen
Michael J
MJ
Sanamo
Shannon
S
Young
Rick
R
Oliver
Bill
B
Rotter
Tim
T
D000328:Adult; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000209:etiology; D001336:Automobiles; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D013405:Suicide