[Initially suspected killing with a political background identified as accidental carbon monoxide poisoning].
During a parish fair the police was called to a conflict between two rival right-wing youth groups in the early morning hours. Shortly afterwards a burning car was discovered near the marquee with a charred male body on the driver's seat. It was assumed that there was a connection between the two events. At autopsy no injuries were found that were not attributable to postmortem consumption by the fire. The BAC value was 1.76 per thousand, the CO-Hb concentration 78%. The body could be identified by comparing pre- and postmortem X-rays of the molars and premolars of the right upper jaw. Reconstruction of the course of events and classification as an accident was possible only after calling in technical experts: The victim had gone back to his car to take a nap and kept the engine running because of the cold temperature. The car had been fitted improperly with a sport exhaust pipe, which caused both the carbon monoxide poisoning and the fire.
Oehmke
Stephan
S
Institut für Rechtsmedizin am Universitätsklinikum Giessen.
Birngruber
Christoph
C
Kreutz
Kerstin
K
Verhoff
Marcel A
MA
D000059:Accidents / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000328:Adult; D001336:Automobiles; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011057:Politics; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology