[Reconstruction of a fire homicide after pouring denatured alcohol on the victim].
A 48-year-old man died from extensive burns suffered especially on the upper part of the body during a dispute with his ex-wife, who had poured spirit or a spirit-water mixture over him. For initially unknown reasons, the man's clothing caught fire. Whereas the public prosecutor assumed that the woman had intentionally poured a larger amount of spirit over her ex-husband before setting fire to him, the defendant first claimed to have poured the rest of a water-spirit mixture left over from cleaning the windows over the man and that his clothing caught fire on lighting a cigarette. To clarify the course of events, fire tests with spirit in various dilutions were conducted, which showed that even with undiluted spirit a direct contact with the flame of at least 1 second is necessary to start a fire. There is no deflagration, if spirit is used as a fire accelerant. In the trial, the defendant made a confession and admitted to have poured a mixture of 75% spirit and 25% water over her ex-husband and set fire to his right sleeve with the intention to kill him.
Bohnert
Michael
M
Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universitätklinikums Freiburg.
Lehmann
Rainer
R
Simon
Karl-Heinz
KH
Wehner
Frank
F
D001344:Autopsy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000431:Ethanol; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005858:Germany; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
D000431:Ethanol