Unusual death of a transvestite: identification of crime weapon and survival time*.
The authors report a case of a transvestite found murdered near his automobile with several lacerated contused wounds to the face and cranial fractures. Autopsy revealed that the cause of death was a serious head trauma with subdural and subarachnoidal hemorrhages. In order to identify the crime weapon, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used which revealed metallic residue on the skin fragments with the same molecular composition of the car paint. As for survival time, antibody anti-beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) was applied to brain fragments and brainstem tissue, allowing for axonal varicosities (which form 2 to 3 h following death) to be observed under the optic microscope. So, by using SEM we understood that the fatal cranial-encephalic lesions were the result of the victim's head being repeatedly struck against the car door while anti-betaAPP led to the understanding that the time elapsed between injury and death was less than 2 to 3 h.
Cornetta
Sandra
S
Section of Legal Medicine, University of Bari, Bari 70125, Italy. sandracornetta@gmail.com
Addante
Annalisa
A
Zotti
Fiorenza
F
Dell'Erba
Alessandro
A
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001336:Automobiles; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000473:pathology; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000473:pathology; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008875:Middle Aged; D010150:Paint; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014190:Transvestism
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal