title: Outdoor post-mortem depredation by local fauna.
abstract: We present the case of complete post-mortem decapitation of a 43 years old man killed by gunshots discharged from a distance of 40 - 50 cm. The corpse was left in the courtyard of his isolated carpentry and a mongrel dog lived in that courtyard, maybe attracted by the blood gushed from the wound, got a depredation of the corpse till the complete decapitation and the removal of all intrathoracic organs. The action of the dog was completed by the rats and mice that lived in the place. The case is not rare and sometimes the alteration of the features of the corpse makes it impossible for the investigators, to objectify any other signs of criminal nature.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feola
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campilongo
authors.forename: Bruno Della
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Pietra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000473:pathology*; D056146:Corpse Dismemberment; D049248:Decapitation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*