title: An amazing case of fatal self-immolation.
abstract: We present a surprising case of suicide by self-immolation. A surveillance camera filmed the victim's agony. We were able to ascertain that he survived 13 min after ignition. This case was the starting point for a review of the literature of the forensic elements required to correctly analyze cases of suicide by self-immolation and to establish the causal link between the burn lesions and death. The authors will focus on the forensic and medical aspects in favor of suicide by self-immolation and on the forensic aspects required to understand the ignition process, the circumstances surrounding the fire with a particular emphasis on determining whether an accelerant was doused on the victim before ignition.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Médecine Légale et d'Anthropologie médico-légale, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Avenue de Valombrose, 06107 Nice Cedex 2, France. Electronic address: alunni.v@chu-nice.fr.
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alunni
authors.affiliation: CEPAM (Cultures et Environnements, Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge), UMR7264-CNRS Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Campus Saint-Jean d'Angély 3, 24, avenue des Diables Bleus, 06357 Nice Cedex 4, France. Electronic address: g.grevin@voila.fr.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grevin
authors.affiliation: CEPAM (Cultures et Environnements, Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge), UMR7264-CNRS Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Campus Saint-Jean d'Angély 3, 24, avenue des Diables Bleus, 06357 Nice Cedex 4, France. Electronic address: luc.buchet@cepam.cnrs.fr.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buchet
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology LAT LUMTOX, 800 avenue marie Curie, La Voulte sur Rhône, France. Electronic address: y.gaillard@latlumtox.com.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Médecine Légale et d'Anthropologie médico-légale, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Avenue de Valombrose, 06107 Nice Cedex 2, France. Electronic address: quatrehomme.g@chu-nice.fr.
authors.forename: Gérald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quatrehomme
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D005390:Fires; D005742:Gasoline; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013405:Suicide; D014743:Videotape Recording
chemical_list: D005742:Gasoline
keywords: Accelerant; Death; Forensic medicine; Gasoline; Self-immolation; Suicide