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Anabolic steroids and extreme violence: a case of murder after chronic intake and under acute influence of metandienone and trenbolone

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Abstract

A 32-year-old male went to the police to claim he just killed his girlfriend by inflicting several stabs with a kitchen knife. He was very nervous and particularly aggressive. About 90 min after the assault, a blood specimen was collected with natrium fluoride as preservative. The blood was free of alcohol, pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse, but tested positive by LC–MS/MS for metandienone (32 ng/mL) and trenbolone (9 ng/mL). The perpetrator admitted regular consumption of anabolic steroids to enhance his muscular mass, as he was a professional security agent. To document long-term steroid abuse, a hair specimen was collected 3 weeks after the assault, which tested positive for both drugs. Segmental analyses revealed in the proximal 1.5 cm segment, corresponding to the period of the assault, the simultaneous presence of metandienone (11 pg/mg) and trenbolone (14 pg/mg), while only metandienone (3 pg/mg) was identified in the distal 1.5 cm segment. As aggressiveness and violence can be associated with abuse of anabolic steroids, the aetiology of this domestic crime was listed to be due impulsive behaviour in a context of antisocial lifestyle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Barla, 6 rue Barla, 06000, Nice, France

    Frédéric Aknouche, Angeline Kernalléguen & Christophe Maruejouls

  2. Institut de Médecine Légale, 11 rue Humann, F-67000, Strasbourg, France

    Laurie Gheddar & Pascal Kintz

  3. X-Pertise Consulting, 42 rue principale, F-67206, Mittelhausbergen, France

    Pascal Kintz

Authors
  1. Frédéric Aknouche
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  2. Laurie Gheddar
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  3. Angeline Kernalléguen
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  4. Christophe Maruejouls
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  5. Pascal Kintz
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Correspondence to Pascal Kintz.

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Aknouche, F., Gheddar, L., Kernalléguen, A. et al. Anabolic steroids and extreme violence: a case of murder after chronic intake and under acute influence of metandienone and trenbolone. Int J Legal Med 135, 1449–1453 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-021-02587-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-021-02587-y

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