Skip to main content
Log in

An instance of homicide by electrocution with hand-made electrode plates

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Homicide by electrocution is rare in forensics, and the identification of the cause of death can be quite difficult when the electric device is removed from the scene. We present an instance where the police were unsure of homicide in the initial investigation. The offender used hand-made electrode plates for electrocution, which produced unique electric marks different from those produced by common electric devices such as electric wires. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of homicide by electrocution with electrode plates. We believe that the macroscopic and microscopic findings in this instance are quite valuable for forensic practitioners.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All the data related to the case have been included in the paper. Additional data can be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

References

  1. Shaha KK, Joe AE. Electrocution-related mortality: a retrospective review of 118 deaths in Coimbatore, India, between January 2002 and December 2006. Med Sci Law. 2010;50:72–4. https://doi.org/10.1258/msl.2010.010008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wick R, Gilbert JD, Simpson E, Byard RW. Fatal electrocution in adults–a 30-year study. Med Sci Law. 2006;46:166–72. https://doi.org/10.1258/rsmmsl.46.2.166.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Liu S, Yu Y, Huang Q, Luo B, Liao X. Electrocution-related mortality: a review of 71 deaths by low-voltage electrical current in Guangdong, China, 2001–2010. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2014;35:193–6. https://doi.org/10.1097/PAF.0000000000000072.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Shawon RA, Ferdoush J, Ali AH, Biswas A, Rahman AKMF, Mashreky SR. Alarming rise in fatal electrocutions in Bangladesh: comparison of two national surveys. Burns. 2019;45:1471–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2019.03.019.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Pfeiffer H, Du Chesne A, Brinkmann B. An unusual case of homicidal near drowning followed by electrocution. Int J Legal Med. 2006;120:36–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-005-0049-7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Trübner K. Püschel K [Fatalities in the bathtub]. Arch Kriminol. 1991;188:35–46.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. al-Alousi LM. Homicide by electrocution. Med Sci Law. 1990;30:239–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/002580249003000313.

  8. Pfeiffer H, Karger B. Attempted homicide by electrocution. Int J Legal Med. 1998;111:331–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004140050182.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Saukko P, Knight B. Electrical fatalities. In: Knight’s forensic pathology. FL: CRC Press; 2015;325–38.

  10. Nishanthavadysinghe A, Thambirajah B, Denniss KM. Abuse of defibrillator pads: suicide by electrocution. J Forensic Leg Med. 2021;83:102252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2021.102252.

  11. Fineschi V, Karch SB, D’Errico S, Pomara C, Riezzo I, Turillazzi E. Cardiac pathology in death from electrocution. Int J Legal Med. 2006;120:79–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-005-0011-8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Shetty BS, Kanchan T, Acharya J, Naik R. Cardiac pathology in fatal electrocution. Burns. 2014;40:e45–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2014.02.001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kandeel S, Elhosary NM, El-Noor MMA, Balaha M. Electric injury-induced Purkinje cell apoptosis in rat cerebellum: histological and immunohistochemical study. J Chem Neuroanat. 2017;81:87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchemneu.2017.02.010.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Schulze C, Peters M, Baumgärtner W, Wohlsein P. Electrical injuries in animals: causes, pathogenesis, and morphological findings. Vet Pathol. 2016;53:1018–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0300985816643371.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Mansueto G, Di Napoli M, Mascolo P, Carfora A, Zangani P, Pietra BD, et al. Electrocution stigmas in organ damage: the pathological marks. Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11:682. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11040682.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Nobutaka Arai for professional advice on the neuropathological findings and Editage (www.editage.com) for English language editing.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant form funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu Kakimoto.

Ethics declarations

Informed consent

Consent to participate and consent for publication were not applicable. Only data collected in the process of a routine forensic investigation ordered by the legal authorities are described in this case report.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kakimoto, Y., Ikeda, H., Matsushima, Y. et al. An instance of homicide by electrocution with hand-made electrode plates. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 19, 568–572 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-022-00566-2

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-022-00566-2

Keywords

Navigation