Prior to 1992, fire investigators generally examined fire scenes by subjective observation and a process of elimination. If no innocent cause could be determined, arson would be assumed. Arson was often concluded based on various fire pattern myths, for example, the belief that only the presence of an accelerant could result in "crazed glass" or spiderweb cracking. Such fire pattern myths were debunked in 1992 when NFPA 921 was published, disproving many myths and detailing the use of the scientific method. The present study was conducted to see whether fire pattern myths were still being mentioned in Canadian courts after 1992. Through a mixed methods study, 26 court case summaries ranging from 1979 to 2018 relating to arson were analyzed to identify the mention of fire pattern myths, negative corpus, placed accelerant or NFPA. Nine cases dated prior to and seventeen occurred after 1992. "Demarcation lines" and "multiple origins" in relation to accelerant placement were the most common and, were increasingly common after 1992. Avant 1992, les enqu & ecirc;teurs en incendie examinaient g & eacute;n & eacute;ralement les lieux d'incendie par observation subjective et par & eacute;limination. En l'absence de cause innocente, la piste criminelle & eacute;tait privil & eacute;gi & eacute;e. Cette conclusion reposait souvent sur diverses id & eacute;es re & ccedil;ues concernant les caract & eacute;ristiques d'un incendie, comme la croyance que seule la pr & eacute;sence d'un acc & eacute;l & eacute;rant pouvait expliquer le craquelage du verre ou les fissures en toile d'araign & eacute;e. Ces id & eacute;es re & ccedil;ues ont & eacute;t & eacute; d & eacute;menties en 1992 avec la publication de la norme NFPA 921, qui a r & eacute;fut & eacute; nombre d'entre elles et d & eacute;taill & eacute; l'application de la m & eacute;thode scientifique. La pr & eacute;sente & eacute;tude visait & agrave; d & eacute;terminer si ces id & eacute;es re & ccedil;ues & eacute;taient encore & eacute;voqu & eacute;es devant les tribunaux canadiens apr & egrave;s 1992. Au moyen d'une m & eacute;thodologie mixte, 26 r & eacute;sum & eacute;s de dossiers judiciaires relatifs & agrave; des incendies criminels, couvrant la p & eacute;riode de 1979 & agrave; 2018, ont & eacute;t & eacute; analys & eacute;s afin d'identifier toute mention de ces id & eacute;es re & ccedil;ues, de preuves n & eacute;gatives, d'acc & eacute;l & eacute;rant ou de la norme NFPA. Neuf cas dataient d'avant 1992 et dix-sept sont survenus apr & egrave;s. Les & laquo;lignes de d & eacute;marcation & raquo; et les & laquo;origines multiples & raquo; en lien avec le placement de l'acc & eacute;l & eacute;rateur & eacute;taient les plus fr & eacute;quentes et sont devenues de plus en plus courantes apr & egrave;s 1992.
Fatal insulin overdose remains a persistent diagnostic challenge in forensic practice, particularly when postmortem biochemical confirmation is limited or unavailable. This study retrospectively examined seven suicide deaths involving insulin-induced hypoglycemia adjudicated by the First Specialization Board of the Council of Forensic Medicine in Turkiye between 2011 and 2024. Case files, scene findings, psychiatric histories, insulin accessibility, toxicology data, and autopsy and histopathology reports were systematically reviewed. The decedents ranged from 30 to 81 years of age; four had diabetes mellitus requiring insulin therapy, while three had no therapeutic indication for insulin and obtained it through non-medical means. Most had documented suicidal behavior, and two had previously attempted self-harm specifically with insulin. Scene investigations frequently revealed insulin delivery devices, and vitreous glucose levels-when available-were low. Autopsy examinations demonstrated non-specific hypoxic-ischemic changes without pathognomonic indicators of insulin toxicity. Because postmortem biochemical instability and limited analytical capacity constrained insulin or analogue quantification, final determinations relied on a convergent evaluation integrating behavioral intent, access pathways, scene reconstruction, and exclusion of alternative causes. These findings underscore the importance of contextual medico-legal reasoning in classifying insulin-related deaths and provide a practical interpretive framework for situations in which toxicological confirmation is technically restricted.
Drug consumption is a recognized risk factor for morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Toxicological findings in medico-legal death investigations provide important epidemiological insight into patterns of substance exposure within a population. This retrospective study aimed to characterize the prevalence and distribution of drugs detected in peripheral blood among decedents undergoing medico-legal autopsy in the B & iacute;o-B & iacute;o region of Chile between 2016 and 2020. Cases were identified from the regional office of the Servicio M & eacute;dico Legal. Decedents were included when at least one drug was detected and confirmed in peripheral blood. A total of 678 decedents had at least one drug detected during the study period. The most frequent certified causes of death were disease (29.2%), trauma (26.8%), asphyxia (15.0%), and suicide (10.6%). Men represented 82.6% of cases and women 17.4%. The most commonly detected substances were cocaine (45.7%), benzodiazepines (28.3%), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (12.7%). Ages ranged from 1 to 96 years, with 84.5% of cases older than 31 years. Benzodiazepines and amitriptyline were more frequently detected among older decedents, whereas cocaine and THC predominated in younger age groups.
Infrared (IR) imaging techniques are widely used in forensic document analysis because they can reveal information invisible under normal lighting conditions. This study presents a method for determining the writing sequence of intersecting ballpoint pen strokes using a digital microscope and IR illumination. Many ballpoint pen inks became partially or fully transparent under IR illumination, enabling visualization of the physical grooves left by the rolling ball of the pen. By directing IR illumination at low angles, these grooves cast discernible shadows that revealed the spatial relationship between the overlapping strokes. At the intersections, the groove produced by the upper stroke disrupted or overlaid the underlying groove, enabling inference of the writing sequence. This approach is non-destructive, easy to implement, and highly reliable. Les techniques d'imagerie infrarouge (IR) sont largement utilis & eacute;es dans l'analyse m & eacute;dico-l & eacute;gale des documents, car elles permettent de r & eacute;v & eacute;ler des informations invisibles dans des conditions d'& eacute;clairage normales. Cette & eacute;tude pr & eacute;sente une m & eacute;thode permettant, & agrave; l'aide d'un microscope num & eacute;rique et d'un & eacute;clairage IR, de d & eacute;terminer la s & eacute;quence d'& eacute;criture des traits de stylo & agrave; bille qui se croisent. En effet, de nombreuses encres de stylo & agrave; bille deviennent partiellement ou totalement transparentes sous l'action de la lumi & egrave;re IR, ce qui permet de visualiser les rainures physiques laiss & eacute;es par le roulement de la bille du stylo. En orientant la lumi & egrave;re IR & agrave; faible angle sur ces rainures, nous obtenons des ombres discernables qui r & eacute;v & egrave;lent la relation spatiale entre les traits qui se chevauchent. & Agrave; chaque intersection, la rainure produite par le trait sup & eacute;rieur perturbe ou recouvre celle du trait inf & eacute;rieur, ce qui permet de d & eacute;duire la s & eacute;quence d'& eacute;criture. Cette approche est non destructive, facile & agrave; mettre en oe uvre et tr & egrave;s fiable.
