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Case Reports
. 2017 Dec;13(4):441-443.
doi: 10.1007/s12024-017-9902-5. Epub 2017 Aug 18.

A tree branch instead of a ligature: an unusual accidental hanging

Amal Nishantha Vadysinghe  1 , Murugupillai Sivasubramanium  2 , Rankothge Pemasiri Jayasooriya  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

A tree branch instead of a ligature: an unusual accidental hanging

Amal Nishantha Vadysinghe et al. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2017 Dec.

Abstract

A unique case of accidental hanging due to compression of the neck of an adult by the branches of a coffee tree is reported. The decedent was a 42-year-old male who was found dead in a semi prone position on a slope. His neck was lodged in a wedge formed by two branches of a coffee tree, with his legs angled downwards on the slope. Autopsy revealed two friction abrasions located horizontally on either side of the front of the neck, just above the larynx. The findings were compatible with compression of the neck by the branches of the tree, with the body weight of the decedent contributing to compression. Subsequent complete autopsy examination confirmed the cause of death as hanging. Following an inquest the death was ruled to be accidental.

Keywords: Accidental hanging; Atypical neck compression; Coffee tree branches; Partial hanging.

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