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| Common
Weapons |
| In a complex world
of weapons, forensic scientists see hundreds of different wounds causes
by weapons other than guns. For example, blunt trauma,
sharp trauma, asphyxiation,
strangulation
and assault. All of these forms of murder are brutal and the wounds
on the dead body left behind provide vital evidence of the type of
weapon used by the criminal. |
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Select a topic from below to read more:
--> Trauma
--> Asphyxiation
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| Trauma |
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| Blunt trauma concerns injuries and
death caused by blunt objects such as bats, household ornaments and
rocks. If a person is the victim of blunt trauma, fractures, broken
bones and external bruising are usually strong evidence for the occurrence
of blunt trauma. Sharp trauma refers to injuries caused by sharp objects,
such as knives, nails and swords. The type of knife wound on the body
can often reveal what type of knife was used. Different types of knives
include double-edged knives, single-edged knives and serrated
edged knives. Double-edged knives have dagger-like cutting edges that
leave obvious markings of two sharp edges. Single-edged knives have
one sharp edge and often create wounds that have a boat-like shape.
Serrated knives often give the wound a rough appearance around the
edge. |
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| Asphyxiation |
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| Asphyxiation is a condition whereby
a lack of oxygen and an excessive amount of carbon
dioxide causes interference in breathing and subsequently choking,
then eventually death. The most common cause of asphyxiation occurs
in motor vehicles, where the vehicle's exhaust is channeled into the
car, subsequently suffocating the victim. Strangulation, another possible
form of asphyxiation, leaves marks or bruising around the neck, whether
death was inflicted manually or using an object. The size and markings
on the wound reveal whether the actions were repeatedly used and whether
the rope or cord was twisted or flatted out around the neck. Any long,
flexible and tough object is suitable as the weapon for strangulation,
many of which are household items like belts, a telephone cord or
a scarf. |
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