A Challenging Crime Scene Investigation Report: Alleged Murder, Unravelled the Mystery as Lightning Death

Abstract

Challenges arise to the crime scene investigators when dealing with dead body investigation. The body posture may cause confusion to explain even during natural disasters like flood, lightning and storm. Suspicious death, more than traditional foul play is suspected in which the circumstances of death strongly suggest murder. The present crime scene report, as investigated by the corresponding author (hereafter as TN) in Tamil Nadu, India, during his crime scene investigator career, wherein a middle-aged village woman found dead in an open land with bleedings from nose and ear. The relatives and the villagers have alleged murder and demanded the police for the immediate arrest of the accused. The police registered a case under “suspicious death” and investigated by then forensic crime scene investigator and assisted the police investigation. The method of investigation was a keen scientific observation on dead body, crime scene and reconstruction to identify the case of death. The examination of the deceased revealed a linear burned marks on the thigh region, charred mark in a dried palm leaf that used to cover the head from rain, and charred grasses on the soil near the dead body that clearly indicated the death due to lightning. The present investigation concluded with a finding, based on crime scene, crime reconstruction and autopsy examination that the cause of death was due to lightning and not by homicide, thus unravelled the mystery.

Keywords

• crime scene report
• suspicious death
• alleged homicide
• lightning death
• india