Homicide Patterns in the West Midlands

In order to determine the incidence of various types of homicide, a retrospective review of 140 homicide post-mortems was carried out. Four major causes of death — stabbing, asphyxia, blunt head injury and shooting — accounted, alone or in combination, for 89% of the deaths.

Within each of these major groups an analysis was carried out of the pattern of injuries sustained by homicide victims.

In particular the changes seen at post-mortem in the cases of asphyxial death were analysed. Ligature strangulation was twice as common as manual, and fracture of the bones of the neck occurred in 50% of the cases of ligature strangulations compared to 33% of manual strangulations. Petechial haemorrhages were found with equal frequency in the facial skin and eyes above the level of neck constriction and in the thoracic organs below the level of constriction.

Of the victims, 54% were male and 46% were female, whereas 90% of the assailants were male and 8% were female. A ‘close’ family relationship existed between the victim and the assailant in 43% of cases and in only 4% of the cases was there a proven sexual motive for the homicide. In 4% of the cases natural pre-existing disease in the victim contributed to the death by homicide.