An unusual suicide by self-waterboarding: forensic pathological issues

Abstract

The authors present the first case, to the best of our knowledge, of a preplanned suicide by self-waterboarding. Waterboarding (WB) is a military method of torture in which water is poured into the nostrils and the mouth of a victim, to evoke the sensation of asphyxiation by drowning. The victim was a 22-year-old male student, who was found dead and naked in the bathtub. His head was covered by a soaked canvas bag, and his hands were tied with two nylon ropes and a padlock. The water jet of the showerhead was specifically directed at the victim’s head, so that the canvas bag could be soaked with water. The cause of death was defined as the combination of asphyxiation by drowning with the direct suffocation provoked by the soaked canvas bag in the context of the waterboarding practice. Finally, the authors discuss the differential diagnosis regarding the modality (suicide versus homicide) through which this case of waterboarding was performed. The case is intended to be used as source data for similar forensic cases, where a multidisciplinary approach is advisable in such complex cases.

Letter to the Editor Regarding the Article “Complex (Multimodality) Suicides in New York City

“…The authors have certainly tackled a topic of great relevance and currency, contextualizing it in a large and cosmopolitan city like New York. It is a subject of great interest in forensic science and one that we have also been working on for some years 2–5 . We therefore congratulate the authors for their contribution to the scientific enrichment of this topic.…”

“…Specifically, a thorough inspection of the scene of death, a careful collection of anamnestic data and circumstantial evidence (including witnesses' statements and security camera footage), as well as a complete judicial autopsy are paramount. If deemed necessary, the gross examination may be supplemented by the performance of postmortem laboratory analyses (ie, histology, toxicology, and genetics) 5 . The victim's personal background should never be underestimated, as psychiatric disorders are the most frequently documented pathologies in these victims, which do not always correlate with previous suicidal ideation and attempts.…”

“…It is a subject of great interest in forensic science and one that we have also been working on for some years. [2][3][4][5] We therefore congratulate the authors for their contribution to the scientific enrichment of this topic.…”

“…If deemed necessary, the gross examination may be supplemented by the performance of postmortem laboratory analyses (ie, histology, toxicology, and genetics). 5 The victim's personal background should never be underestimated, as psychiatric disorders are the most frequently documented pathologies in these victims, which do not always correlate with previous suicidal ideation and attempts. Family, financial, or other serious health problems are also reported in such cases.…”