Identifying Differences Between Cut Marks Made on Bone by a Machete and Katana: A Pilot Study

McCardle, Penny; Stojanovski, Elizabeth

doi:10.1111/1556-4029.13754

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…In fact, we found a beveled appearance of the bone, revealing the bone marrow with a detachment from the bone structure. This appearance is between the “Peeling” and “exit notch” aspects described in the paper of McCardle and Stojanovski [16]. Therefore, according to this research, the type of weapon is compatible with a “katana” [16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

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Homicide by unusual‐edged weapons: Forensic considerations of two cases

Karray

Dubois

Savall

et al. 2020

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Homicide by stab wound is common worldwide. However, the use of unusual edged weapons is rarely reported in the forensic literature. Here, we report two cases of homicide involving a Japanese sword, or katana, and a sickle. Both of these weapons can create either stab or incised wounds with some particularities. In our cases, characteristics of the external wounds, internal injuries, and the depth of penetration raised the possibility of an unusual weapon. Meticulous forensic examination of these injuries (morphological characteristics, depth of penetration, trajectories, and cut marks in the bone) may allow the forensic expert to determine the type of weapon used.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Stojanovski [16]. Therefore, according to this research, the type of weapon is compatible with a "katana" [16].…”

Section: Casementioning

confidence: 70%

Homicide by unusual‐edged weapons: Forensic considerations of two cases

Karray

Dubois

Savall

et al. 2020

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…8 Research papers have focused on the identification of weapons by microscopic analysis of cut marks left on bones in chop wounds. 9,10 The shinken involved or examined in those case reports and research papers have had long blades greater than 60 cm (katana), whereas the sword used in the present case report had a shorter blade between 60 and 30 cm (wakizashi). Short blades less than 30 cm (tanto) have reportedly been used to inflict stab-incised wounds 3 to the neck in jigai (ritual suicide).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

A Case of Fatal Exsanguination by a Japanese Short Sword

Sonoda¹,

Shinkawa²,

Kakizaki³

et al. 2022

Am J Forensic Med Pathol

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We report a rare case of fatal exsanguination by a wakizashi, a Japanese short sword (shinken). A man in his 60s was found lying on his back on his bed. He was in cardiopulmonary arrest when the ambulance crew arrived and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. A wakizashi with blood stains on the blade was found on the floor, and blood was present on the bed sheets on which the man was found. Autopsy revealed an incised wound extending diagonally from superolaterally to inferomedially on the anterior left thigh as the only injury. The wound appeared mostly straight, approximately 44 cm long and 9 cm deep, with smooth walls. The left femoral artery and vein had been cleanly severed, and the cause of death was determined to be blood loss from the severed blood vessels. The wakizashi (blade length, 45 cm) was large enough to have caused the wound, and the left thigh was presumed to have been incised by a downward slash from the sword.

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“…The bones were examined using the characteristics for hacking trauma (Table 2) as defined by Symes et al (4), Humphrey and Hutchinson (28), and McCardle and Stojanovski (29). This included examining and recording the presence or absence of the following characteristics: clean cut, crushing, flaking, feathering, chattering, V‐shaped kerfs, and bounce marks, seen as small secondary impact sites (5,28,29). These bounce marks occurred when the implement recoiled after the initial impact and created another mark near the initial defect.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examination of Hacking and Blunt Force Skeletal Trauma

Peace

Pokines

Cummings

et al. 2020

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Hacking trauma is prevalent in forensic cases involving genocide and dismemberment, but research into the identification of this type of trauma is lacking. The present study examines characteristics of hacking and blunt force skeletal trauma in order to determine if there is a point at which blunt force trauma becomes distinguishable from hacking trauma. Ten implements with a range of blade angles (i.e., the striking surface of the implement) were used in conjunction with a controlled‐force hacking device to impact 100 limb bones of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Observations of the trauma included the occurrence and degree of fragmentation, the entrance widths of the impacts, and composite scores of six hacking characteristics, especially the distinctive V‐shaped kerf. ANOVA tests and regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between these characteristics and the blade angles. A significant relationship (p‐value = 0.011) was found between the composite hacking scores and the blade angles, indicating that blunt force and hacking trauma can be distinguished. The entrance widths of the impacts exhibited a significant relationship with the blade angles (p‐value = 0.037). There was also a significant relationship between the visibility of a V‐shaped kerf in the bones (p‐value = 0.003), with visibility decreasing around the 60° blade angle. These data should assist in establishing guidelines to differentiate hacking and blunt force skeletal trauma in cases where the implement is on a spectrum between sharp and blunt.

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Identifying Differences Between Cut Marks Made on Bone by a Machete and Katana: A Pilot Study

Cited by 11 publications

References 9 publications

Homicide by unusual‐edged weapons: Forensic considerations of two cases

Homicide by unusual‐edged weapons: Forensic considerations of two cases

A Case of Fatal Exsanguination by a Japanese Short Sword

Examination of Hacking and Blunt Force Skeletal Trauma

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