Generally a suicide foiled in the attempt to take his life uses the same weapon over again if he persists in the attempt. But he may not do so; on the contrary, if the first attempt was made with a knife, the second may be made with a pistol, etc. Several wounds by the same or different weapons cannot therefore be an absolute proof of homicide.
The presence of blood, hair, and other substances on the weapon used, or probably used, is a matter of some importance. Blood is not necessarily found on the weapon used to inflict a mortal wound, especially in the case of blunt instruments. In stab-wounds, too, the vessels may be compressed by the blow or the weapon may be wiped as it were on withdrawal by the elasticity of the skin and by the clothing, except for a thin yellowish film. Thus it is that the first stab-wound shows no blood on the outside of the clothes but only on the inside, but the outside of the second is usually bloody but may be but little so. To make sure whether or not there is blood on a knife or other weapon it is necessary to examine all the depressions on the instrument, as the blade itself may have been washed, and only those traces of blood remain which are less accessible to cleaning by washing. Blood coagulated on a blade indicates, as a rule, blood from a living animal, but it may not do so. Furthermore, it may be hard to distinguish between a thin layer or spots of dried blood not coagulated or coagulated and dried blood in a similar form.
If blood is not found on a weapon, hair and other substances which can be identified may be. This is especially the case with blunt weapons, on which, as we have seen, blood usually fails. A fragment of the weapon may break off in the wound, as in stab-wounds, and may be identified as belonging to one in the murderer’s possession.
The signs of a struggle furnish important evidence, as they are not likely to be found in the case of suicide. If the wounds were inflicted by a cutting instrument, the existence of a struggle may be indicated by incisions on the palm of the hand or fingers or on the dorsum (see Fig 12). Such wounds would not be self-inflicted and would indicate a struggle with the murderer. Or if contusions or ecchymoses indicating the form of the foot, fist, fingers, or finger-nails are found on the face, neck, chest, forearm, or hand of the deceased, this again indicates a struggle with the assailant, and goes far to prove murder. The same is true of the imprint of a bloody or dirty hand on the clothes of the victim when the victim’s hands were not bloody. Also such an imprint in a position where the deceased could not have reached with the particular hand indicated, as is the case if the impression of a right hand be found on the victim’s right arm; this indicates a struggle with a murderer, etc. In one case of murder, on the back of the left hand of the deceased there was found the bloody mark of a left hand evidently not that of the victim himself. The presence of marks of violence about the mouth of the deceased, done to close it to prevent the victim from giving an alarm, especially if surprised during sleep, is presumptive of murder. Sometimes hair or fragments of clothing belonging to the accused are found in the grasp of the deceased, indicating a desperate struggle, and they are very suspicious of murder. Thus Taylor[647] cites the case of a murder trial in Ireland, in 1877, where hairs found firmly grasped in the hands of the deceased were found to correspond to the hair of the accused. The clothes of the deceased, as well as those of the accused, often indicate a struggle unless the accused can satisfactorily account for the condition of his own clothes in some other way.
Fig. 12.—Incised Wounds of Right Hand in the Struggle of Defence. Homicide.
The examination of the clothes and body of the deceased and the accused may furnish important evidence.
If suicide is accomplished by a weapon like a knife, it is rare for the hand not to be bloody. If it is not bloody we may well suspect a case of supposed suicide. The presence of blood on the hand does not prove suicide, though its absence may disprove it, as the hand is generally bloody in case of murder by being carried to the wound.
The examination of the clothing of the deceased is of great importance. As we have noticed before, a suicide generally opens them, a murderer rarely. A suicide is often partly or even wholly undressed when he inflicts the wound, while murder is usually committed on those entirely dressed. The wound of the clothes should correspond to that of the body in case of murder. In suicide the wounds of the body and of the clothes may not correspond, especially if there exists a motive to falsely impute the crime. The clothes of the deceased as well as those of the accused may indicate a struggle, as we have already noticed. Of course, in regard to the clothes examined, it is necessary to clearly prove that they were worn at the time by the deceased or accused, otherwise serious mistakes may be and sometimes are made. In examining the blood-spots on the clothing, note whether the blood occurs in large patches or sprinkled as by a spurting vessel or by continued violence.
The body of the accused may present scratches, marks of nails, contusions, bites, or other wounds indicative of a struggle. It would be well to ask the accused how he received the wounds or scars, to see if his explanations tally with the injuries. It is hard to tell when wounds which have cicatrized were inflicted; we can only distinguish between old and recent ones, and thus control the statements of the accused. An examination of the finger-nails of the prisoner soon after the crime may reveal blood underneath when the rest of the hands and person are free from it. Note also the site and shape of the blood-spots, if they exist, and whether or not they came from an arterial jet. These spots may be on the body or clothes of the accused. The account of the accused as to these spots may or may not correspond to the facts as indicated by them. The above leads us to the more or less important question: