Forensic Analysis of Weapon-Induced Injuries

Identifying the Weapon

What can be hoped for is to determine whether a particular weapon may have caused the wounds. A detailed study of the injury can be inferred from the instrument that produced it.

Class of Instrument

General characteristics of wounds produced by different types of weapons are demonstrative in determining if the instrument was sharp, cutting, cutting and piercing, or point-piercing.

Width of the Weapon

In needlestick injuries, the wound length matches the width of the weapon if it has penetrated perpendicularly toward the exit. If the penetration is oblique, the wound is longer than the actual width of the weapon.

Number of Edges

Not all edges are always marked on the wounded victim if the attacker used the instrument in a confusing manner. If there are multiple injuries, the odds of determining the shape of the instrument increase.

Length of the Weapon

The length is determined by the depth of the wound. In rare cases, the depth of the wound will be greater than the length of the weapon.

Number of Weapons

When a victim has several wounds, the wound size and shape allow for this diagnosis.

Order of Wounds

The fatal wounds are often the last ones inflicted. If vital signs of reaction are missing in a wound, it is assumed it occurred after the killing. In most cases, there is no sufficient evidence. It is possible in the case of needlestick injuries that two wounds clash; if the lips of one meet, that was the first injury. If the latter are not dealt with, the lips of the wound inflicted first will coincide with the edge of the other.

Position of Aggressor and Victim

The position of the aggressor and victim at the time of the injury presents significant difficulties for resolution. It is most correct to clarify whether the wound characteristics match or contradict the version of the accused and/or the victim.

Violence and Force of Impact

This can be deducted from the depth of the wound and the conditions of the affected territory. The anatomical depth of the wound must be related to the sharpness of the weapon. The finer the weapon, the deeper the wounds are, requiring less violence than weapons with sharp-tipped or sparse edges.