An unusual case of crossbow homicide

The authors report the case of a man found unresponsive in a wooded area with injuries on the face, eyes, shoulders and back, probably produced by caustic agents. A penetrating wound was noted in the left occipital region. Four days after admission to an Intensive Care Unit he died. No weapon was found at the crime scene. Autopsy revealed an occipital bone defect in the wound area, and cerebral haemorrhage in the left hemisphere in the absence of an exit wound. Immunohistochemical staining of brain samples for b-APP were critical establishing the extent of the injury. The peculiarity of the wound and the lack of circumstantial evidence made it necessary to conduct a careful investigation to identify the weapon. Firing tests performed on experimental cranial models established the use of a crossbow weapon as a cause of the observed wound.