2 CASES OF EXENTERATION OF THE BRAIN FROM BRENNEKE SHOTGUN SLUGS

A case of extended suicide resulted in two fatalities due to craniocer ebral gunshots from a 12-gauge shotgun firing Brenneke shotgun slugs. In each case, the gunshot shattered the skull and the brain and in one case, large parts of the brain including a complete hemisphere were e jected similar to a ''Kronlein shot''. The location of the trajectory close to the base of the skull, the muzzle gases and the ballistic cha racteristics of the missile contributed to this rare form of head inju ry. The high mass and the large diameter of the lead missile do not ne cessitate a high muzzle velocity to crush large amounts of tissue or t o produce an explosive type of head injury. The wadding material and t he metal screw attached to the Brenneke slug can be of forensic signif icance.