Suicide by electrocution with low-voltage current

Three cases of suicide by electrocution with low-voltage current were obser ved in five gears (1994-1998) by medical clinical forensic examiners of an Emergency Forensic Unit of the Paris suburb among 2000 external death exami nations. The cases involved one woman, aged 72 and two men, aged 38 and 41. Tn the last two cases, electric burns were retrieved under bared electric wires, placed on the arms or fingers in order to realize a hand to-hand ele ctric circuit involving the heart muscle. In the other case, the electric c ircuit between mouth and foot also involved the heart muscle. Household low-voltage current delivered (220 V in France) had a sufficient strength to induce local muscular paralysis and heart fibrillation. In the three cases, blood samples taken have retrieved very high levels of muscula r enzymes (CPK, LDH) correlated to the mechanism of electric death. The rar eness of suicide by electrocution and its forensic characteristics are deta iled in order to help the clinical forensic examiners, prosecutors, and pol ice officers concerned by such death examinations.