IDENTIFICATION
The body was identified to me by Garda John Breslin, Letterkenny Garda Station as that of
Julia Sheila Coll, d.o.b. 28/10/1951, of Carrick, Carrigart, Co. Donegal.
EXTERNAL EXAMINATION
The body was that of an adult female, 5ft. 5in. in height and of slim build. She was dressed in her pyjamas, vest, bra and pants, which were soiled. She had short dark hair. Her face was pale, as were the conjunctivae. She was wearing dentures and her tongue was clamped between the teeth and was protruding from the mouth. The tip of the tongue and the lips were dried. There was a trail of saliva from the right angle of the mouth. The ears were pierced.
There was a noose or ligature around the neck. This comprised a sheet, which was knotted or tied, to the left side of the neck and the free ends were uncut. With this removed there was an obvious ligature mark on the front of the neck. This was a wide mark, 7.5cm. in width. On the right side it was situated 5cm. below the ear and there was a 5cm. by 3cm. darker parchmented area above the clavicle (collar bone). On the left side the mark was situated 2.5cm. below the ear and within this area there was a 5cm. by 3cm. parchmented mark. There were a few small petechial marks on the front of the neck. The mark was largely parchmented and continued around the back of the neck to the suspension point on the back of the left side of the neck. There were no obvious asphyxial signs above the level of the ligature.
Lividity was present in a dependant pattern from below the umbilicus, encircling the legs, although there now had been some shifting and lividity was now also present on the buttocks and the back of the trunk.
There were no grip or grab marks on the upper arms or wrists. There was a 0.5cm. faint blue bruise on the ulnar side of the right antecubital fossa (bend of elbow). There was a watch and 2 rings on the left wrist and hand. The nails were clean, short and unbroken.
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JULIA Sheila COLL
There were 2 faint bruises, each 0.5cm., on the outer aspect of the right lower thigh. There was a scabbed healing abrasion, 1cm. by 0.5cm., on the dorsum of the right foot.
There were dilated broken veins over the outer aspect of the left thigh. There was a blue mark, 0.5cm. in diameter, just below the left kneecap. The soles of the feet were clean.
The back of the body was uninjured.
There was an 'oestrogen patch' above the right hip.
The limbs were still rigid.
INTERNAL EXAMINATION
The Head and Neck
There were dilated blood vessels on the undersurface of the scalp but no evidence of bruising.
The skull was thick and intact.
The meninges were healthy.
The brain weighed 1400g. and was congested. There was no abnormality noted on sectioning.
The vessels at the base of the brain were patent.
The carotid arteries were patent.
The mouth, tongue and thyroid gland were normal.
There was a fracture of the right superior horn of the thyroid cartilage. There was no evidence of any haemorrhage into the soft tissues around the fracture site nor elsewhere on the neck, suggesting that this was a postmortem injury.
The hyoid bone was intact.
The Chest
The ribcage was intact. There was a 2cm. by 0.5cm. bruise overlying the 8th and 9th ribs.
The pleural cavities were clear.
The trachea and main bronchi contained froth.
The lungs weighed - left 520g. and right 550g. Both lungs were intensely congested.
The pericardial sac was intact.
The heart weighed 300g. and was of normal configuration.
The coronary arteries were widely patent.
The myocardium and cardiac valves were healthy.
The aorta was healthy and elastic.
The other major vessels were healthy.
The oesophagus was unremarkable.
The Abdomen
The peritoneal cavity was clear
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JULIA Sheila COLL
The stomach contained abundant fluid and a little bile. There was no food or tablets.
The gastric mucosa was healthy.
The small and large intestines were normal.
The liver weighed 1500g. and was congested.
The spleen was normal.
The gallbladder, pancreas and adrenal glands were healthy.
The kidneys were of normal size with fairly smooth surfaces and on sectioning showed congestion only.
The urinary bladder was empty. There had been a vaginal hysterectomy.
TOXICOLOGY
Samples of blood and urine were retained for toxicological examination and these showed very little alcohol (16mg% in the blood and 19mg% in the urine) but no evidence of drugs.
CONCLUSIONS
I was informed that this lady was found hanging within her home. She had a history of psychiatric illness and depression.
Postmortem examination showed that death was due to hanging.
A sheet had been knotted around the neck and with this removed there was an obvious ligature mark. There was no evidence of asphyxial signs, which is not uncommon in deaths due to hanging as death is often almost instantaneous.
There was no evidence that she had been assaulted or restrained.
The pattern of lividity would suggest that she had been suspended for several hours prior to her body being discovered.
There was no evidence of any naturally occurring disease which would have caused or contributed to her death.
CAUSE OF DEATH
I.... a.... Hanging.
I declare the above facts on Pages 1 to 3 to be true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that I have made the above statement knowing that if it were tendered in evidence I would he liable to prosecution if I slated in it anything which I knew lo be false or did not believe to be true.
M.T. Cassidy, MB.. ChB.. FRC Path., Deputy Stale Pathologist 26th April,2001.
Chemical Pathology Beaumont Hospital
Tel: 8092673/8092675 Fax: 837 6982
(Coroner):DR JOHN GLYNN DONEGAL CORONER DERRYBEG DONEGAL
(Pathologist):
DR. MAR1E CASSIDY
STATE PATHOLOGIST TCD/RCSI
188 PEARSE ST DUBLIN 2
ID/Sumame: COLL First Name: J S
Age: Sex: F Lab No.: 76047
Hospital: LETTERKENNY GENERAL Clinical Details
DOB:
PM Date: 26/12/2000
External Lab No./Ref:
Date Received: 08/01/200
PSYCHIATRIC HISTORY. DEATH DUE TO HANGING.
Tests Required
DRUG SCREEN BLOOD DRUG SCREEN URINE
Test Results
Drug Screen Blood
Ethanol 16 mg%
Barbiturates N.D.
Paracetamol N.D.
Benzodiazepine N.D.
Tricyclics N.D.
Salicylates N.D.
N.D. = None Detected
Other Results Comments: BLOOD SPECIMEN GROSSLY HAEMOLYSED.
Test Results
Drug Screen Urine
Ethanol 19 mg%
Opiates N.D.
Cocaine N.D.
Phencyclidine N.D.
Barbiturates
Methadone N.D.
Cannabinoids N.D.
Amphetamine N.D.
Phenothiazines N.D.
Propoxyphene N.D.
Benzodiazepines N.D.
POS = Positive N.D. = None Detected
Date: 15/03/2001 Signed: (Helen Crosse M.Sc)