There is an abundance of literature on the subject of autoerotic fatalities.
Unfortunately, the largest portion of the early literature, circa. 1970,
is terribly subjective and interpretive of morality (note: much of the
early literature is still footnoted and built upon). However, some excellent
work on the subject has been done since then. The purpose of this author's
work is to give an objective overview of autoerotic fatalities with an
emphasis on the myths, criteria, and issues faced by a Medical Examiner
or Coroner.
DEFINITIONS/ APPLICATIONS
The following are the central terms defined according to Holmes[6].
It cannot be ignored that Holmes[6] demonstrates a schizophrenic attitude
towards human sexuality in some of his definitions, to recall what was
stated earlier about literature being interpretive of morality. For example,
Autosexuality, the same thing as autoeroticism, is defined as "perversions
performed on oneself, including masturbation,". It must be assumed that
shared sexuality, by inference, would be defined by Holmes as perversions
performed on others. Holmes, and others who engage in the autoerotic debate,
often suffer from such failures to resolve conflicts between public and
private views on sexuality. This tendency often brings poorly defined morality
to the debate, and detracts from the purposes of the Forensic Sciences.
Regardless, the author capitulates to these particular definitions as
objective.
Autoeroticism: Masturbation and other forms of self gratification.
Autoerotic fatality: Any death that occurs as a result of behavior
that is performed as a form of self-gratification.
Example: "The victim, a twenty-six year old white male, died
while suspended by leather wrist restraints from a hook in the ceiling.
When found, he was wearing a commercially produced 'discipline Mask' and
a had a bit in his mouth. A length of rope was attached to each end of
the bit and ran over his shoulders, going through an eyelet at the back
of a specially designed belt he was wearing. The pieces of rope ran to
eyelet's on both sides of his body and were connected to wooden dowels
that extended the length of his legs. The ropes were attached to two plastic
water bottles, one on each ankle. The bottles were filled with water and
each weighed 7 pounds. The victim's ankles had leather restraints about
them. A clothespin was affixed to each of the victim's nipples. The victim's
belt had a leather device that ran between his buttocks and was attached
to the rear in front of his belt. This belt device included a dildo that
was inserted in his anus and an aperture through which his penis protruded.
His penis was encased in a piece of pantyhose and a toilet-paper cylinder.
A small red ribbon was tied in a bow at the base of his penis."(Hazelwood,
Burgess, & Dietz[5]).
This case demonstrates a blatant, undeniable autoerotic fatality, that
is complete with props. But not every case will look like it, or even be
as overt. Each autoerotic fatality is as different or as similar in its
engagement as the personality of the individual who orchestrates it. Every
autoerotic death has its own personal script. That is due in part to the
fact that masturbation is a deeply personal, sexual act. This is a critical
notion that is often dismissed by even the most seasoned death investigators.
Failure to accept this notion will assist in the pathologist's failure
to recognize autoerotic fatalities when they are so confronted. Again,
autoerotic behavior is a kind of masturbation, and masturbation is a personal
and dynamic behavior.
Specific circumstantial elements that can help a forensic pathologist
distinguish an autoerotic fatality will be discussed later on.
WHY?
The general appeal of autoerotic behavior is fairly straightforward;
sexual gratification.
There are dangerous autoerotic behaviors that individuals find similarly
appealing. Of these, perhaps the most prevalent is autoerotic asphyxia.
An important question surrounding autoerotic asphyxia, for those who
are not familiar with the term, is why. Why is engagement in autoerotic
asphyxia pleasurable? Where does the pleasure come from?
The pleasure can be generally understood as arriving from two distinct
sources (distinct but not exclusive). The first source of pleasure is physical,
and the second is psychological. Both are equally potent pleasure sources
on their own. Put them together and the combination can easily provide
the foundation for a dangerous habit.
The physical pleasure from autoerotic asphyxia comes with the reduction
of oxygen to the brain, or Hypoxia, which just means partial oxygen deprivation
(DiMaio & DiMaio[3]). This is simple euphoric asphyxia. Less oxygen
to the brain equals a semi-hallucinogenic, lucid state. It is pleasurable
enough on its own to be engaged in without bondage or genital manipulation.
It can be performed while entirely clothed.
Dietz[2] gives us an example of a death by sexual asphyxia (classified
as an autoerotic fatality), with all of the classic earmarks, yet little
sexual obviousness at the scene:
"A 42 year-old Asian man was found hanging by the neck, suspended by
a rope attached to the raised shovel of a John Deere Model JD410, diesel
powered, backhoe tractor...The decedent was suspended in a semi-sitting
position by a cloth safety harness strap wrapped around his neck and clipped
to a rope that was hooked to the raised shovel of the backhoe tractor.
A towel was between the loose fitting strap and the victim's neck. A long
piece of plastic pipe was connected on one end by conduit tape to the hydraulic
control lever of the shovel in the operator's compartment of the tractor.
A broom stick was taped to the other end of the pipe and was partially
under the decedent's buttocks. The hydraulic shovel could be easily raised
or lowered by slight pressure applied to the broomstick. The decedent was
fully clothed, and his genitals were not exposed. No pornographic materials,
women's clothing items, or mirrors were at the scene...He had no known
psychiatric illness."
Determination of autoerotic death was made from decedent history and
circumstantial indicators. The victim kept a journal of love poetry dedicated
to his tractor that he had named "Stone," outlining his desire for them
to "soar high" together. The victim was unmarried and lived with his parents
on their farm. He also had a reasonable expectation of privacy for an extended
period, as he engaged in this behavior in the late evening down by the
barn. Cause of death was determined to be accidental autoerotic asphyxiation
with carbon monoxide intoxication as a contributor.
The psychological source of pleasure from autoerotic asphyxia is personal,
and therefore difficult to generalize. The pleasure is best understood
as residing in the fantasy. It is widely accepted that the fantasy is fueled
by the masochistic/ cordophilic aspect of the behavior. The sexual pleasure
associated with binding oneself up in a restrictive and/or complex fashion
can have a twofold effect; 1) Self-restriction, and 2) Pain/ pleasure.
The psychological pleasure derived from either of those fantasy behaviors
is sufficient reason for many individuals to engage in that form of sexual
activity. Bondage and masochism are widely practiced without the element
of Hypoxia.
An individual involved in dangerous autoerotic behavior of any kind
generally has a rich and intense fantasy life. The most accurate way to
understand that form of fantasy and pleasure, on an individual basis, is
to have the individual explain it to you themselves, in their own words,
or to read about it in a journal of love poetry they wrote in honor of
their backhoe tractor.
What can be seen and understood of the fantasy, by the pathologist,
is the object. Every fantasy requires an object to fulfill it. In the above
case it was the backhoe tractor. In other cases it may be complex ligature,
pornographic paraphernalia, women's undergarments, or perhaps some other
masochistic element. All of these objects assist the fantasy and accelerate
sexual arousal. If the pathologist or death investigator can identify the
object of the decedent's fantasy, the autoerotic behavior will begin to
explain itself.
Additional explanations include masochistic sensations when approaching
death and backing off at the last possible second. Prevailing over that
brush with mortality is often perceived as empowering. On that note, many
individuals who engage in autoerotic asphyxia may do so in concert with
genital masturbation and insertion of objects into their body's orifices
for further sexual stimulation, although not necessarily.
Combining all of these elements together, it becomes clearer as to why
some extreme types of autoerotic behavior (including autoerotic asphyxia),
although dangerous, are a behavior of choice for certain individuals. Individuals
of all ages and social strata find behaviors akin to autoerotic asphyxia
pleasurable. This is not disputed.
MYTHS
There are many common myths surrounding autoerotic fatalities. This
is largely the product of social fear and social ignorance which girdles
the issue. It is widely documented that parents or loved ones alter the
scene of victims in such cases[5] in order to mislead investigators. They
wish to avoid embarrassment. They wish to hide the truth of their loved
ones demise and put it away where no one can see it. In addition, investigators
and pathologists have their own problems with the issue. Some have problems
because they consider the behavior perverse, others because they simply
do not recognize it for what it is.
Autoerotic asphyxia is, as discussed earlier, a form of masturbation.
Masturbation is one of the few cultural taboos that older society pretends
to hold on to. There is also a great deal of cultural evidence to suggest
that we are still very publicly ashamed of our sexuality. It is therefore
no great wonder that bad and often judgmental information can lead the
way to investigating or even discussing autoerotic fatalities.
In discussions on this topic with colleagues, the author has noted that
several individuals labor under the impression that the deceased in these
cases should be regarded as criminal. Holmes[6] lists Erotic Asphyxiation
under the heading "Dangerous Sex Crimes", along with others including Lust
Killers, Pyromaniacs, and Necromaniacs. That classification is an egregious
error for too many reasons to list here.
It is important to express that individuals who die while engaging in
autoeroticism are not guilty of a crime, unless perhaps they live in Missouri
or Mississippi. There is nothing criminal about exercising careless masturbation
unless someone else is killed or property is damaged. In autoerotic asphyxia
and other types of autoerotic fatalities, this is rarely the case. Once
a death is ruled to be an autoerotic fatality, law enforcement is generally
out of the picture.
Moreover, the author perceives four principal myths surrounding autoerotic
fatalities. To effectively engage in the death investigation of a possible
autoerotic fatality, the pathologist or death investigator must reconcile
these myths with the documented facts. They are as follows:
MYTH # 1 - AGE
"Decedents tend to be young boys"
Adelson[1], in his book, The Pathology of Homicide, published in 1974,
was a proponent of this theory. He stated, in reference to autoerotic deaths,
that they were "A unique group of accidental hangings usually involving
young boys ages nine and fourteen or fifteen." And he described it as the
termination of a dangerous game played by boys. He was later cited by Geberth[4]
and Holmes[6] concerning this specific issue.
This statement is a myth because it is only partly accurate. According
to the study of autoerotic asphyxial deaths published by Hazelwood, Burgess,
& Dietz[5], operating with the largest subject population of any study
to date (N=132), 37 of the subjects were white teenage males. However,
42 of the subjects were white males (plus one black) between the ages of
20 and 29. An additional 28 subjects were white males (plus one Hispanic
and two black) between the ages of 30 and 39. This clearly shows that each
of those three age clusters are strongly represented by the data. In light
of this sampling, the age generalization cannot practically be applied
to the occurrence of autoerotic fatalities. When applied to a death investigation,
the need for reconciliation of this myth is compounded.
Example [5]: "A 47 year old divorced dentist was found on the floor
of his office by the janitor. He was lying face down on the floor with
an anesthesia mask held in place over his mouth and nose by the weight
of his head. His shirt was open and his trousers unzipped. He was alleged
to have taken sexual advantage of his patients while they were under anesthesia
in his office."
(History, history, and history) Failure to terminate inhalation of the
anesthetic agent, nitrous oxide, resulted in the death of this individual.
He was an older man; a professional with an education. A man with some
intimate understanding of anatomy, physiology, and the potency of the hypoxia
caused by nitrous oxide. He was not ignorant to the potential danger of
his activities and he was not a teenager engaging in sexual self discovery-type
behavior. His age group is not to be ignored for the possibility of autoerotic
fatalities.
MYTH # 2 - GENDER
"Autoerotic Fatalities occur only in men"
This is by far the most concerning myth. It harkens back to a misguided
male mind set that females do not have the same sexual desires as males,
and therefore do not masturbate. Not only is it supported by Adelson[1],
but Geberth[4]. Similarly, DiMaio & DiMaio[3] minimize female occurrences
by saying of sexual asphyxia "Such deaths are rare, with the victim virtually
always a male. Only a few cases involving a females have been reported,".
The inferences made by the above authors are entirely misleading. Although
female occurrences are not as frequent as male occurrences, they do exist
in the data. If the Pathologist or death investigator does not think to
look at female cases with the possibility of autoerotic fatality in mind,
then something may be overlooked in the examination of the body, the scene
or the history.
In a lecture that the author attended in the winter of this year given
by S.A. Max Thiel(ret.)[8] of the FBI on the subject of autoerotic fatalities,
there was a marked show of public embarrassment and disbelief in the audience.
One female attendee asked how any female could possibly perform an autoerotic
act. She seemed unbelieving of the answer that she received.
Female data are presented by Hazelwood, Burgess, and Dietz[5], Sass[7],
and Holmes[6]. Example [5]: "A thirty year old single woman was
found dead in her locked apartment. She was nude and lying supine on a
blanket on the bedroom floor. A pillow beneath her buttocks elevated them.
Her legs were slightly spread, and her arms were by her sides. A blouse
was lodged in her mouth and covered her face. Next to the body was a dental
plate belonging to the victim. Near her left foot were an empty beer can,
an ashtray, and a drinking glass. Neither the body nor the scene exhibited
signs of a struggle. The victim's clothes and purse (containing her keys)
were on her bed. A vibrator and leather bondage materials were found in
her closet. The door was locked with a spring bolt. The autopsy report
indicated that she had choked to death."
Example [5]: "A black woman in her early twenties was discovered
in a severely decomposed condition. She was found on a bed in her locked
apartment where she had resided alone. She was nude and lay face down with
a pillow under her abdomen and her buttocks in the air. Her right hand
was beneath her, near her vagina. Her face was turned to one side, and
a knife was beneath her cheek. On the bed immediately below her vagina
lay a long sausage, which in all probability, fell from her vagina after
death. On the kitchen counter a package of similar sausages, once frozen,
had since thawed. The apartment door had been locked from within, and no
other persons were known to posses a key."
Hazelwood, Burgess, and Dietz[5] note that the cause of death in this
second example remained undetermined due to severe decomposition, but included
it because of a similar Japanese case that presented a woman who died while
masturbating with a carrot (Tomita & Uchida[9]). The cause of death
was determined, in that case, to have been a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which
is a form of stroke.
Example [7]: "This case occurred in a midwestern city...and involved
a woman 35 years of age, a divorcee with a nine-year-old daughter. The
mother was found deceased by the daughter in the morning after the child
arose from a night's sleep in an adjoining room.
The child had gone to bed at 10:00 p.m....upon awakening noticed a strange
humming noise coming from her mother's room. After entering the room, she
found her mother hanging deceased in a small closet off the bedroom.
The victim was found completely nude lying on a small shelved space
at the rear of the closet. Her feet were against the wall and her body
was extended in a prone position, head downward...There was a folded quilt
placed on the front portion of the shelf that was immediately under he
abdomen and upper thighs...
...She died of strangulation. An electric vibrator connected to an extension
cord was found running. The vibrator was positioned between her thighs
and the hard rubber massage head in contact with the victim's vulva. There
was a string-type clothespin on the nipple of her right breast, compressing
the nipple, and another clothespin of the same type was found immediately
below her left breast.
...Over the place where the body was lying on this shelved area was
a small narrow shelf 66in. above the floor. This was attached to the wall
by two steel brackets and the one closest to the shelved area had a nylon
hose tied around it which formed a long loop. The victim has placed her
head in the loop and placed a hand towel between her neck and the nylon
hose. Her face was turned toward the wall and laying against it."
Women masturbate. Women engage in autoerotic behavior. Women who engage
in dangerous forms of autoerotic behavior can die from it. Asphyxia and
trauma are not sexually discriminate in their effects on human anatomy.
If that tenet of autoerotic fatalities is ignored by a death investigator,
or a pathologist, then autoerotic fatalities among women may be overlooked.
The belief that it doesn't happen among women may create classification
errors in future reporting despite any previous documentation to the contrary.
MYTH # 3 - NUDITY
"Nudity, or partial nudity, is always a feature in Autoerotic death
scenes."
As Thiel[8] reminds us, nudity must be explained at any death scene.
Nudity can be a feature of an autoerotic fatality. However, nudity is not
a necessary feature of an autoerotic death, as was demonstrated by the
example in the section entitled "Why" on page 2 of this work. Many serious
researchers make the statement that nudity or partial nudity is an element
of an autoerotic fatality; DiMaio & DiMaio[3], Holmes[6], & Thiel[8].
This is misleading, again, because it is only mostly true.
Nudity or partial nudity can help with a pathologist's determination
as to whether or not the decedent was engaged in autoerotic behavior. However
there are many documented cases of autoerotic fatalities that do not have
a feature of nudity ([2] & [5]). If cases that do not have a feature
of nudity are excluded as possible autoerotic fatalities on that basis
alone, a classification error may occur.
MYTH # 4 - TRANSVESTITISM
"Most autoerotic deaths are characterized by transvestitism."
Transvestitism[5]: Recurrent and persistent cross-dressing by a heterosexual
male for whom there is no explanation other than sexual excitement for
the cross-dressing behavior.
There are widespread anecdotal reports of male decedents being discovered
wearing female undergarments or clothing. A sampling of the literature
yields these results: Holmes[6] notes cross-dressing as a typical element
in an autoerotic hanging; DiMaio & DiMaio[3], on the other hand, note
a less common tendency in decedents to wear female articles of clothing;
Adelson[1] takes his conjecture further, saying, "...one aspect of sexual
psychopathy is observed occasionally in...fatal hangings involving boys
and men who are transvestites...When discovered dead by hanging, they are
wearing female undergarments and occasionally, female outer clothing."
This demonstrates the diversity of thought on the matter among an array
of published experts. This also likely demonstrates that what is typical
to these experts is probably a function of personal experience, and not
necessarily typical for the entire population of autoerotic asphyxial decedents.
Hazelwood, Burgess, and Dietz[5] and Thiel[8] are more careful in their
reporting of the data. They note that sometimes the decedent is attired
in one or more articles of female clothing. 20.5% of their sample population
were cross-dressed at death. But Hazelwood, Burgess, and Dietz[5] also
note, that this is probably not transvestitism. They hypothesize that individuals
found cross-dressed are probably utilizing the female articles for their
masochistic value. They diagnosed only 3.9% of their sample population
as transvestites.
Geberth[4] includes their comments in his chapter on the phenomenon
of autoerotic fatalities. Not surprisingly, his criterion for making a
determination of autoerotic death does not include transvestitism or cross-dressing.
Geberth[4] also cites DiMaio & DiMaio[3].
The best data does not support the claim that most autoerotic deaths
are characterized by transvestitism. Transvestitism occurs in only a slight
portion of autoerotic death cases. Cross-dressing is a little more common,
but only 1/5 of the time. In either case, the idea that tranvestitism is
prevalent in either form is untrue.
The trained pathologist or death investigator has an obligation to the
decedent to resolve these myths and conduct an objective investigation.
The failure to resolve any one of these myths is enough to mislead even
the most seasoned death investigator. The importance of reconciling personal
experience with overall data is equally important.
THE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA
There are many laundry lists available that characterize typical elements
of an autoerotic death. Unfortunately, they are generalizations. While
they are good compasses for a bewildered investigation, they do not apply
to every case.
The following is a list of the objective criteria that should be used
to assist the pathologist or death investigator to determine autoerotic
death. Recall the definition:
Autoerotic fatality: Any death that occurs as a result of behavior
that is performed as a form of self-gratification.
CRITERIA[4];
1.Evidence of a physiological mechanism for obtaining or enhancing sexual
arousal that provides a self-rescue mechanism or allows the victim to voluntarily
discontinue its effect.
2. Reasonable expectation of privacy.
3. Evidence of solo sexual activity.
4. Evidence of sexual fantasy aids.
5. Evidence of prior dangerous autoerotic practice.
6. No apparent suicidal intent.
Example[5]: "A twenty-two year old single woman was discovered
dead by her sister, who had been staying with the victim temporarily. The
sister had been away for two days and returned on Sunday at 9:00 p.m....She
went directly to her bedroom and did not discover the victim until the
following morning.
The deceased was found in an arched position with an electrical cord
attached to her neck by a slip knot, passing over a doorknob, and wrapped
around her ankles. Her abdomen, thighs, and forearms rested on the floor,
and her feet were pulled back toward her head. The right side of her head
was against the door's edge, and her hair was entangled in the slip knot.
She was clothed in a blouse that she normally wore for sleeping. Commercial
lubrication cream was found in the victim's vagina, and a battery-operated
vibrator was found 4 feet from her body. The only trauma was a 1 1/2-inch
contusion above and behind her right ear. The scene was not disturbed,
and there was no sign of a struggle. On her bed were a series of drafted
letters she had written in response to an advertisement seeking a possible
sexual liaison.
Autopsy revealed no evidence of recent intercourse, and no alcohol or
other drugs were detected in the body. The cause of death was determined
to be asphyxia due to laryngeal compression.
The victim had been in excellent physical condition, had made plans
for a canoe trip on the day following her death, and had recently been
in good spirits. She was sexually active but was reportedly disappointed
in her sexual relationships as she had difficulty attaining orgasm. She
used contraceptive cream and a diaphragm to prevent pregnancy, and these
items were located in her car."
This case demonstrates all of the above mentioned criteria. Her hands
were free to push herself up at any time and interrupt the laryngeal compression,
but she clearly passed out before she could do so. She was dating, and
concerned about pregnancy, but those items associated with blocking potential
pregnancy during sexual intercourse were located in her vehicle. If she
were not alone while engaging in her sexual behavior, it would stand to
reason that those articles would have been found to be in use at the scene
of her death. The presence of the vibrator and the letters on her bed demonstrate
the presence of the sexual fantasy aids. The complexity of the bondage
involved demonstrates complex fantasy behavior, and is indicative of prior
fantasy and therefore represents an escalation of fantasy behavior. Rarely
will an individual hog-tie themselves to a doorknob with a slip knot on
their first time out. The planning of the canoe trip and the reports of
her being in good spirits indicate that she was not suicidal. Also, there
was no suicide note. By itself that fact has little meaning as suicide
notes are not always left by those who commit suicide. Circumstantially,
however, the absence of a suicide note does contribute to the picture of
an autoerotic death. If there had been a note present, it would have been
helpful in dismissing the possibility of an autoerotic death.
Example[5]: "An eighteen year-old white male was discovered by
his mother in what she believed to be an unconscious state. She drove him
to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Upon arrival at the hospital,
he wore only a pair of red, women's panties. Markings around his chest
led to further questioning of his mother who then stated that when she
found her son, there had been a plastic bag around his head that was secured
around his neck with a rubber band, and he had been wearing a brassiere
and a slip. She had removed all of these things before taking him to the
hospital. A search of his room at home disclosed an extensive collection
of women's clothing and several other plastic bags. The plastic bag he
had used during the fatal episode had holes in it that had been repaired
with masking tape."
This case is a good example of suffocation to induce euphoric hypoxia,
rather than the more common compression/hanging techniques. His hands were
not bound, so he could have punctured the bag at any time to discontinue
its effect (as he had obviously done in the past). From all indications,
he was alone at the time of death. The female clothing represents a significant
fantasy aid. Holes in the one bag, the presence of other bags, and the
presence of a collection of women's clothing suggests a great deal of previous
engagement in this dangerous autoerotic behavior. The existence of prior
incidents using the same repaired bag, in tandem with sexual fantasy material,
would suggest that his intention was pleasure, not death.
The above criteria for determining autoerotic fatalities are fairly
objective. They do not exclude on the basis of gender, skin color, age
or lifestyle. They also depend heavily on victim history. Adherence to
these criteria could assist greatly in keeping each of the four main myths
previously mentioned from misleading a death investigation. It would also
assist in barricading against other classic personal and political considerations
that are prone to interfere with investigations of a private, sexual, and
potentially socially embarrassing nature.
MANNER OF DEATH
Determining the manner of death is sometimes very problematic for a
Medical Examiner or Coroner. A definition is in order.
Manner of Death [3]: "The manner of death explains how the cause
of death came about. Manners of death are generally considered to be natural,
homicide, suicide, accident, and undetermined...The manner of death as
determined by the forensic pathologist is an opinion based on the known
facts concerning the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the death
in conjunction with the autopsy findings and the laboratory tests."
Autoerotic fatalities are, by definition, accidental deaths. They are
not suicides. Suicide is the intentional taking of one's own life. Accidents
are unforeseen and unintentional.
Last month, a colleague wrote the author of this work and stated that,
"...I would consider it[autoerotic death] (assuming that the pathologist
has identified the death as autoerotic asphyxia) as suicide; simply because
the action is as voluntary as suicide." This is not an uncommon argument.
However, the argument is only sustainable on a superficial level. By that
same reasoning, traffic fatalities would be determined as suicides, because
everyone knows that being in a car or walking along the side of the road
can kill you with more frequency than any dangerous autoerotic behavior.
DiMaio & DiMaio[3] opine on the case of a 21 year-old white male
in their discussion of autoerotic asphyxiation and end their section on
the subject with the following:
"The danger of this[transitory anoxia] is that a few seconds miscalculation
can cause loss of consciousness and the individual will hang himself. The
key to the diagnosis of this entity is the presence of a towel or some
other article of clothing between the noose and the neck...The intention
is not to die, but to produce sexual gratification."
Those who engage in autoerotic behavior are doing so for pleasure. They
have no expectation or intention of death. They have made provisions for
their future and for future autoerotic behavior. Failure to surmise the
intent of sexual arousal in autoerotic fatalities should be avoided in
determining manner of death. There is little disagreement among the experts
([1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], & [8]) on this issue.
CONCLUSION
Dr. Park Dietz[5] begins the second chapter of his work with a statement
as to the nature of autoerotic asphyxia that pathologists and other death
investigators cannot afford to ignore:
"For certain individuals, the preferred or exclusive mode of producing
sexual excitement is to be mechanically or chemically asphyxiated to or
beyond the point at which consciousness or perception is altered by cerebral
Hypoxia (diminished availability of oxygen to the brain)."
There is a diverse population of individuals that find autoerotic asphyxia
and other dangerous autoerotic behavior sexually gratifying. Their autoerotic
behavior is not criminal. It is a dangerous form of masturbation. Their
subsequent death is accidental. For whatever social or personal reasons,
death investigators and pathologists can fall into the ignorance of some
alluring myths surrounding autoerotic death. This is a failing that cannot
be afforded in light of the pathologist's responsibility to the decedent.
There is a great deal of literature that works against reconciling popular
myths in favor of good data. That literature must be reconciled with objective
data, and objective criteria for determining autoerotic fatalities. If
death investigators and pathologists are to maintain any scientific credibility
at all in this area, the need for the more universal, more objective criteria
must not be ignored.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1)Adelson, Lester, The Pathology of Homicide (Springfield, Ill: Charles
C. Thomas, Pub., 1973), pp.552-553
2)Dietz, P.E., & O'Halloran, Ronald,"Autoerotic Fatalities with
Power Hydraulics", Journal of Forensic Sciences, No. 2, March 1993, pp.
359-364
3)DiMaio, D, & DiMaio, V., Forensic Pathology, (Boca Raton: CRC
Press, 1993), pp. 246-247
4)Geberth, Vernon, Practical Homicide Investigation, 2nd Ed., (Boca
Raton: CRC Press, 1993)
5)Hazelwood, Roy, & Burgess, Ann, & Dietz, Park, Autoerotic
Fatalities (Lexington, Mass: D.C. Heath & Co., 1983)
6)Holmes, Ronald, Sex Crimes, (London: Sage Publications, 1991), pp.
62-65
7)Sass, F.A., "Sexual Asphyxia in the Female" Journal of Forensic Sciences,
No. 20, 1973, pp. 181-185
8)Thiel, Max, S.A.(ret.) Lecture: "Autoerotic Death", University of
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