An unusual case of crossbow homicide.

The authors report the case of a man found unresponsive in a wooded area, who presented caustic injuries on the face, eyes, shoulders and back, a wound in the left occipital region, and another one in the left hemithorax. He was hospitalised in Intensive Care Unit, where he died after four days. On the crime scene no weapon was found. The autopsy revealed a round penetrating injury in the left occipital region, extending into the left hemisphere, and ending into the internal surface of the left frontal bone. Immunohistochemical staining of brain samples for β-APP assisted us in determining the extent of the injury. The peculiarity of the wounds and the scarcity of circumstantial evidence made necessary careful investigations in order to identify the involved weapon. The post-mortem findings led us to hypothesize two feasible penetrating mechanisms. Firing tests were performed on experimental cranial models to compare the compatible weapons.